Abstract：[Objective] A parafoil is a type of parachute that can glide. With the aid of navigation and control equipment, a parafoil can approach a target point by autonomously changing its course. This capability is a great advantage over other types of parachutes in precision aerial delivery and spacecraft recovery missions. Because of these special characteristics, a parafoil is more like an aircraft than a parachute. Therefore, its design must include structural and aerodynamic design, making parafoil design complex, particularly for a large parafoil. The design method of a large parafoil is of high research value and can substantially improve the performance of the parafoil. The design method needs to be more accurate and reliable to meet the needs of the parafoil in recovery missions. In this paper, a complete set of design methods for a large parafoil was investigated, included structural and aerodynamic design methods. A structural design method for a large parafoil was first proposed, including structural composition, parameter selection, main component design, and structural framework. By investigating the design parameters of proven large parafoils, proposed values for design parameters were given. At the same time, the influence of design parameter variation on parafoil performance was also discussed. In addition, a 300 m2 parafoil was designed for a launch vehicle booster with the above method. On the basis of the structural design, this paper used the numerical simulation results of an airfoil to modify the aerodynamic design method of a parafoil. The modified method can obtain the stall angle of attack of a parafoil system and the imbalance of the parafoil system with a small rigging angle before the stall, which were conducived to selecting the rigging angle in the design. A wrong rigging angle will result in a parafoil system that cannot glide, which means it is a failed design. The modified method can also obtain more accurate parafoil aerodynamic data with a change in the attack angle at various rigging angles. According to this method, the aerodynamic data of the 300 m2 parafoil was acquired, and its rigging angle was determined to be 4°, which allowed for good aerodynamic performance and balance performance of the large parafoil. The verification results of an airdrop test and flight test for the 300 m2 parafoil were given. Comparing the aerodynamic data in the design and the test showed that:1) The data obtained by the modified aerodynamic design method agreed well with the data in the test. 2) The parameter selection in the design, such as the rigging angle, was reasonable and feasible. 3) The structural framework of the large parafoil was sufficiently strong. The design method of the large parafoil proposed in this paper is accurate and reliable. The designed large parafoil passes the airdrop and flight tests, approving that the method can be applied to large parafoils.
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2023, Vol. 63 
