Computational Issues in the Modeling of Wrinkling during Parachute Deployment

Abstract

Parachute modeling is complicated because it is a coupled fluid-structure, nonlinear, time-dependent problem. Current commercial FE packages cannot capture all of the details of parachute deployment simulations; e.g., membrane elements in commercial FE codes cannot in general adequately predict the large scale wrinkling which occurs during deployment. To date, 3-D simulation of parachute deployment with fully coupled fluid and structural models has not been achieved. However, a nonlinear dynamic FE code using curvilinear cable and membrane elements to simulate the transient response of no-compression structures, including wrinkling, has been developed. In this presentation, we discuss a number of aspects of wrinkle modeling, including the wrinkle algorithm, the influence of integration order, and the implication of local remeshing in wrinkled regions.