Effect of Different Geometric Porosities on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Supersonic Parachutes

Abstract

The supersonic parachute plays an important role in the descent and landing of Mars missions. Next-generation supersonic parachutes, such as disksail parachutes, are alternatives to disk-gap-band (DGB) parachutes. Disksail parachutes have larger porous gaps and smaller porous seams on the canopy surface than DGB parachutes. To date, the influence mechanism of porous seams or gaps and their locations on the performance of supersonic parachute systems in Martian atmospheric conditions remains unclear. In this study, different canopy models with seams and gaps based on NASA’s supersonic disksail parachutes were designed, and the aerodynamic characteristics of such geometric porosity models were studied numerically. For seam-only models, the drag coefficient of the parachute decreases when the position of the seam is close to the middle of the canopy. When the seam is close to the mouth of the canopy, the pressure difference between the inner and outer surface of the canopy becomes small, reducing the risk of tearing the canopy. For gap-only models, the drag coefficient of the middle gap model is higher, while the lateral force stability of the top gap model is better. The results show that the addition of a seam can improve the drag performance of the top gap model and improve the lateral stability of the canopy with the middle gap. This study provides some theoretical references for designing the porosity of parachutes under different requirements for Mars exploration missions in the future.