Shock environment design for space equipment testing

Abstract

The main specification in the verification by testing of space hardware vulnerability to shock excitations is the shock response spectrum. Although it compiles the most relevant information needed to describe the overall shock environment characteristics, shock testing still poses various difficulties and uncertainties concerning the suitability and operation of the shock test system used, and the adequate definition of the underlying test parameters. The approach followed from the interpretation of typical shock testing specifications to the development, validation, and characterization of the developed shock test system, including the definition and design of the relevant parameters influencing the attained shock environment, is described in this paper. The shock testing method here presented consists of a pendular in-plane resonant mono-plate shock test apparatus where the structural response of the ringing plate depends upon well-defined controllable parameters (e.g. impact velocity, striker shape, mass, and contact stiffness), which are parametrically determined to achieve the target shock environment specification. The concept and analytical model of two impacting bodies are used in a preliminary analysis to perform a rigid body motion analysis and contact assessment. A detailed finite element model is developed for the definition of the ringing plate dimensions, analysis of the plate dynamics and virtual shock testing. The assembled experimental apparatus is described and a test campaign is undertaken in order to properly characterize and assess the design and test parameters of the system. The developed shock test apparatus and corresponding finite element model are experimentally verified and validated. As a result of this study, a reliable finite element modeling methodology available for future shock test simulation and prediction of the experimental results was created, being an important tool for the adjustment of the shock test input parameters for future works. The developed shock test system was well characterized and is readily available to be used for shock testing of space equipment with varying specifications.

Keywords

Shock response spectrum shock testing impact space equipment in-plane pendulum

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brake

. An inverse shock response spectrum. Mech Syst Signal Process 2011; 25: 2654–2672.

Sutra M, Mesnier D, Berlioz A, et al. Development of a simulation process of the behavior of space equipment subjected to pyrotechnic shocks, based on characterization and development tests. In: European conference on spacecraft structures, material & mechanical testing. European Space Agency, Noordwijk, NL: ESA Publications Division, ESTEC, ESA SP-581, September 2005.

Kiryenko

. ESA mechanical shock design and verification handbook (ESSB-HB-E-005), ESTEC, Noordwijk, NL: European Space Agency, 2012.

Morais

OMF

Vasques

CMA

Perestrelo

. Functional verification and performance tests of an ultra-low shock non-explosive actuator for hold-down and release mechanisms for space applications. Proc IMechE, Part G: J Aerospace Engineering 2014; 228: 2487–2495.

Lee

Chia

Kong

. Review of pyroshock wave measurement and simulation for space systems. Measurement 2012; 45: 631–642.

Lalanne

. Mechanical vibration and shock analysis: Mechanical shock, 2nd ed. New York: ISTE and John Wiley & Sons, 2010.

Smallwood DO. An improved recursive formula for calculating Shock Response Spectra. In: Shock and vibration bulletin: Proceedings of the 51st symposium on shock and vibration, San Diego, CA, USA, 1980, pp.211–217.

Tuma

Babiuch

Koci

. Calculation of a shock response spectra. Acta Montan Slov 2011; 16: 66–73.

Parzianello

Francesconi

Pavarin

. An estimation method for the Shock Response Spectrum propagating into plates subjected to hypervelocity impact. Measurement 2010; 43: 92–102.

10.

International Organization for Standardization. Mechanical vibration and shock - Signal processing - Part 4: Shock response spectrum analysis. ISO 18431-4, 2007.

11.

Wijker

. Spacecraft structures, New York: Springer, 2008.

12.

Piersol

Paez

. Harris’ shock and vibration handbook, 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010.

13.

Sung DK. Modeling and analysis of a nonlinear elastomer impact model with damping mechanism. In: International conference on industrial electronics, control and instrumentation (IECON’91), vol. 1, Kobe, Japan, 1991, pp.609–612.

14.

Minamoto

Kawamura

. Moderately high speed impact of two identical spheres. Int J Impact Eng 2011; 38: 123–129.

15.

Yang

Fafitis

Wiezel

. Nonlinear impact model of a tennis racket and a ball. J Mech Sci Technol 2012; 26: 315–321.

16.

Botta

Cerri

. Shock response spectrum in plates under impulse loads. J Sound Vib 2007; 308: 563–578.

17.

Lacher

Jüngel

von Wagner

. Analytical calculation of in-plane response of plates with concentrated masses to impact and application to pyroshock simulation. J Sound Vib 2012; 331: 3358–3370.

18.

Lacher A, Jüngel N, von Wagner U, et al. Analytical prediction and optimization of far-field pyroshock test procedures. In: 12th European conference on space structures, materials & environmental testing. European Space Agency. Noordwijk, NL: ESA Publications Division, ESTEC, ESA SP-691, July 2012, 2012.

19.

Kiryenko S, Piret G and Kasper J. ESA/ESTEC shock bench presentation. In: European conference on spacecraft structures, materials & mechanical testing. European Space Agency. Noordwijk, NL: ESA Publications Division, ESTEC, ESA SP-581, September 2005, 2005.

20.

Siam N. Development of an efficient analysis method for prediction and structural dimensioning of space structures subjected to shock loading. MSc Thesis, School of Engineering, Cranfield University, UK, 2010.

21.

Hsieh

Moore

Sroka

Analysis and dynamic characterization of a resonant plate for shock testing. In: Allemang

Clerck

Niezrecki

Wicks

(eds). Special topics in structural dynamics, Volume 6: Proceedings of the 31st IMAC, A conference on structural dynamics, 2013. Conference proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics Series, New York: Springer, 2013, pp. 515–533.

22.

Szuladzinski

. Formulas for mechanical and structural shock and impact, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2010.

23.

Langley

. The analysis of impact forces in randomly vibrating elastic systems. J Sound Vib 2012; 331: 3738–3750.

24.

Zhu

Weng

Chen

. Modelling of the stiffness of elastic body. J Sound Vib 2003; 262: 1–9.

25.

Papetti

Avanzini

Rocchesso

. Numerical methods for a nonlinear impact model: A comparative study with closed-form corrections. IEEE Trans Audio Speech Language Process 2011; 19: 2146–2158.

26.

Abrate

. Impact engineering of composite structures, New York: Springer, 2011.

27.

Abaqus 6.12. Providence, RI: Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp., 2012.

28.

Agency

. Space engineering: Modal survey assessment (ECSS-E-ST-32-11C), Noordwijk, NL: ESA-ESTEC, Requirements and Standards Division, 2008.

29.

Clough

Penzien

. Dynamics of structures, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003.

30.

Chowdhury

Dasgupta

. Computation of Rayleigh damping coefficients for large systems. Electron J Geotech Eng 2003; 8: 11–11.

31.

Irvine T. http://vibrationdata.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/shock-response-spectrum (accessed 3 June 2013).