Biosatellite Primate Mission component qualification

Abrams, E. M.

English

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DEVELOPMENT OF BIOSATELLITE
PRIMATE MISSION COMPONENT QUALIFICATION LEVELS'
BY;
E. M. ABT, ­^`S
RE-ENTRY & ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS DIVISION
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
PRESENTED AT
AIAA TEST EFFECTIVENESS IN THE 70'S CONFERENCE,
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA
APRIL 1970
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DEVELOPMENT OF BIOSATELLITE
PRIMATE MISSION COMPONENT QUALIFICATION LEVELS
Edward M. Abrams
Re-Entry & Environmental Systems Division
General Electric Company
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Abstract
rnis presentation outlines the pro-
cedure used in the Biosatellite Primate
Mission Program for development of compon-
ent qualification levels which have re-
cently been validated by flight data. Com-
ponent qualification levels were estab-
lished early in the Biosatellite program
using limited flight component response
data. Subsequent system development vibra-
tion tests were performed on a prime struc-
ture spacecraft with simulated components.
Since the spacecraft external flight
(acoustic) loading was negligible and the
booster - spacecraft interface flight
environment was known, the system test
simulated the flight conditions. Based on
the dynamic characteristics of the compon-
ents in their system installations, the
component qualification test levels were
further defined. These levels were envel-
opes of the component system responses with
a margin of safety included. Subsequent
flight test data verified this approach
since responses were within the developed
component qualification envelope.
Introduction
Development of spacecraft component
qualification test levels which adequately
represent the flight environment a-d yet
are not overly severe to cause unnecessary
and costly failures have long posed a
problem to vibration engineers. As stated
in reference 1, development of vibration
::est specifications is usually influenced
more by personal judgments and precedence
than by a scientific evaluation of avail-
able information.
The Biosatellite Primate Mission
spacecraft contains several hundred compon-
ents which are sensitive to vibration. In
order to meet schedule commitments, it was
necessary to establish component qualifica-
tion tests early in the program. Here it
was mandatory that these levels be con-
servative, since flight data was limited.
In addition, stringent requirements were
placed on high reliability similar to man-
rated spacecraft in order to guarantee the
primate's safety.
Based on a study of components simil-
ar to those in the Biosatellite program
and some preliminary Biosatellite develop-
ment vibration tests, it was determined
r This work was performed under
NASA Cintract NAS2-1900
that for many components to successfully
pass qualification tests, major design
changes would be required, resultii%g in
flight schedule delays and additional
costs. This necessitated findi.iig a method
to determine more realistic component
qualification vibration test levels.
This report presents a review of sys-
tem test procedures used on the Biosatel-
lite Primate Mission for development of
component qualification levels.
Spacecraft Configuration
The Biosatellite Primate Mission
spacecraft consisted of a mated adapter
and a satellite re-entry vehicle (SRV) as
shown in Figure 1. The SRV assembly in-
cluded a recovery capsule and thrust cone.
The recovery capsule housed primate ,-.xperi-
ment payload, necessary life support equip-
ment and recovery devices. The thrust
cone supports a retro-rocket and other
componeeics necessary to provide controlled
impulse to deorbit the spacecraft. All
other equipment necessary for orbital
operation, but not needed for re-entry or
required to be recovered, was contained
in the adapter located between booster and
SRV.
The launch vehicle for the Biosatel-
lite mission was a :Long tank Thor-Delta
booster. The Biosatellite spacecraft was
enclosed in a protective shroud about 19
feet long which effectively attentuated
external acoustics.
Flight Vibration Environment
During lift-off and atmospheric
flight, the Biosatellite spacecraft is ex-
posed to low and high frequency vibration.
Mechanically induced vibrations are trans-
mitted from the main booster structure
through the spacecraft interface. Inter-
face vibration data was recorded on two
Thor Delta flights which launched the
Biosatellite I and Biosatellite II space-
craft without primates.
Interface vibration levels presented
in Figure 2 are low frequency sinusoidal
