Measured and calculated stress in a ribbon parachute canopy

An experimental study of the steady-state stresses in a model ribbon parachute canopy is presented. Using Omega sensors, the distribution of circumferential stress in the horizontal ribbons of the parachute was measured, as well as canopy pressure distribution, shape, and drag. The stress distribution and shape were calculated for the parachute canopy using the parachute structural analysis code CANO. It was found that the stresses calculated using CANO were larger than the measured stresses and that the calculated canopy shape was substantially different from the measured shape. A modified version of CANO was developed that gave a better representation of the canopy shape and stress than the original version of CANO.