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At least 253 records · Page 14

Ground vibration test results of a JetStar airplane using impulsive sine excitation

Structural excitation is important for both ground vibration and flight flutter testing. The structural responses caused by this excitation are analyzed to determine frequency, damping, and mode shape information. Many excitation waveforms have been used throughout the years. The use of impulsive sine (sin omega t)/omega t as an excitation waveform for ground vibration testing and the advantages of using this waveform for flight flutter testing are discussed. The ground vibration test results of a modified JetStar airplane using impulsive sine as an excitation waveform are compared with the test results of the same airplane using multiple-input random excitation. The results indicated that the structure was sufficiently excited using the impulsive sine waveform. Comparisons of input force spectrums, mode shape plots, and frequency and damping values for the two methods of excitation are presented.

Kehoe, Michael W.↗

Ground vibration test results of a JetStar airplane using impulsive sine excitation

Structural excitation is important for both ground vibration and flight flutter testing. The structural responses caused by this excitation are analyzed to determine frequency, damping, and mode shape information. Many excitation waveforms have been used throughout the years. The use of impulsive sine (sin omega t)/omega t as an excitation waveform for ground vibration testing and the advantages of using this waveform for flight flutter testing are discussed. The ground vibration test results of a modified JetStar airplane using impulsive sine as an excitation waveform are compared with the test results of the same airplane using multiple-input random excitation. The results indicated that the structure was sufficiently excited using the impulsive sine waveform. Comparisons of input force spectrums, mode shape plots, and frequency and damping values for the two methods of excitation are presented.

Kehoe, Michael W.↗

Multimodal Friction Ignition Tester

The multimodal friction ignition tester (MFIT) is a testbed for experiments on the thermal and mechanical effects of friction on material specimens in pressurized, oxygen-rich atmospheres. In simplest terms, a test involves recording sensory data while rubbing two specimens against each other at a controlled normal force, with either a random stroke or a sinusoidal stroke having controlled amplitude and frequency. The term multimodal in the full name of the apparatus refers to a capability for imposing any combination of widely ranging values of the atmospheric pressure, atmospheric oxygen content, stroke length, stroke frequency, and normal force. The MFIT was designed especially for studying the tendency toward heating and combustion of nonmetallic composite materials and the fretting of metals subjected to dynamic (vibrational) friction forces in the presence of liquid oxygen or pressurized gaseous oxygen test conditions approximating conditions expected to be encountered in proposed composite material oxygen tanks aboard aircraft and spacecraft in flight. The MFIT includes a stainless-steel pressure vessel capable of retaining the required test atmosphere. Mounted atop the vessel is a pneumatic cylinder containing a piston for exerting the specified normal force between the two specimens. Through a shaft seal, the piston shaft extends downward into the vessel. One of the specimens is mounted on a block, denoted the pressure block, at the lower end of the piston shaft. This specimen is pressed down against the other specimen, which is mounted in a recess in another block, denoted the slip block, that can be moved horizontally but not vertically. The slip block is driven in reciprocating horizontal motion by an electrodynamic vibration exciter outside the pressure vessel. The armature of the electrodynamic exciter is connected to the slip block via a horizontal shaft that extends into the pressure vessel via a second shaft seal. The reciprocating horizontal motion can be chosen to be random with a flat spectrum over the frequency range of 10 Hz to 1 kHz, or to be sinusoidal at any peak-to-peak amplitude up to 0.8 in. (.2 cm) and fixed or varying frequency up to 1 kHz. The temperatures of the specimen and of the vessel are measured by thermocouples. A digital video camera mounted outside the pressure vessel is aimed into the vessel through a sapphire window, with its focus fixed on the interface between the two specimens. A position transducer monitors the displacement of the pneumatic-cylinder shaft. The pressure in the vessel is also monitored. During a test, the output of the video camera, the temperatures, and the pneumatic-shaft displacement are monitored and recorded. The test is continued for a predetermined amount of time (typically, 10 minutes) or until either (1) the output of the position transducer shows a sudden change indicative of degradation of either or both specimens, (2) ignition or another significant reaction is observed, or (3) pressure in the vessel increases beyond a pre-set level that triggers an automatic shutdown.

