Fluid-structure interaction modelling of parachute soft-landing dynamics

Soft landing of a payload with the aid of a retraction device is an important aspect in cargo parachute operations. Accurate simulation of this class of parachute operations with a computer model that takes into account the fluid–structure interactions involved would complement drop tests and support the design of cargo parachute systems. We describe the computational methods developed for this purpose, demonstrate how the computational model works in investigation of different soft‐landing conditions, and show a good correlation between the data from our simulations and drop tests. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.