Download PDF: Computational Modeling of Failure at the Fabric Weave Level in Reentry Parachute Energy Modulators.
Energy modulators (EM) are textile mechanical devices designed to dissipate snatch loads that occur when parachutes are deployed.
EMs typically consist of a long strip of structural Kevlar webbing that is folded and stitched together with a nylon zigzag stitching pattern to form an EM "ear. " As an EM is pulled above a threshold load during deployment, the nylon stitching rips, unfolding the EM and dissipating shock forces. This process is illustrated in Figure 1, exemplifying stages of EM extension during stroking.