Davis, Eddie↗

Vibration damping of the Cassini spacecraft structure

Cassini is a large robotic spacecraft currently under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) whose interplanetary scientific mission is to explore Saturn, its ring, and its moons. Cassini is scheduled to launch on a Titan IV rocket with a Centaur upper stage booster, and will be protected during ascent through the atmosphere by a lightweight aluminum payload fairing (PLF). As a result of the extreme noise levels generated by the powerful Titan IV at liftoff, and the acoustic transparency of the PLF, Cassini is predicted to experience sever acoustic levels. Furthermore, the high acoustic levels, coupled with the size and configuration of the spacecraft, will induce unacceptable random vibration levels on the structure and critical spacecraft components. Studies showed that the use of Tuned Vibration Absorbers (TVAs) would be effective in reducing vibration. A series of reverberant acoustic tests were performed on a partial development test model (DTM) of Cassini to evaluate the effectiveness of TVAs in reducing the structural vibration. The test results showed that significant vibration attenuation was achieved.

vibration damping↗

SRG110 Stirling Generator Dynamic Simulator Vibration Test Results and Analysis Correlation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Lockheed Martin (LM), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have been developing the Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) for use as a power system for space science missions. The launch environment enveloping potential missions results in a random input spectrum that is significantly higher than historical radioisotope power system (RPS) launch levels and is a challenge for designers. Analysis presented in prior work predicted that tailoring the compliance at the generator-spacecraft interface reduced the dynamic response of the system thereby allowing higher launch load input levels and expanding the range of potential generator missions. To confirm analytical predictions, a dynamic simulator representing the generator structure, Stirling convertors and heat sources were designed and built for testing with and without a compliant interface. Finite element analysis was performed to guide the generator simulator and compliant interface design so that test modes and frequencies were representative of the SRG110 generator. This paper presents the dynamic simulator design, the test setup and methodology, test article modes and frequencies and dynamic responses, and post-test analysis results. With the compliant interface, component responses to an input environment exceeding the SRG110 qualification level spectrum were all within design allowables. Post-test analysis included finite element model tuning to match test frequencies and random response analysis using the test input spectrum. Analytical results were in good overall agreement with the test results and confirmed previous predictions that the SRG110 power system may be considered for a broad range of potential missions, including those with demanding launch environments.

Lewandowski, Edward J.↗

SRG110 Stirling Generator Dynamic Simulator Vibration Test Results and Analysis Correlation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Lockheed Martin (LM), and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) have been developing the Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG110) for use as a power system for space science missions. The launch environment enveloping potential missions results in a random input spectrum that is significantly higher than historical RPS launch levels and is a challenge for designers. Analysis presented in prior work predicted that tailoring the compliance at the generator-spacecraft interface reduced the dynamic response of the system thereby allowing higher launch load input levels and expanding the range of potential generator missions. To confirm analytical predictions, a dynamic simulator representing the generator structure, Stirling convertors and heat sources was designed and built for testing with and without a compliant interface. Finite element analysis was performed to guide the generator simulator and compliant interface design so that test modes and frequencies were representative of the SRG110 generator. This paper presents the dynamic simulator design, the test setup and methodology, test article modes and frequencies and dynamic responses, and post-test analysis results. With the compliant interface, component responses to an input environment exceeding the SRG110 qualification level spectrum were all within design allowables. Post-test analysis included finite element model tuning to match test frequencies and random response analysis using the test input spectrum. Analytical results were in good overall agreement with the test results and confirmed previous predictions that the SRG110 power system may be considered for a broad range of potential missions, including those with demanding launch environments.

Suarez, Vicente J.↗

A New Approach in Force-Limited Vibration Testing of Flight Hardware

The force-limited vibration test approaches discussed in NASA-7004C were developed to reduce overtesting associated with base shake vibration tests of aerospace hardware where the interface responses are excited coherently. This handbook outlines several different methods of specifying the force limits. The rationale for force limiting is based on the disparity between the impedances of typical aerospace mounting structures and the large impedances of vibration test shakers when the interfaces in general are coherently excited. Among these approaches, the semi-empirical method is presently the most widely used method to derive the force limits. The inclusion of the incoherent excitation of the aerospace structures at mounting interfaces has not been accounted for in the past and provides the basis for more realistic force limits for qualifying the hardware using shaker testing. In this paper current methods for defining the force limiting specifications discussed in the NASA handbook are reviewed using data from a series of acoustic and vibration tests. A new approach based on considering the incoherent excitation of the structural mounting interfaces using acoustic test data is also discussed. It is believed that the new approach provides much more realistic force limits that may further remove conservatism inherent in shaker vibration testing not accounted for by methods discussed in the NASA handbook. A discussion on using FEM/BEM analysis to obtain realistic force limits for flight hardware is provided.