measurements from these flights. Primary
cause of this environment is low frequency
booster bending effects and POGO oscilla-
tions due to fuel slosh prior tc first
stage separation. Low frequency system
qualification sinusoidal test levels are
also plotted on Figure 2.
1
GAS
Sl
PRIMATE S
EQUIPME
PRIMATE
YRYV TANMAGE
FUEL CELL
r
RE-ENTRY/RECOVERY-►}..-	 ADAPTER
VEHICLE I
FIGURE 1,
	 BIOSATELLITE INBOARD PROFILE
High frequency spacecraft vibration caused
by structurally borne acoustic excitations
is transmitted to the spacecraft interface.
Figure 3 shows a composite of these high
frequency random vibration interface
measurements together with the system ran-
dom qualification test specification.
System Development Vibration Test
Principal component vibration excita-
tion is induced through the spacecraft -
booster interface, therefore, system
vibration testing was decided as the best
method for developing realistic component
qualification levels. By system testing
the spacecraft, dynamic environments of
components in their actual installations
were defined. Because of shroud protec-
tion, the internal acoustic environment
was negligible. Internal acoustic over-
all sound pressure levels for the same
booster and shroud configuration flying
the same trajectory as the Biosatellite
Primate Mission were previously measured
and found to be less than 110 db. There-
fore, component response due to acoustic
noise was negligible.
Test Vehicle
The Biosatellite Primate Mission
spacecraft used for the system development
vibration tests consisted of a prime
structure vehicle with mass and C.G. simu-
lations of all flight components. In
addition, many of the components were prime
designs which had been used in component
development phases and, therefore, repre-
sented a precise dynamic simulator.
Rather than hard mount the spacecraft
directly to a vibration test fixture, the
flight adapter which mated the spacecraft
and booster was utilized to obtain a more
realistic test condition.
Test Levels & Input Control
Vibration development testing con-
sisted of imposing sinusoidal and random
vibrations along each of three major
vehicle axes at the level and durations
shown in Table 1. These test levels simu-
lated booster - spacecraft interface in-
duced vibrations during various powered
flight mission phases.
2
rI.0
JWU
Q 2.0
W 3.0a
a. 5.0O
N
°14.0ZO
A
7.0
6.0
4.0	 10	 40	 100	 200
FREQUENCY (HZ)
FIGURE 2. LOW FREQUENCY SINUSOIDAL
FLIGHT MEASUREMENT
0
O 0.01
2 
0.
0
w
M
SYSTEM RANDOM
QUALIFICATION
TEST(12.b GRMS)
FLIGHT MEASUREMENT
COMPOSITE (8.2 G RMS )
1.0`I T
O-LATERAL FLIGHT MEASUREMENT
O-LONGITUDINAL FLIGHT
MEASUREMENT
I
LONGITUDINAL SYSTEM
QUALIFICATION SINE
TEST LEVEL
LATERAL SYSTEM
QUALIFICATION SINE
TEST LEVEL
EI
(^ O O
010	 100	 1000 2000
FREQUENCY (HZ)
FIGURE 3. HIGH FREQUENCY RANDOM
FLIGHT MEASUREMENTS
a
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F-
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.p
Tests were performed by mounting the
spacecraft and forward section of booster
adapter on a vibration fixture and con-
trolling input vibration at booster adapter
interface.
Vibration control was maintained by
using the average of four accelerometers.
Average input was used providing none of
the accelerometers exceeded the specified
level by 20%. Whenever the 20% level was
exceeded, control automatically switched
to control the highest reading thereby
alleviating the problem of spurious
vehicle inputs due to fixture resonances.
This method of average control produced.
an input that was more uniform and there
fore reduced potential overtesting.
For longitudinal direction tests,
fixture and vehicle with booster adapter
were mounted directly on an MB-C-210
electro-dynamic exciter. In the lateral
directions, spacecraft, adapter and fix-
ture were mounted on a team bearing sys-
tem which constrained motion to only the
lateral plane and eliminated overturning
moment effects.
TYPE OF AXIS OF QUALIFICATION
Frequency	 Amplitude Sweep RateVIBRATION EXCITATION
(Hz)	 or Level or Time
10-15	 2.25g o-peak
15-26	 3.75g o-peak
LONG, 26-160	 2.25g o-peak 2 oct. /min..
150-500	 0.922 in/sec.
500-2000	 7.5g	 o-peak
SINE
2 5-250	 1.5g	 o-peak
Lateral 250-400	 3.Og	 o-peak 2 oct./min.
Axes 400-2000	 7.5g	 o-peak
20-150	 0.0225 g2/Hz.
3 Axes 150-425	 4db/oct. in- 4 min. per
RANDOM
(1 Longitu-
dinal &
crease 
425-1200	 0.09 g /Hz.
axita.
2 Lateral) 1200-2000	 2db/oct.
roll off
(Overall G-RMS level over
excitation frequency range
of 20-2000 Hz is 12.3g RMS)
TABLE 1. SYSTEM VIBRATION INPUT LEVELS
3
v	 -	 F OR 11 1
14.0
12.0
10.0
a
I
0
6.0
oa
0 6.0
a
W 4.0
J
W
2.0
a
0)0 40	 100	 400	 1000 2000
