Neil,
I have discovered an amazing amount of military parachute R & D going
on today.
One project is even trying to integrate CFD and FEA systems with the goal
of reducing testing expense. The impression that I get is that every
initial deployment of
any new parachute is part R & D.
They even analyze the effect of the wrinkles caused by packing!
One way to deal with the chute opening shock load is to slow the chute
opening.
A bag is the most accepted method to start out with. There a method
called "reefing"
that can cause the chute to open in stages, drastically slowing the
opening time.
Your statement:
Parachute tether line seems to have similar requirements to climbing rope--
it needs to stretch and absorb energy.
is absolutely correct. The material selection is critical. Two identical
appearing pieces of
nylon tow line can have much different mechanical characteristics. Under
the same load one
may stretch 5% and the other 20%..
If you don't mind getting buried in data, you can check this out:
http://www.mtu-net.ru/mosseev/pl/paralab.htm
Finally, your reference to accident information is valid. One thing I
know for sure,
ignorance kills.
Bryan
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