Parallel finite element computation of the dynamics of large ram air parachutes

Future airdrop systems require the development of very large gliding parachutes capable of delivering 21-ton payloads. This airdrop requirement presents new technology barriers which cannot be addressed by previous methods such as extensively costly airdrop testing and wind tunnel testing; hence the need to look towards high-performance computing as a viable alternative. In this paper we present a methodology to simulate the dynamics of ram-air parachutes using stabilized finite element Navier-Stokes solvers. Highly optimized coding techniques and algorithms provide us with the potential to solve systems with millions of coupled nonlinear equations. These computations are carried out on the massively parallel supercomputer CM-5