Publications

Vibrafuge: Re-entry and launch test simulation in a combined linear acceleration and vibration environment

VanGoethem, Doug; Jepsen, Richard A.; Romero, Edward

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new technique for testing in a combined linear acceleration and vibration environment. Amplified piezo-electric actuator assemblies are used in combination with Sandia's 29-ft centrifuge facility to surpass the load capabilities of previous attempts using traditional mechanical shaker systems. The piezoelectric actuators are lightweight, modular and overcome several limitations presented by a mechanical shaker. They are 'scalable', that is, adding more piezo-electric units in parallel or in series can support larger-weight test articles or wider range of displacement/frequency regimes. In addition, the units could be mounted on the centrifuge arm in various configurations to provide a variety of input directions. The design along with test results will be presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the new piezo-electric Vibrafuge.