Troops InContactResupply

Team CougarAnthony BrockHenry GoodellNathan LambertPatrick FainEric FleischhauerJames Haig

Concept of Operation

Troops in sustained contact run low on ammunition. Due to sustained adversarial small arms fire, RPG usage, and crew served weapons, the risk of aircraft loss is high during traditional helicopter resupply. This is due to the need to reduce speed to 40 knots and reduce altitude to below 40 ft. Using additive manufacturing to produce a drop capsule with a structure designed to absorb impact that can only be made through 3D printing, we can mitigate the risk to aircraft and personnel by allowing resupply from aircraft at 150 ft at 90 knots. This greatly reduces the aircraft profile and amount of time that aircraft are presented as targets of opportunity.

Toroidal Parachute

Reusable Top Section

Internal Supplies

Disposable Impact Section

TICR system advantages

• Structure custom 3D printed for: type of supply, mission, impact•Made with biodegradable PLA FDM for “leave behind”

disposability• Parachute slows TICR to safer speed from safe helicopter

altitude

Math

• Dropped from 150ft from a helicopter going 90 knots• Results in an unresisted final velocity of approximately 124

mph• This would need to be adjusted for air resistance

• For a 35 pound load the impact energy is 17,800 lbf-ft (from final kinetic energy at 124 mph)• This information can be used to help model what strength

the collapse structure would need to have

Impact Stage Lattice Structure

Design process

• Problem Identification• Feasibility Analysis• Initial CAD design using circular crush structure• Structure refinement and hexagonal implementation• Prototype CAD designed finalized• Prototype design printed

Future Development

• Explore alternate print techniques• Refine design structure• Experiment with alternate print materials• Finite element analysis & computation fluid dynamics• Drop testing and iteration• Safety Analysis