Dynamic Modeling, Simulation, and Flight Test of a Rocket-Towed Net System

Rocket-towed systems are commonly applied in specific aerospace engineering fields. In this work, we concentrate on the study of a rocket-towed net system (RTNS). Based on the lumped mass method, the multibody dynamic model of RTNS is established. The dynamic equations are derived by the Cartesian coordinate method and the condensational method is utilized to obtain the corresponding second order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Considering the elastic hysteresis of woven fabrics, a tension model of mesh-belts is proposed. Through simulation in MATLAB, the numerical deploying process of RTNS is acquired. Furthermore, a prototype is designed and flight tests are conducted in a shooting range. Ballistic curves and four essential dynamic parameters are studied by using comparative analysis between simulation results and test data. The simulation acquires a good accuracy in describing average behaviors of the measured dynamic parameters with acceptable error rates in the main part of the flight and manages to catch the oscillations in the intense dynamic loading phase. Meanwhile, the model functions well as a theoretical guidance for experimental design and achieves in predicting essential engineering factors during the RTNS deploying process as an approximate engineering reference.