Aerodynamic Framework for Parachute Deployment from Aerial Vehicle

For rapid parachute deployment simulation, the framework and methodology provided by the simulation database uses parametrized aerodynamic data for a variety of environmental conditions, air taxi design parameters, and landing system designs. The database also includes a compilation of drag coefficients, thrust and lift forces, and further relevant aerodynamic parameters utilized in the simulated flight of a proposed air taxi. The database and framework can be constructed using simulated data that accounts for oscillatory breathing of parachutes. The methodology can further employ an overset grid of body-fitted meshes to accurately capture deployment of an internally-stored parachute, as well as descent of the air taxi and deployed parachute. The systems and methods of the disclosed technology can be utilized with existing CFD solvers in a plug-and-play manner, such that the framework can be integrated to directly improve the performance of these solvers and the machines on which they are installed. The framework itself can employ parallelization to enable distributed solution of intensive CFD simulations to build a robust database of simulated data. Further, as up to 90% of computational time is spent in the calculation of aerodynamic parameters for use in coupled trajectory equations, the framework can significantly reduce the computational costs and design time for safe landing systems for air taxis. These reductions can lead to lower costs for design processes, while enabling rapid design and testing prior to physical prototyping. Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, conceptualized to be used as air taxis for transporting cargo or passengers, are not traditionally designed to glide to a safe landing following propulsion failure. As these aircraft may operate either in populated areas or with passengers onboard, safety measures such as parachutes must be designed and tested for safe landing during air taxi failure. In-silico design processes that employ validated computer simulations are useful for early design and testing prior to physical prototyping. However, current computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers can be computationally expensive and time-consuming. NASA Ames has developed a CFD based rapid simulation framework for parachute deployment from air taxis in a simulated flight by generating a database of simulated accurate aerodynamic data to be used in place of on-the-fly flow simulations, thus enabling rapid simulation and design processes.