State Science Fair For Young Children 2013

State Science Fair For Young Children 2013

First and foremost , we would like to thank our headmaster, science teachers, parents, and friends for being so courageous throughout our science project and the report preparation.

They did assist us on how to go about gathering relevant information regarding the task given to us. Besides, our teacher adviser Mrs. Machap did advise us on what should be done in order to accomplish our task without much hassle. Nevertheless, he also did expose us on various elements which are required in the making of our project report before we go into the final draft.

Hence, we did surf the internet and successfully retrieved some information required that would help us to compose our project report to the utmost best through some search engines that available.

And at last, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Headmaster and GPK 1 for rendering wonderful support for our dynamic group.

Thanking all of you for your spectacular anticipation.

K,Neshalenee, C. Lahvenyah,

V.Elango,W. Charles Metew,M. Ruthran( SJK(T) Alor Gajah)INTRODUCTIONScience Fair

Science is the systematic study of nature and the knowledge gained thereby. While scientific facts are important, fact alone, divorced from methods employed to discover them are incomplete, could in fact hammer scientific progress.

In this project students will learn science and its methods better if science is more of hands-on or experimental experience, where students are path of discovering scientific truths. Science fair is the an exciting component for the mid- school science curriculum. Students bring science to life as they deal with investigative questions trough hand-on experiments, helping them develop and demonstrate their interests and strengths in science.

The reason we participate in this Science fair competition is we can learn science and its methods better if science is more of hands-on experience. Same time this will helps us to develop and demonstrate interests and strengths in science. We choose this title to get more information about the PARACHUTE PERFORMANCE by manipulate the shapes and materials.

Background Research Parachutes are used for many things. They are used by race cars, space shuttles, aircraft and skydivers to help them slow down to a safe speed. The parachute slows the speeding body down because it causes air resistance, or drag. Drag is the friction between an object and the air that it is moving through. The larger an object is, the bigger the surface area it will have. This larger surface area causes more air molecules to be moved aside which leads to more drag. The more drag, the slower the speed of descent. The air causing this drag pushes the parachute back up, and creates a force opposite to the force of gravity or any force that is moving forward. As a skydiver falls slowly to the earth with a parachute, these "push and pull" forces are nearly in balance. The drag force from the parachute is slightly less than the force of gravity, so the skydiver floats slowly to the ground.

Sir Isaac Newton described several Laws of Motion. His First Law of Motion states that if the forces on an object are in balance, the object's speed and direction of motion won't change. Therefore if an object is not moving, it will continue to stay still and if it is moving, it will continue to move in a straight line at a constant speed. Skydivers go through periods of time on every jump where the forces are not balanced therefore they are often accelerating. It is known that the force of gravity is pulling all objects towards the earth at an acceleration rate of9.8m/s2. In freefall (without the parachute out) the force of gravity is greater than the drag on the body so it accelerates. The faster an object moves through air, the greater the drag. This means that as the skydiver accelerates the amount of drag increases. Eventually, the drag will be equal to the force of gravity which means that the person will no longer be accelerating, but moving at a constant speed just as Newton described. This is called terminal velocity, and is roughly 125 miles per hour. Without a parachute to help balance the forces, a person will hit the ground at 125 miles per hour! Once a parachute has been deployed, the skydivers surface area is increased. This leads to increased drag and a rebalancing between drag and gravity. This balancing of the forces leads to a new constant velocity of 14 mph which is a much safer rate of descent. Parachute design must take several things into consideration. The canopys stability relies on allowing air to escape smoothly. Creating a vent at the apex of the parachute that is between 1 and 10% of its flat surface area will allow air to exit smoothly rather than on alternating sides. Suspension lines will reduce the parachutes surface area because they pull the canopy in and down. Lengthening the lines can decrease the descent speed. Real parachutes are made of a lightweight, reinforced nylon, much like tent material and are very durable.EXPERIMENT TITLE :PARACHUTE Problem : How does a parachutes shape and material affect the speed at which it falls? Aim /Objective : 1. To investigate the relationship between the materials of the parachute and the speed of fall .

