Aerodynamic effects of canopy inflation in paragliding

Abstract

In this study, the aerodynamic effects of the inflation of a paraglider wing (canopy) are investigated at the maximum chord Reynolds number of 330000. The aerodynamic forces and surface flow patterns were compared between the inflated and uninflated canopy models in a wide range of angles of attack. The stall angle and maximum lift coefficient of the inflated model are approximately 80 % and 38 % greater than those of the uninflated model. Before stall, dot- and line-shaped separation bubbles are formed on the inflated and uninflated models, respectively. The dot-shaped separation bubbles remain to a much higher angle of attack than the line-shaped one, with little change in the size and location. For the inflated model near stall, the flow is partially separated in the spanwise center, and the separation bubbles remaining are distorted. After stall, the canopy inflation has little effect on aerodynamic performance as the flow is fully separated.