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Damping Effects of Drogue Parachutes on Orion Crew Module DynamicsBecause simulations of the Orion Crew Module (CM) dynamics with drogue parachutes deployed were under-predicting the amount of damping seen in free-flight tests, an attach-point damping model was applied to the Orion system. A key hypothesis in this model is that the drogue parachutes' net load vector aligns with the CM drogue attachment point velocity vector. This assumption seems reasonable and has historically produced good results, but has never been experimentally verified. The wake of the CM influences the drogue parachutes, which makes performance predictions of the parachutes difficult. Many of these effects are not currently modeled in the simulations. A forced oscillation test of the CM with parachutes was conducted in the NASA LaRC 20-Ft Vertical Spin Tunnel (VST) to gather additional data to validate and refine the attach-point damping model. A second loads balance was added to the original Orion VST model to measure the drogue parachute loads independently of the CM. The objective of the test was to identify the contribution of the drogues to CM damping and provide additional information to quantify wake effects and the interactions between the CM and parachutes. The drogue parachute force vector was shown to be highly dependent on the CM wake characteristics. Based on these wind tunnel test data, the attach-point damping model was determined to be a sufficient approximation of the parachute dynamics in relationship to the CM dynamics for preliminary entry vehicle system design. More wake effects should be included to better model the system.
Document ID
20160011468
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Aubuchon, Vanessa V. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Owens, D. Bruce (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 26, 2016
Publication Date
September 13, 2016
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
NF1676L-23701
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 747797.06.13.15.99.04
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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