Spacecraft Model Testing

Include extensive PDF’s or hard copies of slides, reference materials and individual Certificates of Completion.

Spacecraft and launch vehicle engineers, system engineers, program managers and all professionals interested in obtaining a working knowledge of the implications of lift-off and launch environments and designing and testing of spacecraft structures to withstand these environments.

The techniques discussed will provide the attendee with the necessary tools to produce a set of verified natural frequencies and mode shape vectors that represent the mass and stiffness of the spacecraft in the test configuration.

1. Introduction History of modal analysis, Normal mode theory, Description of the modal technique
2. Modal Test Requirements Boundary Conditions Instrumentation Mechanical Support Equipment Modal Test Facilities Pre-test Analysis
3. Data Acquisition Hardware Software Data recording
4. Structural Excitation Techniques Discussion of the pros and cons as well as technical considerations for available excitation techniques
5. Spectrum Analysis of Recorded Test Data FFT & Frequency Response Analysis
6. Modal Analysis of Spectral Data SDOF, MDOF, SIMO, MIMO Techniques for generating Modal Parameters and Mode Shape Vectors
7. Post Processing and Animation of Results Test - Test, Test - Analysis correlation, orthogonally
8. Verification of Modal Test Results Synthesis of Frequency Response Functions Modal Assurance Criteria, Reciprocity
9. Overview of Finite Element Model Correlation Synthesis of Frequency Response Functions Modal Assurance Criteria
10. Avoiding Common Modal Test Problems Response Location Problems Test Setup Problems Pitfalls in Data Acquisition, Processing Practical Considerations and Tips
11. Modal Test Demonstration Data acquisition & processing on a test structure