Recent advances in vibroacoustics
Numerous vibroacoustics advances and problems in the aerospace industry have occurred over the last 15 years. This article addresses some of these that developed from engineering programmatic task-work at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field.
Impact testing of a Stirling convertor’s linear alternator
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in conjunction with NASA John H. Glenn Research Center and Stirling Technology Company, are currently developing a Stirling convertor for a Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG). NASA Headquarters and DOE have identified the SRG for potential use as an advanced spacecraft power system for future NASA deep-space and Mars surface missions. Low-level dynamic impact tests were conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center’s Structural Dynamics Laboratory as part of the development of this technology. The purpose of this test was to identify dynamic structural characteristics of the Stirling Technology Demonstration Convertor (TDC). This paper addresses the test setup, procedure and results of the impact testing conducted on the Stirling TDC in May 2001.
Cassini Spacecraft Acoustic Flight and Test Criteria
Acoustic mc.zrsurcmenls from Cigb[ Titan IV f]igllts, and an acoustic (CS[ of a Cassini silnulator’ and ‘1’itan payload fairing, (1’1 ,l;), wctc used to dc.rive acous(ic fligb[ and (CSL ctitct ia {m tlm Cassini s]mcccrafl. “1’hc fligtlt and latmra(ot y data wclc used or moclificd 10 account fm tbc following faclols: (a) noise spike contrrminalion of ffi.gb[ da(o, (b) spatial and flig,ht-tmflight val-iations of f’li:,ht dat:l, (c) apl)lic:ition of a Illickcl bar I ic]-blanket 10 tllc }’1 .1: fm tllc Cassini nlission after flight datrr showed an cxccssivc acoustic cnvilonmcnt, (d) cff’ccts of locating two Cassini fisscnlblics, tile }Iuygcns })tobc (~]1’) and (hc l]i@l ~iain Atl[cntta (11 GA), neat ttlc 1’] ,~;, (c) bi~llcl [bl LISt of ul)sidcd ‘1’itat! > olid I ocket motors (SRhfs) for (k Cassini ]nission, and (f) sl)ccial c.ot~siclcl-:l(i(~lls for acoustic tcstiilg of [he Cassini spacccr’af[ without the 1’1 .Ii. An ovct all sour]d plcssurc lCVC1 of 145 d}] was vet ificd fw the protofligll[ acoustic test critc.ria for the Clrssini sprrcccrafl.