A novel fiber optic system for measuring the dynamic structural behavior of parachutes

A novel approach has been developed for real-time characterization of a par achute during inflation. Two techniques were applied to measure static and dynamic stresses in a parachute canopy fabric material and suspension lines : the modal power distribution (MPD) technique and the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technique. Several tests were conducted under various loading conditi ons, using a bi-axial tensile tester. The MPD technique was used to measure the transverse stresses in the parachute canopy fabric material and was ap plied using two experimental set-ups: one using a CCD camera and the other using a photo-detector. The FBG technique was used to measure the axial str esses in the parachute canopy fabric material. The tests were performed usi ng the spectrum analyzer set-up with the bi-axial machine. Finally, a drop test was performed on the parachute canopy fabric material using the MPD te chnique with the photo-detector set-up.