Experimental Vibration Analysis of Inflatable Beams for an AFIT Space Shuttle Experiment

<p>The Department of Defense NASA and others are considering space-based inflatable structures to reduce the costs associated with the design manufacturing and launch of space structures. The Rigidized Inflatable Get-Away-Special Experiment (RIGEX) is an autonomous self-contained Space Shuttle experiment that will inflate and rigidize several cylindrical beam structures. After inflation and rigidization the experiment will perform a vibration analysis by exciting the rigidized beams with piezoelectric transducers (PZTs) and collecting the acceleration at the tip of the beam via a tri-axial accelerometer in the zero-g vacuum of space. This thesis presents the experimental vibration analysis for the beams on the ground using a shaker for excitation to characterize the modal properties. Piezoelectric transducers are then used for excitation in modal tests in a near-vacuum. The test data for the bending modes are compared to an Euler-Bernoulli beam theory model to determine its validity for analytic prediction.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>