Simulation and Stability Analysis of a Coupled Parachute–Payload System

High-fidelity simulations are used to study the stability of a coupled parachute–payload system in different configurations. A 8.53 m ring–slot canopy is attached to two separate International Organization for Standardization (ISO) container payloads representing a Twenty Foot Equivalent (TEU). To minimize risk and as an alternative to a relatively expensive traditional test program, a multi-phase design and evaluation program using computational tools validated for uncoupled parachute system components was completed. The interaction of the payload wake suspended at different locations and orientations below the parachute were investigated to determine stability characteristics for both subsonic and supersonic freestream conditions. The DoD High-Performance Computing Modernization Program CREATE^TM-AV Kestrel suite was used to perform CFD and fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulations using both delayed detached-eddy simulations (DDES) and implicit Large Eddy Simulations (iLES). After analyzing the subsonic test cases, the simulations were used to predict the coupled system’s response to the supersonic flow field during descent from a high-altitude deployment, with specific focus on the effect of the payload wake on the parachute bow shock. The FSI simulations included structural cable element modeling but did not include aerodynamic modeling of the suspension lines or suspension harness. The simulations accurately captured the turbulent wake of the payload, its coupling to the parachute, and the shock interactions. Findings from these simulations are presented in terms of code validation, system stability, and drag performance during descent.