Fluid structure interaction simulation of supersonic parachute inflation by an interface tracking method

An Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) approach with interface tracking is developed in this paper to simulate the supersonic parachute inflation. A two-way interaction between a nonlinear finite element method and a finite volume method is accomplished. In order to apply this interface tracking method to problems with instantaneous large deformation and self-contact, a new virtual structure contact method is proposed to leave room for the body-fitted mesh between the contact structural surfaces. In addition, the breakpoint due to the fluid mesh with negative volume is losslessly restarted by the conservative interpolation method. Based on this method, fluid and structural dynamic behaviors of a highly folded disk-gap-band parachute are obtained. Numerical results such as maximum Root Mean Square (RMS) drag, general canopy shape and the smallest canopy projected areas in the terminal descent state are in accordance with the wind tunnel test results. This analysis reveals the inflation law of the disk-gap-band parachute and provides a new numerical method for supersonic parachute design. © 2020