2. To investigate the relationship between the shapes of the parachute and the speed of fall.Hypothesis : 1.The octagon shape parachute took longer time to reach the ground compared to rectangular and

square shape parachutes.

2. The parachute made from plastic took longer time

to reach the ground then the parachute that made

from nylon and cotton cloth.

Scissor Stop Watch

Calculator

Paper cup Marker pen Trash bag

Nylon cloth Cotton cloth Transparent tape

Hole punch Sturdy string Metal ruler VARIABLES

Manipulatedthe shape of the parachutethe material of the parachuteResponding

Time taken by the parachute to reach the ground

Constant Area of the parachute (1600cm)

Weight of the jumper

Length of the string (40cm )

Height - drop the parachute (3m )Experiment Procedures

1. The shapes of a square, rectangle ,and octagon are drawn on the trash bag.

2. The shapes are cut using a pair of scissors.

3. The eight edges at the end of each shape are marked using a marker. 4. Reinforce the marked area with the transparent tape.

5. A hole in each marked area using hole punch is made.6. The string is tied at each of the hole.

7. The string is fixed with the jumper.

8. The parachutes are ready for the experiment.

9. The parachutes are attached on the hanger machine which holds the parachute in positions.

10.The hanger machine is raised to certain height.

11. The parachutes are released at the same time.

12. The time taken by each parachute to reach the ground is recorded.13. The experiment is repeated for 5 times.

14. Another experiment is done by manipulating the material of the

parachutes.Result : EXPERIMENT 1

Type of materialsTime taken to reach the groundAverage Time

Speed

T1T2T3T4T5

Cotton cloth

1.081.561.241.661.491.412.13

Nylon cloth

1.611.811.661.861.911.771.69

Plastic Bag

2.22.293.564.014.113.230.93

Discussions

To calculate the speed of the parachute we use the formula below:

Speed = distance travelled (m)

Time taken (s)

The parachute with the lightest material ( trash bag ) took longer time to fall an average and the parachute with the heaviest material ( cotton cloth ) did fall faster an average.

CONCLUSION :

Our conclusion is that our hypothesis was supported, the parachute with the heaviest weight did fall faster than the parachute with the lightest weight. Therefore the speed of the parachute was effected by the parachute materials.RESULT:

EXPERIMENT 2Shape of the ParachuteTime taken to reach the groundAverageSpeed

T1T2T3T4T5

Square

2.763.961.761.911.792.441.23

Rectangle

1.752.231.661.431.161.651.82

Octagon

3.012.41.953.582.942.781.08

Discussions

To calculate the speed of the parachute we use the formula below:

Speed = distance travelled (m)

Time taken (s)

The result shows that the parachute in the shape of a octagon have the slowest decent because there will be more drag and air resistance acting on the octagon shape causing it to have the slowest descent.

Conclusion

:

We believe the results we have collected are reasonably reliable although there are some miscellaneous results such as effect by the wind from the surrounding and place. Any ware It was concluded that the octagon shape parachute demonstrated the slowest overall average decent rate compare to triangular and square shape parachutes. Safety Precaution

Do not use knife to cut trash bag

Do not climb any high places to drop parachutes without adult supervision.Life example

:

NIC FETERIS

PARACHUTE JUMPER AND ADVENTURERImagine. You take ONE step and are propelled into the most extreme environment on earth. Turning back is not an option.

You are now in the vicinity of what it feels like to make a freefall parachute jump off a very tall mountain. Nic Feteris jumps off mountains, and he asks his audiences to do that too.

Like this: picture yourself thousands of feet up, toes hanging over the edge of a sheer vertical drop, ready to jump. Think of the most focused you have ever been in your entire life. Now quadruple it. Now, jump. Whatever you were thinking about one minute ago has vanished. Suddenly all that exists is what you see before you, and a set of actions to make your jump successful and safe.

Now imagine Nic taking his audience on that jump, at your event. Preparing your team for its own giant leap forward. Helping them to concentrate on their challenge ahead.