force limiting responses↗

Aircraft ground vibration testing at NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility

At the NASA Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, California, a variety of ground vibration test techniques has been applied to an assortment of new or modified aerospace research vehicles. This paper presents a summary of these techniques and the experience gained from various applications. The role of ground vibration testing in the qualification of new and modified aircraft for flight is discussed. Data are presented for a wide variety of aircraft and component tests, including comparisons of sine-dwell, single-input random, and multiple-input random excitation methods on a JetStar airplane.

Kehoe, Michael W.↗

Aircraft ground vibration testing at NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility

At the NASA Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, California, a variety of ground vibration test techniques has been applied to an assortment of new or modified aerospace research vehicles. This paper presents a summary of these techniques and the experience gained from various applications. The role of ground vibration testing in the qualification of new and modified aircraft for flight is discussed. Data are presented for a wide variety of aircraft and component tests, including comparison of sine-dwell, single-input random, and multiple-input random excitation methods on a JetStar airplane.

Kehoe, Michael W.↗

Dynamic response of NASA Rotor Test Apparatus and Sikorsky S-76 hub mounted in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel

A shake test was conducted in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center, using the NASA Ames Rotor Test Apparatus (RTA) and the Sikorsky S-76 rotor hub. The primary objective of this shake test was to determine the modal properties of the RTA, the S-76 rotor hub, and the model support system installed in the wind tunnel. Random excitation was applied at the rotor hub, and vibration responses were measured using accelerometers mounted at various critical locations on the model and the model support system. Transfer functions were computed using the load cell data and the accelerometer responses. The transfer function data were used to compute the system modal parameters with the aid of modal analysis software.

Peterson, Randall L.↗

Modal identification of structures from the responses and random decrement signatures

The theory and application of a method which utilizes the free response of a structure to determine its vibration parameters is described. The time-domain free response is digitized and used in a digital computer program to determine the number of modes excited, the natural frequencies, the damping factors, and the modal vectors. The technique is applied to a complex generalized payload model previously tested using sine sweep method and analyzed by NASTRAN. Ten modes of the payload model are identified. In case free decay response is not readily available, an algorithm is developed to obtain the free responses of a structure from its random responses, due to some unknown or known random input or inputs, using the random decrement technique without changing time correlation between signals. The algorithm is tested using random responses from a generalized payload model and from the space shuttle model.

Brahim, S. R.↗

Bayesian-based response expansion and uncertainty quantification using sparse measurement sets

Systems subjected to dynamic loads often require monitoring of their vibrational response, but limitations on the total number and placement of the measurement sensors can hinder the data-collection process. Here, we present an indirect approach to estimate a system’s full-field dynamic response, including all uninstrumented locations, using response measurements from sensors sparsely located on the system. This approach relies on Bayesian inference that utilizes a system model to estimate the full-field response and quantify the uncertainty in these estimates. By casting the estimation problem in the frequency domain, this approach utilizes the modal frequency response functions as a natural, frequency-dependent weighting scheme for the system mode shapes to perform the expansion. This frequency-dependent weighting scheme enables an accurate expansion, even with highly correlated mode shapes that may arise from spatial aliasing due to the limited number of sensors, provided these correlated modes do not have natural frequencies that are closely spaced. Furthermore, the inherent regularization mechanism that arises in this Bayesian-based procedure enables the utilization of the full set of system mode shapes for the expansion, rather than any reduced subset. This approach can produce estimates when considering a single realization of the measured responses, and with some modification, it can also produce estimates for power spectral density matrices measured from many realizations of the responses from statistically stationary random processes. A simply supported beam provides an initial numerical validation, and a cylindrical test article excited by acoustic loads in a reverberation chamber provides experimental validation.

42 ENGINEERING↗

The use of random decrement technique for identification of structural modes of vibration

An algorithm is developed to obtain the free responses of a structure from its random responses due to some unknown or known random input or inputs, using the random-decrement technique without changing time correlation between signals. The algorithm is tested using random responses from a 'generalized payload' model and from the 'Space Shuttle' model. The resulting free responses are then used to identify the modal characteristics of the two systems.

