Prediction of the lifespan of C-9 parachute canopy using scale-down approach and mathematical modeling

AbstractLife prediction of the parachute canopy is an important consideration before multiple parachute jumps which can prevent unnecessary catastrophic scenarios for skydivers. The present research emphasized the prediction of the life as well as the reliability of the C-9 parachute canopy using a scale-down approach and mathematical modeling. In the research, a rectangular form of small stitched specimens was prepared from ripstop and plain-woven parachute canopy fabric where the seam angle was kept at 45°. Initially, the specimens were subjected to 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 cycles of tensile impact force considering the critical situation of the C-9 parachute, and subsequently strength loss data was noted. In the results, it was found that, unlike plain-woven, the ripstop fabric specimen increased in strength and work of rupture up to 10 impact load cycles before dropping. Meanwhile, the breaking elongation decreases for both fabric specimens with the impact load cycles. Furthermore, the strength-loss data was extrapolated to assess the life of specimen and thereafter Weibull distribution was used determine the reliability of the specimen. Reliability results indicate that the plain-woven fabric is less reliable, has a faster rate of degradation, and will have a shorter service life than the ripstop fabric. The research revealed that the life of the parachute canopy is expected to be two times more in ripstop than in plain-woven fabric and hence the ripstop canopies may be preferred over plain-woven fabric for long-run applications.Keywords: Parachute canopytensile impact loadwork of rupturedegradationWeibull distribution Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.