Nic speaks about climbing and jumping off mountains (plus other awe-inspiring pinnacles, like the Statue of Liberty) in terms of the teamwork, planning, and solution selling that makes his adventures achievable. He does so while demonstrating the pioneering spirit, tenacity, and sheer determination that are very often necessary to transform our dreams, visions or ideas into reality.

When Nic made his first pioneering jump from a mountain, El Capitan, at Yosemite National Park in California, he was alone, with no one to lead the way. He had never even heard of base-jumping back then, an adventure sport well established today.

He was pioneering too, when he set the existing world-record for the highest base-jump, by parachuting from another very special and spectacular mountain, the 21,000-foot high Great Trango Tower in Pakistan. This time, however, it was a team effort.

Nic successfully executed his idea to make a documentary, with partner National Geographic Television distributing it to over 80 countries. He sold his film concept to corporate sponsors, who also profited from its success. Most of all, he realised his vision to portray a sport many regarded was for people with a death wish, as an inspiring professional adventure.

The professional skills Nic drew upon to make that and other dreams come true were developed during a former career in media and advertising. He worked in magazine publishing for more than a decade, mostly with media specialising in information technology, in positions ranging from Sales Executive to Publisher.

These days Nic runs Jump Pty Ltd, his marketing and promotions business based in Sydney. As well as being the vehicle that promotes and coordinates Nics adventures, Jump is a consultant to strategic and equity partners, for example, adventure travel operator Wild Holidays, based in India.

Jump is currently working on Nics latest adventure project, an expedition to traverse a remote region of West Papua, Indonesia, through uncharted territory (literally), and one of the least-explored places on earth. In search of as yet undiscovered mountains to jump from, of course.

Finally, after inspiring his audience to take pioneering steps to the brink of their own precipice of outstanding personal achievement, Nic takes them right over the edge, with breathtaking film footage of his world-record jump. It is an unforgettable visual experience that will raise the eyebrows of your most been there, done that overachievers.

Whether your audience needs to jump into the record books, or step just outside their personal comfort zone, Nic leaves you with a fresh sense of courage and commitment to succeed.

Parachute Jumper (1933)

January 26, 1933

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Frank McHugh Teamed in a Story of Adventures in Air and on Earth.

By MORDAUNT HALL.

Published: January 26, 1933

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is the stellar performer in "Parachute Jumper," the present film at the Warners' Strand. It is a fast-moving tale of adventure in the air and on earth, and although it has some unnecessarily coarse scenes it is for the most part a racy affair, with glimpses of airplane crashes and others depicting men leaping from flying machines with parachutes.

Its variety evidently pleased some in the audience at the initial showing. There are flashes of marines in Nicaragua, and later the principal characters, Bill Keller and Toodles, reach New York with hope of being employed by a commercial aircraft company. It happens, however, that the concern has vacated its offices and Keller (Mr. Fairbanks) and Toodles (Frank McHugh) are forced to look for jobs elsewhere. Keller, while bemoaning his bad luck somewhere in the vicinity of Central Park, encounters a girl who prefers to be known as Alabama. From then on the trio have some unusual experiences in Gotham. Keller is the leading light of the three. He finds employment as a chauffeur to a Mrs. Newberry, who takes a great fancy to him. It is soon revealed that this woman is the mistress of a man named Weber, a racketeer. Keller drives Weber and Mrs. Newberry to the theatre and then takes Toodles and Alabama for a long ride. Keller, however, soon loses his position as chauffeur, for Weber, suspecting that Mrs. Newberry is quite impressed by the expert driver, returns suddenly to his mistress's apartment, where he finds the two in a compromising situation.

Weber might have ended Keller's life then and there, but the bravado of the chauffeur causes the gangster to change his mind. After dismissing Mrs. Newberry, Weber gives Keller a job, perhaps one of the most unique positions on record in real life or on the screen. He is paid to sit behind a screen with two pistols ready to fire on any of Weber's threatening callers.

This position leads to flying over to Canada, to shooting down government planes that Keller thinks are hijackers, and eventually to even more disastrous doings. Sometimes Keller is extraordinarily clever and on other occasions he seems rather dense. Here and there one gleans some of the ruses of racketeers and thugs, but little of the story is ever convincing. At one moment both Keller and Toodles are in airplanes, Keller with Weber as his passenger. The gangster holds a threatening pistol at Keller, who suddenly loops the loop and when the plane is righted he seizes the weapon, from the dazed racketeer.

