Development of a Real-Time Six Degree-of-Freedom Computational Model to Simulate Ram-Air Parachute Dynamics

Abstract

Computer simulations are used in many disciplines in various ways as a methodology of mimicking behaviors of a physical system or a process. The most important aspect of computer simulation is developing the computational model so that it replicates the behaviors of the targeted system or process accurately. In our research we have tried to develop a computational model that can replicate the behavior of a ram-air parachute system. The main focus of the developed model is to integrate it in to a real-time visual ram-air parachute simulation that can be used to train parachute jumpers. The proposed model in this study is a six degrees-of-freedom model which at- tributes the whole parachute system as a unit. Throughout the research we have focused on developing the model for the ram-air type parachute by apprehending the physics behind the system and trying to replicate the physics behaviors in a simulated environment. Principals of aerodynamics are used extensively throughout this study to develop the proposed model. The proposed model consists of set of di erential equations built up from the aerodynamic equations as well as many other physics equations. The initial value problem of the developed set of equations was solved using RK4 solver. The model was implemented to calculate the simulated results in such a way that it can be adapted in to a real-time visualization model.