ORIGINAL SINE ;'COMPONENT)QUALIFICATION LEVEL
-- --r
REVISED SINE
I QUALIFICATION
LEVEL
I
1
r
,Instrumentation
Ten piezoelectric crystal accelero-
meters were used to monitor input levels
and 96 such sensors were used to measure
responses throughout the vehicle. En-
devco Models 2213/2217 or CRL Model 302-2
accelerometers were used at all locations
where weight (1 to 1.1 oz.) would have a
negligible affect on frequency response
of the installation. Endevco Model 2229
or CRL Model 302-6, which are microminia-
ture accelerometers (5 to 10 grams), were
used at locations where space and weight
were a problem. Emphasis was placed on
individual component requirements rather
than defining a zonal representation.
Measurements were made at interfaces be-
tween support structure and components
thereby acquiring response signatures at
component mounting locations.
Output of the accelerometers was con-
ditioned by means of CRL Model 9006
Charge Amplifiers and recorded in con-
junction with a 100 Channel Multiplex
System on a Sangamo Model 471RB Tape
Recorder operated at 60 inches per second
to give a flat frequency of the recording
system within 0 to 1.5db to 4000Hz. Re-
corded data was played back through a
Spectral Dynamics Analyzer into Moseley
Model 136A X-Y Plotters (Sine) and a CEC
124 Oscillographs (Random).
Data Evaluation & Observations
Recorded data (2) were reduced to
power spectral density plots for random
tests and g vs. frequency plots for sinu-
soidal tests. Typical data plots are
shown in Figures 4 through 8 and provide
a general indication of Biosatellite
vibration characteristics. One common
characteristic notable in all vibration
data is major response peaks at 40Hz,
which is the major resonant frequency of
the Biosatellite spacecraft. At vehicle
resonance, 18 g's were measured at the
oxygen cryogenic tank inner shell. Based
on structural calculations and component
test results, levels greater than 20 g's
would degrade tank performance. As a
result of this finding during system
qualification testing, response of the
oxygen tank was carefully monitored.
System vibration inputs were imposed in
increasing steps approaching the qualifi-
cation level. Tank critical levels were
not reached.
Above 100Hz, the Biosatellite space-
craft is effectively decoupled from the
booster and does not experience signi-
ficant high frequency vibration.
QUALIFICATION
QN16INAL SINE(COMiPONiENT)
LEVEL
r ^
SINE
QUALIFICATION LEVEL
1	 1
I
I
^__-} REVISED
40	 100
	 40'0	 1000 2000
FREQUENCY(HZ)
FIGURE 4. PELLET FEEDER-SYSTEM
TEST SINUSOIDAL RESPONSE
1.0
ORIGINAL RANDOM (COMPONENT)
QUALIFICATION LEVEL (19.4 GRMS)
_ REVISED RANDOM
QUALIFICATION
\ L EVEL (6.5 GRMS)
r
1
1
\
1
0.01
0.001
IO	 100	 1000 2000
FREQUENCY (HZ)
FIGURE 5. PELLET FEEDER-SYSTEM
TEST RANDOM RESPONSE-
FREQUENCY(HZ)
FIGURE 6. WATER FILTER-SYSTEM
T;rQT QImIIQninAl Prcon cr
4
1
EA
14.0
12.0
4
10.0
M
a
so
so
U
Q 4.0
2.0
°10
NX
N\
a
r
InZ
0
J
a
O:
HUW
n.
In
cr
w
30
a
0.1
4	 .
1A
x
lV^O
>- 0.1
F-
U)
zWO
Q
VW(%0.01
aW
001
10	 •	 100
	 1000 2000
FREQUENCY(HZ)
FIGURE 7. WATER FILTER -SYSTEM
TEST RANDOM RESPONSE
Component Qualification Level Determination
Comparison of system test results with
initial component qualification levels
(see Figures 4 through 8) shows the uncer-
tainty in the original level definition.
For frequencies greater than about 100Hz,
the original component level is much more
severe than that observed in the system
test, especially in the frequency range
between 100 and 400Hz where electronic
and electro-mechanical components exhibit
critical resonances.
Biosatellite qualification levels were
revised based on individual system test re-
sponses. These responses were enveloped
and included a margin for anomalous effects
as typified in Figures 4 through 8. It is
also interesting to note that in some cases
the redefined level is greater than orig-
inally specified. Note that in Figure 4,
low frequency sinusoidal responses of the
pellet feeder (Primate food dispenser)
exceeded the original qual level. Revised
requirements were developed by enveloping
the total response.
Flight Results
The Biosatellite Primate Mission
spacecraft was successfully launched from
the Eastern Test Range (Cape Kennedy) by
a Thor-Delta booster 28 June 1969. For
diagnostic purposes, the vibration environ-
ment experienced by the Biosatellite space-
craft was recorded by vibration sensors
installed in the adapter which mated the
spacecraft and booster. These flight
sensors were mounted at corresponding
locations to those in system development
tests, in order to obtain one to one
correlation.
I'D ORIGINAL RANDOM (COMPONENT)QUALIFICATION LEVEL (19.4 GRMS)
0.1	 1
LEVEL (8.8GRMS)
0,01
0o.
	