Mr. Fairbanks acts with the necessary flair for his rle. Bette Davis is attractive as Alabama, who speaks with a most decided Southern drawl. Frank McHugh furnishes some effective comedy and Leo Carillo plays the racketeer in a provocative fashion. Claire Dodd is cast as the strange Mrs. Newberry, a part she acts as well as it is possible.APPENDIX:

History

There is some evidence that rigid, umbrella-like parachutes were used for entertainment in China as early as the twelfth century, allowing people to jump from high places and float to the ground. The first recorded design for a parachute was drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in 1495. It consisted of a pyramid-shaped, linen canopy held open by a square, wooden frame. It was proposed as an escape device to allow people to jump from a burning building, but there is no evidence that it was ever tested.

Parachute development really began in the eighteenth century. In 1783 Louis-Sebastien Lenormand, a French physicist, jumped from a tree while holding two parasols. Two years later, J. P. Blanchard, another Frenchman, used silk to make the first parachute that was not held open by a rigid frame. There is some evidence that he used the device to jump from a hot air balloon.

There is extensive evidence that Andre Jacques Garnerin made numerous parachute jumps from hot air balloons, beginning in 1797. His first jump, in Paris, was from an altitude of at least 2,000 ft (600 m). In 1802, he jumped from an altitude of 8,000 ft (2,400 m); he rode in a basket attached to a wooden pole that extended downward from the apex (top) of the canopy, which was made of either silk or canvas. The parachute assembly weighed about 100 lb (45 kg). During the descent, the canopy oscillated so wildly that Garnerin became airsick. In fact, he was once quoted as saying that he "usually experienced [painful vomiting] for several hours after a descent in a parachute." In 1804, French scientist Joseph Lelandes introduced the apex venta circular hole in the center of the canopyand thus eliminated the troublesome oscillations.

Americans became involved in parachute development in 1901 when Charles Broadwick designed a parachute pack that was laced together with a cord. When the parachutist jumped, a line connecting the cord with the aircraft caused the cord to break, opening the pack and pulling out the parachute. In 1912, Captain Albert Berry of the U.S. Army accomplished the first parachute jump from a moving airplane. Parachutes did not become standard equipment for American military pilots until after World War I (German pilots used them during the final year of that war).

Parachutes were widely used during World War II, not only as life-saving devices for pilots, but also for troop deployment. In 1944, an American named Frank Derry patented a design that placed slots in the outer edge of the canopy to make a parachute steerable.

The world record for the highest parachute jump was set in 1960. Joe Kittinger, a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force's Project Excelsior ascended in a balloon to an altitude of 102,800 ft (31 km) and jumped. Using only a 6ft (1.8 m) parachute to keep him in a stable, vertical position, he experienced essentially free fall for four minutes and 38 seconds, reaching a speed of 714 mph (1,150 km/h). At an altitude of 17,500 ft (5.3 km), his 28-ft (8.5-m) parachute opened. In all, his fall lasted nearly 14 minutes.

Raw Materials

Parachute canopies were first made of canvas. Silk proved to be more practical because it was thin, lightweight, strong, easy to pack, fire resistant, and springy. During World War II, the United States was unable to import silk from Japan, and parachute manufacturers began using nylon fabric. The material turned out to be superior to silk because it was more elastic, more resistant to mildew, and less expensive. Other fabrics, such as Dacron and Kevlar, have recently been used for parachute canopies, but nylon remains the most popular material. More specifically, parachutes are made of "ripstop" nylon that is woven with a double or extra-thick thread at regular intervals, creating a pattern of small squares. This structure keeps small tears from spreading.

Other fabric components such as reinforcing tape, harness straps, and suspension lines are also made of nylon. Metal connectors are made of forged steel that is plated with cadmium to prevent rusting. Ripcords are made from stainless steel cable.

