| Parachuting produces large numbers of injuries in the Army and with increasingly heavy payloads the risks are becoming greater. To ensure soldiers' safety, new equipment needs to be implemented. However, validated computer models need to be developed before active field-testing of alternative parachute designs is conducted. This thesis presents experimental results obtained by conducting non-contacting measurements on parachute fabrics. The obtained strain and deformation data can be used for future validation of recently developed computer models. The equipment used to acquire non-contacting measurements is the ARAMIS three-dimensional image correlation system. Four experiments were conducted including a parachute fabric tensile test, biaxially loaded cylinder test, airbag test, and an inverted water-filled parachute test. The results indicate that the imaging system can provide useful strain and deformation measurements for parachute fabric. This project will assist in the design and redesign of parachute systems to achieve improved performance characteristics and enhanced safety. |