Ibrahim, S. R.↗

Viking orbiter 1975 articulation control actuators

The articulation subsystem actuators were rigorously tested in severe environments. They were operated through temperature ranges from -73 C to +121 C. In each case the temperature rate of change was at maximum. The actuator under test at room temperature was put into a pre-chilled or preheated chamber. Satisfactory performance was obtained throughout this full temperature range and under the temperature shock conditions above. However, at temperatures below -78 C some leakage was experienced through the O-ring seal around the shaft. The actuators were subjected to severe vibration and 500 g shock test with a time duration of 0.0007 seconds. The scan actuator was life tested by operating it from stop to stop through 2,000 cycles with 20,000 start-stop procedures randomly distributed through the 2,000 cycles.

Perkins, G. S.↗

Vibroacoustic Response of Pad Structures to Space Shuttle Launch Acoustic Loads

This paper presents a deterministic theory for the random vibration problem for predicting the response of structures in the low-frequency range (0 to 20 hertz) of launch transients. Also presented are some innovative ways to characterize noise and highlights of ongoing test-analysis correlation efforts titled the Verification Test Article (VETA) project.

Margasahayam, R. N.↗

Effects of Resistive Vibration Exercise Combined with Whey Protein and KHCO3 on Bone Tturnover Markers in Head-down Tilt Bed Rest (MTBR-MNX Study)

High protein intake further increases bone resorption markers in head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR), most likely induced by low-grade metabolic acidosis. Adding an alkaline salt to a diet with high protein content prevents this additional rise of bone resorption markers in HDBR. In addition, high protein intake, specifically whey protein, increases muscle protein synthesis and improves glucose tolerance, which both are affected by HDBR. Resistive vibration exercise (RVE) training counteracts the inactivity-induced bone resorption during HDBR. To test the hypothesis that WP plus alkaline salt (KHCO3) together with RVE during HDBR will improve bone turnover markers, we conducted a randomized, three-campaign crossover design study with 12 healthy, moderately fit male subjects (age 34+/-8 y, body mass [BM] 70 +/- 8 kg). All study campaigns consisted of a 7-d ambulatory period, 21days of -6 deg. head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR), and a 6-d recovery period. Diet was standardized and identical across phases. In the control (CON) campaign, subjects received no supplement or RVE. In the intervention campaigns, subjects received either RVE alone or combined with WP and KHCO3 (NEX). WP was applied in 3 doses per day of 0.6 g WP/kg BM together with 6 doses of 15 mmol KHCO3 per day. Eleven subjects completed the RVE and CON campaign, 8 subjects completed all three campaigns. On day 21 of HDBR excretion of the bone resorption marker C-telopeptide (CTX) was 80+/-28% (p<0.001) higher than baseline, serum calcium concentrations increased by 12 +/- 29% (p<0.001) and serum osteocalcin concentrations decreased by 6+/-12% (p=0.001). Urinary CTX excretion was 11+/- 25% (p=0.02) lower on day 21 of HDBR in the RVE- and tended to decrease by 3+/- 22% (p=0.06) in the NEX campaign compared to CON. Urinary calcium excretion was higher on day 21 in HDBR in the RVE and NEX (24+/- 43% p=0.01; 25+/- 37% p=0.03) compared to the CON campaign. We conclude that combination of RVE with WP/KHCO3 was not superior to RVE alone in any of these results.

Graf, Sonja↗

Fatigue failure of materials under narrow band random vibrations. I.

A novel approach for the study of fatigue failure of materials under the multifactor influence of narrow band random vibrations is developed. The approach involves the conduction of an experiment in conjunction with various statistical techniques. Three factors including two statistical properties of the excitation or response are considered and varied simultaneously. A minimum of 6 tests for 3 variables is possible for a fractional f actorial design. The four coefficients of the predicting equation can be independently estimated. A look at 3 predicting equations shows the predominant effect of the root mean square stress of the first order equation.

Huang, T. C.↗

Ground vibration test of the laminar flow control JStar airplane

A ground vibration test was conducted on a Lockheed JetStar airplane that had been modified for the purpose of conducting laminar flow control experiments. The test was performed prior to initial flight flutter tests. Both sine-dwell and single-point-random excitation methods were used. The data presented include frequency response functions and a comparison of mode frequencies and mode shapes from both methods.

Kehoe, M. W.↗