One parachute manufacturing plant lists its monthly materials use as exceeding 400,000 sq yd (330,000 m2) of fabric, 500,000 yd (455 km) of tape and webbing, 2.3 million yd (2,000 km) of cord, and 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of thread.

Design

A dome canopy may consist of a flat circle of fabric, or it may have a conical or parabolic shape that will not lie flat when spread out. It has a vent hole at the apex to allow some air to flow through the open canopy. Some designs also have a few mesh panels near the outer edge of the canopy to aid in steering the descent. Some designs use continuous suspension lines that run across the entire span of the canopy and extend to the harness on each end. Othersas described in "The Manufacturing Process"use segments of suspension lines that are attached only to the outer edge of the canopy (and across the apex vent).

The Manufacturing Process

Assembling 1 Ripstop nylon cloth is spread on a long table and cut according to pattern pieces. The cutting may be done by a computer-guided mechanism or by a person using a round-bladed electric knife.

2 Four trapezoidal panels are sewn together to form a wedge-shaped "gore" about 13 ft (3.96 m) long. A two-needle industrial sewing machine stitches two parallel rows, maintaining consistent separation between

A typical dome canopy parachute.

the rows. To provide sufficient strength and enclose the raw fabric edges, a "French fell" seam is used; an attachment on the sewing machine folds the cloth edges as a highly skilled operator feeds the material through it. Depending on the parachute's specific design, a few of the gore sections may be sewn using mesh rather than ripstop nylon fabric for the largest panel.

3 A number of gores (typically 24) are sewn together, side by side, to form a circular canopy. The seams are sewn in the same manner as in Step 2.

4 Every panel and every seam is carefully inspected on a lighted inspection table to make certain that the seams are correctly folded and sewn and that there are no flaws in the cloth. If any weaving defects, sewn-in pleats, or an incorrect number of stitches per inch is found, the canopy is rejected. The problems are recorded on an inspection sheet, and they must be repaired before additional work is done.

A. French fell seam. B. Needle hem. C. V-tab. D. Outside view of stitched v-tab.

Finishing 5 A tape the same width as the original seam is sewn on top of each radial seam using two more rows of stitching. This tape strengthens the canopy.

6 The top of each gore is a few inches (several centimeters) wide; after the gores are sewn together, their tops form a small open circle (the vent) at the center of the canopy. To reinforce the vent and to keep the cloth from fraying, the fabric is rolled around a piece of webbing and sewn with a four-needle sewing machine, which stitches four parallel rows at once.

7 The bottom of each gore is 2-3 ft (0.5-1 m) wide. Sewn together, these edges form the outer edge (the skirt) of the canopy. This edge is finished in the same manner as the vent, as in Step 6.

8 A short piece of reinforcing tape is sewn to the skirt at each radial tape. It is folded into a "V" pointing outward from the canopy. A specialized automatic sewing machine, designed for this specific operation, is used to sew precisely the same number of stitches in exactly the same pattern every time.

9 One end of a 20 ft (6 m) long suspension line is threaded through each V-shaped tab, which will distribute the load from the line to a section of the skirt hem. Using a special zigzag pattern that is both strong and elastic, the suspension cord is sewn to the canopy's hem tape and to the canopy seam for a length of 4-10 in (10-25 cm).

10 After the 24 suspension lines are sewn to the canopy, 12 1 ft (30 cm) long apex lines are similarly sewn to the central vent. One end of each line is stitched into a V-tab, then the line crosses the vent to the opposite seam where the other end is stitched into a V-tab.

Rigging 11 The canopy is attached to the harness by tying the suspension lines to steel connector links on the harness. The lines must not be twisted or tangled if the parachute is to function properly. Attaching the lines to their correct sequential positions on the connecting links of the harness and making certain that the lines are straight is called rigging the parachute. The line end may be knotted at the harness link, or the end may be threaded back inside the line like a "Chinese fingertrap."

12 To keep the attaching knot or fingertrap from untying, the end of each suspension

A. Two half hitches. B. Clove and half hitch. C. Braided suspension line.

line is zigzag stitched to the main section of the line.

13 Every assembly operation, every seam, even every stitch is reviewed for completion and correctness. When the parachute is approved, it is marked with a serial number, the date of manufacture, and a final inspection stamp.

