Test and evaluate passive orbital disconnect struts (PODS 3)

Abstract

The objectives of the Passive Orbital Disconnect Struts (PODS) test are to evaluate modal resonance of the PODS-III supports to obtain engineering data required for use of PODS-III on flight systems; determine possible performance improvements in large LO2/LH2 space applications. (1) Modal Vibration Tests. A modal resonance survey is performed on a set of six PODS-III struts assembled in a dewar simulator. The survey conditions simulate both launch and orbital loadings of the struts. The orbital load range spans a full to an empty tank. The frequencies surveyed cover the range consistent with Shuttle qualification requirements and the principal resonant modes of the strut system. (2) Benefit study. The benefit of using PODS-III supports on OTV and Space Station LO sub 2 and LH sub 2 reference tanks was compared to nondisconnect supports. Four LO sub 2 and LH sub 2 tanks were studied under various conditions: (1) holding the launch resonance at 35 Hz and varying the orbit resonance; (2) analyzing both full and emtpy tanks at launch; (3) varying orbit boundary temperaure; (4) varying the number of struts; (5) varying orbit times; and (6) using or not using vapor cooling