High-Speed Schlieren Movies of Decelerators at Supersonic Speeds

Tests were conducted on several types of porous parachutes, a paraglider, and a simulated retrorocket. Mach numbers ranged from 1.8-3.0, porosity from 20-80 percent, and camera speeds from 1680-3000 feet per second (fps) in trials with porous parachutes. Trials of reefed parachutes were conducted at Mach number 2.0 and reefing of 12-33 percent at camera speeds of 600 fps. A flexible parachute with an inflatable ring in the periphery of the canopy was tested at Reynolds number 750,000 per foot, Mach number 2.85, porosity of 28 percent, and camera speed of 36oo fps. A vortex-ring parachute was tested at Mach number 2.2 and camera speed of 3000 fps. The paraglider, with a sweepback of 45 degrees at an angle of attack of 45 degrees was tested at Mach number 2.65, drag coefficient of 0.200, and lift coefficient of 0.278 at a camera speed of 600 fps. A cold air jet exhausting upstream from the center of a bluff body was used to simulate a retrorocket. The free-stream Mach number was 2.0, free-stream dynamic pressure was 620 lb/sq ft, jet-exit static pressure ratio was 10.9, and camera speed was 600 fps.