14 A parachute rigger licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assembles the component parts (e.g., canopy, suspension lines, pilot chute) and carefully folds and arranges them in the pack, securing it with the appropriate activation device such as a ripcord.

Quality Control

The quality control systems used by parachute manufacturers must meet the requirements for civil and/or military aviation equipment established by the federal government, under the supervision of the FAA. In addition to the lighted inspection tables mentioned, other types of testing equipment include tensile test machines (to measure strength of fabric and seams while being pulled), permeameters (to test the amount of air that can pass through the fabric), and basic measuring devices (e.g., to count stitches per inch).

The Future

Like other manufacturers, parachute makers continually search for better materials and designs. Perhaps the most intriguing future development for parachutes, however, is their potential use to control the emergency descent of entire aircraft. At least one company, Ballistic Recovery Systems Inc. (BRS), is already manufacturing such General Aviation Recovery Devices (GARDs) for use on small airplanes.

Using an extremely low-porosity, strong, lightweight fabric for the canopy, the manufacturer bakes a 1,600-square-foot (150-m2) canopy and vacuum-packs it into a 15106-in (382515-cm) bag weighing 25 lb (10 kg). The pack is installed inside the roof liner of the airplane near its center of gravity. To ensure that the parachute will deploy even in low-altitude emergencies, it is activated by a small rocket device.

By the late 1990s, more than 14,000 light and ultralight airplanes have already been equipped with GARDs costing $2,000-$4,000 each. As of June 1998, BRS had documented 121 lives saved by the devices. The FAA has approved a GARD system for two models of Cessna airplanes.

A system of five parafoils has been proposed for use on Boeing 747 commercial airliners. The complex system would allow the pilot to control the deployment of each canopy. Rather than dropping the airplane straight down, the system would establish a glide path that would allow the pilot to control and land the craft. The practicality of the proposed system has not yet been proven.maximum survival time and minimum distance when a jumper opens his parachute. Explain the reasons. Accuracy Landings

30 Stand-Up Landings within 10 meters of the target

center, consisting of:

(10) No wind/light wind accuracy

(10) 5-10 mph

(10) 10-18 mph

Full Flight Approach

Braked Approach (5-10 mph wind, no turbulence)

The ability to land precisely in a planned location is essential for safe parachuting. This allows the pilot to negotiate constrained landing areas in the event of an off-field landing, eliminating the need for last minute corrections due to a faulty approach. Such missed approaches in tight landing areas often result in accidents. Replication of the approach in varied conditions is also an important part of the demonstration of this skill, and is required for the fulfillment of this skill category.

Landing hard on target is not the goal of this exercise. Therefore it is also part of the requirement to land softly without the need for a PLF. This requires a more advanced understanding of the parachute so that the descent rate can be negated prior to landing. A Flared Landing requires accommodation of the horizontal float, so the target of the approach must be downwind of the actual landing point.

Depending on the size of the landing area, a full speed approach may or may not be appropriate. Therefore it is necessary to demonstrate the ability to make steeper brakes approaches as well. Such a method becomes crucial for small landing .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Static line parachutes are typically employed for relatively low altitude jumping applications, such as below 1500 feet above ground level. A typical static line parachute system incorporates a mechanism (the static line) for automatic deployment of the primary parachute, because of the relatively low altitude. Such a mechanism is used as a means of increasing parachute deployment reliability because the jumper would otherwise have a very short time to manually deploy the primary parachute at a safe altitude.

FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary static line parachute device 100. The static line parachute device 100 comprises a static line 102, a deployment bag 104, a breakable textile loop 105, a canopy 106, a plurality of suspension lines 107 and risers 108, a pack tray 110, and a harness 112. The static line 102 has a first end for attachment to the jumping platform, such as an airplane, helicopter, etc., and a second end attached to the deployment bag 104. The deployment bag 104 is, in turn, tied to the apex of the canopy 06 using a breakable textile loop 105. The canopy 106 is, in turn, attached to the harness 112 by way of the plurality of suspension lines 107 and risers 108. The harness 112 is attached to the pack tray 110, and is used to securely attach the jumper to theparachutedevice100.

