Whatisarecoverysystem:

Thisisanassemblyofcomponentsthatenablethelauncher,coiffeorpayloadtobe
recoveredundamagedandreusablewithcompletereliability.Withinadefined
environment.
Parachutedesign:howbigthechute?
Itdependsontwofactors:
1. payload+chuteweightallowable
2. descentspeedunderparachute
Toestimatethemaxdescentspeedyourrocketcantakeunderparachute,youcoulddo
this:droptherocket(oranoldprototype)fromheight"d"withouttheparachute.The
velocityreachedwhenithitsthegroundisgivenby
v=squareroot(2gd)
g=32.17ft/sec^2(Englishunits)or9.81m/sec^2(Metric)
d=heightinfeet(English)ormeters(Metric)
v=velocityinft/sec(English)orm/sec(Metric)
Themaximumdropheightfromwhichtherocketcanbedroppedwithoutbreaking
determinesthemaxparachutedescentvelocity.Onceyouhavedeterminedthatmax
velocity,usethefollowingformulatofindoutthechute'soptimalsurfacearea:
2W
S=
rhoCD(v^2)

where
CD=parachutedragcoefficientwhichisapprox0.75forachute
withoutholesorslitscutinthefabric;samevalueinboth
MetricandEnglishunitsystems
rhoatsealevel=
0.00237sl/ft^3(Englishunits)and1.225Kg/m^3(Metric)
rhonear4000ftor1219mabovesealevel=
0.00211sl/ft^3(Englishunits)andapprox.1.07Kg/m^3(Metric)
W=weightoftheparachute+load,inpounds(English)orNewtons(Metric)
v^2=squareoftheverticaldescentvelocity,
wherevisexpressedinft/sec(English)orm/sec(Metric)
Sistheparachute'ssurfaceareawhenmeasuredonaflatsurface,
inft^2(English)orm^2(Metric).
Whatisthediameterofthechutewhenitlaysflatonthefloor(assumingthatitisa

circularpieceoffabric)?
diameter=2squarerootof(S/3.1416)
Toimproveonthestabilityofthechuteduringdescentitwouldbeagoodideatocuta
hole(coveringabout10percentofsurfacearea)attheapexofthecanopy.Thatwaythe
rocketwon'toscillatetoomuchandthedescentwillfollowastraightline.
MaterialsforParachutes:
CanvasThefirstchoicefortheparachutescanopywascanvas.Itisaveryheavyduty
plainwovenfabric.
SilkCanvaswasreplacedbysilk,assilkhappenedtobelighter,stronger,thinneras
wellasfireresistantandeasytofoldandpack.
NylonNylonreplacedsilkduringtheWW2whensupplyofsilkdiminished.Nylonhas
sincebecomeapopularchoice,asithasexcellentwindresistance,goodelasticity,
mildewresistance,andiscomparativelycheaper.Thematerialisalsolightweightand
driesquickly.Itisresistanttoabrasionandchemicals.Duetoitsexceptionalstrength,it
isalsousedtomakestrapsoftheparachuteharness,reinforcingtape,andsuspension
lines.
Nylonfabricforparachutesiswoveninaspecializedmannerwithextrathickthreadsto
createapatternofsmallsquares.Whensmalltearsoccurinthecanopy,thesesmall
squarespreventthetearsfrombecomingbigger.
KevlarThisisanextremelystrongsyntheticfabricthatcanbeusedinbulletproof
clothing.Itisheatandflameresistant,thereforeitdoesnotloseitsstrengthordeformat
hightemperatures.Thetensilestrengthremainsintactevenwhenstoredawayforlong
periods.
TeryleneAtypeofpolyesterfabricthatisnowbeingusedasamaterialforparachutes
asitisverystrongandheatresistant.
Howtoexpeltheparachute?:
Theparachutesystemworkslikethis:Whenthe"thrust"stageoftherocketenginehas
burnedup,a"timer"stageignites,whichburnsfor3or4seconds.Afterthat,asmall
explosivechargeisignited,whichdoesn'tblowuptherocket,butinsteadpushesoutthe
noseconeoftherocket,allowingtheparachutetosoftenitslanding.Averyimportantpart
ofthisishavingsomethinginsidetherockettoabsorbtheblastsotheparachutedoesn't
burn.It'ssold(andsometimesincluded)inmostkitsas"recoverywadding",anditmakes
surethattheparachuteisprotectedfromtheexplosivecharge.
Vocabulary:

1. Shearpinsshearpinisasafetydevicedesignedtoshearinthecaseofa
mechanicaloverload,preventingother,moreexpensivepartsfrombeing
damaged.Asamechanicalsacrificialpart,itisanalogoustoanelectricfuse.
2. EyeBoltitisaboltwithaloopatoneend.Theyareusedtofirmlyattacha
securingeyetoastructure,sothatropesorcablesmaythenbetiedtoit.
3. QuickLinkisametallink.
4. Swivelsacouplingbetweentwopartsenablingonetorevolvewithoutturning
theother.
5. BulkheadsBulkheadsareusedtomakepayloadbaysformodelrockets.They
blockofftheairflowingthroughthetube,protectingthedelicatepayloadfrom
theheatoftheejectioncharge.The"TubeBulkheads"aredesignedtomatchthe
innerdiameterofthetube,whereasthe"CouplerBulkheads"aredesignedto
matchtheinnerdiameterofthecoupler.
Drogueparachuteitisaparachutedesignedtobedeployedfromarapidlymovingobject
inordertoslowtheobject,toprovidecontrolandstability,orasapilotparachuteto
deployalargerparachute.