Responsible Engineer: Claire Johnson

  • What we want to test:

    • Deployment and inflation behaviour of the parachute.

    • Stability of the parachute throughout the entire flight envelope.

    • Opening load of the parachute.

  • Tow testing for 48 inch parachutes and drogues

    • Pros: Already have a procedure for this, doesn’t require communication with administration

    • Cons: could create holes and damage parachute, probably wouldn’t work for 96 inch parachute

    • Have procedure

  • Drop testing (mainly for drogue parachutes)

    • Need this to calculate Cd values for the drogues

    • Pros: test inflation of drogue parachutes, very easy test to do, already have a procedure

    • Cons: possibility of damaging the parachute, need to get access to a tall building

    • Have procedure

  • Wind Tunnel Testing

    • Pros: probably the only way we can test the large parachute, could use the open return small wind tunnel (would have to check if it fits on the larger one), can vary the speed and pressure to mimic high altitude environment

    • Cons: we don’t have a procedure, need a mounting stand (shouldn’t be too hard to find)

    • Need to write procedure

  • Bridle Loop Testing

    • Pros: can figure out what failed on Phoenix

    • Cons: would have to use older parachutes to test since newer parachutes would get damaged in the process, don’t have a procedure, would have to ask to use testing equipment (Zach’s instron?)

    • Can calculate exact shock on bridle loop and apply this force

    • Need to write procedure

  • Resources

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