In the non-deployed state, the deployment bag 104 encloses the canopy 106 and externally stows the suspension lines 107 in an orderly fashion to aid parachute deployment, which lines connect to the risers 108, all of which are tightly packed within the pack tray 110. In addition, in the non-deployed state a portion of the static line 102 is also situated within the pack tray 110 but external to the deployment bag 104. When the jumper departs from the jumping platform, the portion of the static line 102 inside the pack tray 110 begins to unstow from the pack tray 110. After the unstowing of the static line 102 is complete, the tension force on the static line 102 caused by one end being fixed to the jumping platform and the other end attached to the falling deployment bag 104, pulls the deployment bag 104, canopy 106, suspension lines 107 and risers 108 out from the inside of the pack tray 110. As the jumper continues to fall and the deployment bag 104, canopy 106, suspension lines 107, and risers 108 are fully extended, the tension on the breakable textile loop 105 increases to a point at which the breakable textile loop 105 breaks due to its low strength characteristics. The canopy 106, now fully extended outside of the pack tray 110, encounters aerodynamic drag which forces the canopy to fully inflate to an open condition, which, in turn, normally slows the rate-of-descent of the jumper to a safe level.

In the majority of static line jumps, the parachute deploys in the intended way as described above. However, there are cases where the parachute deploys in an irregular manner, and which can sometimes lead to injuries and even lethal results for the jumper. Some of these cases relate to malfunctions concerning the static line. For instance, one such case is referred to in the relevant art as a "towed jumper" which occurs when a jumper becomes tangled in the static line. In addition, other lines, such as the ruck sack lowering line can also get caught on the jumping platform, leading to a "towed jumper" malfunction. Another case is when the static line breaks ("broken static line"), for example, by rubbing against a sharp edge portion of the jumping platform while a towed jumper oscillates up and down due to varying aerodynamic forces. Sometimes, the static line of a towed jumper breaks by impact from a subsequent jumper exiting the jumping platform. Other cases relate to malfunctions with the canopy and/or the suspension lines. For instance, one case relates to a "damaged canopy" caused, for example, by tears or broken suspension lines, which damage results in an excessive rate-of-descent. Additionally, another case concerns a "suspension line entanglement" which limits the parachute from being able to fully inflate, resulting again in an excessive rate-of-descent. Furthermore, another case deals with a "line over entanglement" where some suspension lines deploy improperly over the top of the canopy, resulting in inadequate, or limited inflation of two or more smaller canopies having reduced drag causing again an excessive rate-of-descent.

Most, if not all, static line parachutes have a reserve parachute in case malfunctions occur with the deployment of the primary parachute. However, in these existing static line parachutes, the reserve parachute must be deployed manually by the jumper. A problem with such a manually-deployable reserve system is that the jumper may be incapable of deploying the reserve parachute if, for example, he collides with another jumper and becomes unconscious. Another problem concerns the desire for jumps at lower exit altitudes. At such lower altitudes, the jumper may not have sufficient time to recognize a problem has occurred with the primary parachute, and react to subsequently deploy the reserve parachute at a safe altitude.

Other types of automatic activation devices are available for free-fall parachutes. They function by releasing a reserve parachute at a preset altitude when a jumper's rate of descent exceeds a preset speed. Typically, these devices function based on an atmospheric pressure corresponding to the preset activation altitude and calculated in relation to the expected ground pressure where the jumpers will land. Dynamic pressure disturbances, which occur as a jumper exits the aircraft, can be as much as the equivalent of a 400-foot altitude change, depending on the aircraft speed, direction of the pressure sensor relative to the wind, and other parameters. Consequently, these types of free-fall automatic activation devices typically require a minimum altitude of 1,500 feet or more between the exit altitude and the ground to enable the device to function properly. Such requirements prevent using free-fall devices for static line parachute applications at low exit altitudes.

