How to make a properly Wind Tunnel Test for a 13kg Rocket?

[Manoel Victor]

How to make a properly Wind Tunnel Test for a 13kg Rocket?

 

[Eric]

Like you were advised in you last post.

Drop your parachute with a 13kg test load. From a high point. Then do the distance and time math.

Building a wind tunnel is not a good idea just to test one parachute. And it will not give you all the data you need.

 

[Eric]

What is the diameter and shape of your parachute?

 

[Manoel Victor]

What is the diameter and shape of your parachute?

Hey Eric! I calculated for a 14kg rocket, a diameter of 328cm for a descendent velocity of 5m/s, what do you think?

 

[Eric]

That's slightly on the fast side, but still safe. As long as you dont have big/weak fins hanging out behind the back of the rocket.

 

[Zeus-cat]

Eric brings up a good point. You descent speed will be dependent on how easily your rocket can be damaged on landing.

Also, it may depend on the winds in your recovery area. You may want a smaller parachute so that your rocket isn't damaged AFTER landing. I have seen rockets pulled along the ground by large parachutes.

In engineering, there is rarely a perfect answer that solves all your problems. You have to choose an answer that meets all your requirements as best as possible.

What do you want to measure with your proposed wind tunnel? A wind tunnel seems like a lot of work to collect data that may be collected with easier and less expensive methods.

 

[G_T]

Somehow those numbers sound WAY off to me. I'm thinking there is a serious math error somewhere, or GIGO on some simulation.

Gerald