In Situ Imaging of Parachute Textile Micro-Mechanics Under Tensile Load

TL;DR

This study uses in situ X-ray micro-tomography to analyze the micro-mechanics of parachute textiles under tensile load, revealing how fabric architecture influences meso-scale behavior and porosity changes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel imaging and processing pipeline for detailed microstructural analysis of parachute fabrics under load, linking architecture to mechanical response.

Findings

Warp tow pretensioning affects decrimping and strain anisotropy.

Areal porosity increases with tension and is quantitatively modeled.

Fabric architecture directly influences meso-scale mechanics.

Abstract

Micro-mechanics of parachute fabrics under tensile loads is studied using in situ X-ray micro-tomography. Results are presented for two nylon textiles commonly used in parachute systems, MIL-C-7020H Type III and MIL-C-44378(GL) Type II. Textiles are subjected to incremental tension using a custom apparatus that loads the fabric radially, and the microstructure is imaged sequentially at steady load conditions. Micro-tomography images are processed using learning-aided segmentation and a custom processing pipeline that tracks the locations and morphological properties of individual tows on 3-D datasets. Results are used to reconstruct tow micro-scale properties and meso-scale strains. Our findings reveal a direct relation between the fabric architecture and the meso-scale mechanics. Warp tow pretensioning during manufacturing is found to affect decrimping and the anisotropy of the textile strains. Areal porosity increase with tension is quantified and a geometric model for pore opening under incremental load is validated.