Thus, there is a need for a new system and method to improve the safety of static line parachute jumping. Such need and others are met with the static line parachute automatic actuation devices and related methods as described herein in accordance with the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A general concept of the invention relates to a method to improve the safety of static line parachute jumping. According to the method, a safety device situated on a jumper continuously or periodically senses the distance of the jumper from the jumping platform (e.g. an aircraft). The safety device compares this distance to a predetermined distance threshold. When the distance between the jumper and the jumping platform reaches or exceeds the predetermined distance threshold, the safety device enables the reserve parachute deployment device, which automatically deploys the reserve parachute if at such time the jumper's rate-of-descent is at or greater than a predetermined rate-of-descent threshold. Thus, a general concept of the invention is the enabling of the reserve parachute deployment system when the jumper is at least at a predetermined distance from the jumping platform.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method of deploying a reserve parachute, comprising determining whether a distance between a jumper and a jumping platform is at or greater than a predetermined distance threshold, if the distance is at or greater than the predetermined distance threshold, determining whether a rate-of-descent of the jumper is at or greater than a predetermined rate-of-descent threshold, and deploying the reserve parachute if the rate-of-descent of the jumper is at or greater than the predetermined rate-of-descent threshold.

A third aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for automatically deploying a reserve parachute, comprising a first circuit to generate a first parameter indicative of a distance between a jumper and a jumping platform; a second circuit to generate a second parameter indicative of a rate-of-descent of the jumper; a third circuit to deploy the reserve parachute if the second parameter indicates that the rate-of-descent of the jumper is at or greater than a predetermined rate-of-descent; and a fourth circuit to enable the third circuit if the first parameter indicates that the distance between the jumper and the jumping platform is at or greater than a predetermined distance threshold.

A fourth aspect of the invention relates to a parachute equipment comprising a primary parachute; a reserve parachute; and an apparatus for automatically deploying a reserve parachute. The automatic reserve parachute deployment apparatus, in turn, comprises a first circuit to generate a first parameter indicative of a distance between a jumper and a jumping platform; a second circuit to generate a second parameter indicative of a rate-of-descent of the jumper; a third circuit to deploy the reserve parachute if the second parameter indicates that the rate-of-descent of the jumper is at or greater than a predetermined rate-of-descent; and a fourth circuit to enable the third circuit if the first parameter indicates that the distance between the jumper and the jumping platform is at or greater than a predetermined distance threshold. Other aspects, features and techniques of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the relevant art in view of the following detailed description of the invention.REFERENCEShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachutehttp://martlets-skydive.co.uk/other-types-of-parachute-jumps/http://www.raes.org.uk/raes/careers/education/education_parachute1.htmhttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/parachute-history.htmhttp://www.kbears.com/sciences/science-fair/sfparachute.htmGeneral Operating Limitations for BPS Personnel Canopies

The Design and Development of New Emergency Parachute Canopies Utilizing the BAT Sombrero Slider - A 1999 PIA Technical Paper, by Manley C. Butler, Jr.

Design, Development and Testing of a Recovery System for the Predator

HYPERLINK "http://www.butlerparachutes.com/PDF/AIAA99-1707.pdf" tm - A 1995 AIAA Technical Paper, by Manley C. Butler, Jr. and Troy Loney

The Design, Development and Testing of Parachutes Using the BAT Sombrero Slidertm - A 1999 AIAA Technical Paper by Manley C. Butler, Jr. and Michael D. Crowe

Additional Applications of

HYPERLINK "http://www.butlerparachutes.com/PDF/AIAA99-1707.pdf" BAT Sombrero Slidertm Technology - A 2001 AIAA Technical Paper by Manley C. Butler, Jr.

How To Select An Emergency Parachute - by Manley C. Butler, Jr.

Everything You Always Needed to Know About Emergency Parachutes - by Manley C. Butler, Jr.

A General Introduction to Aircraft Emergency Deceleration Parachutes and Deep Stall/Spin Recovery Parachute Systems - by Manley C. Butler, Jr.

CONTENT

PAGE

Acknowledgement

iIntroduction

1 - 3Experiment Details

4

Apparatus 4

Variables

5 Procedures

6 Resultand conclusion

7 - 10Safety Precaution

10Memories of the experiment 11 13Appendix 13 - 22References

23

APPARATUS NEEDED