0.0010
	
100	 1000 2000
FREQUENCY (HZ)
FIGURE 8, ADAPTER POWER CONTROLLER-
SYSTEM TEST RANDOM RESPONSE
Flight vibration g levels were re-
corded and monitored in real time at
Cape Kennedy. Critical flight vibration
environment was at POGO where a maximum
level of 2.2 g's (0-P) at 20Hz was ob-
served. Figure 9 compares response be-
tween flight and that obtained during
the system vibration test. Note that
the system test levels adequately envelope
flight measurement data, providing ample
margins for added reliability.
Figure 10 is a direct comparison
between high frequency random flight and
system test data. Again, flight measure-
menLs were below system test responses.
Therefore, the refined component vibra-
tion levels sufficiently represented
flight environments.
7.0
EI-MAXIMUM POGO FLIGHT
ENVIRONMENT
	
6.0	 (D-MAXIMUM LIFT-OFF FLIGHT
LEVELS	 I	 I
^- 5.00
SYSTEM TEST
om
	
ADAPTER LOW-
0
z 4.0	
RESPONSE
FREQUENCY SINE
aW 3.0
JW
El
Q 2.0
1.0
0
10	 40	 100	 200
FREQUENCY (HZ)
FIGURE 9. COMPARISON OF
CORRESPONDING LOCATION-FLIGHT
AND SYSTEM TEST SINE RESPONSE
ORIGINAL RANDOM (COMPONENT)
QUALIFICATION LEVEL(194GRMS)
REVISED RANDOM \\QUALIFICATION
LEVEL(134GRMS) \
\
\
N
X
N
h
Z
W
0
JQ
W
a
Cn
X
W
5
rP
µ #
i
Nl,
OD
U)
zwcJ
a
w4U)W1
a
°o	 100	 1000 2000
FREQUENCY(HZ)
FIGURE 10. COMPARISON OF CORRESPONDING
LOCATION-FLIGHT AND SYSTEM TEST
RANDOM RESPONSE
OF
Conclusion
System vibration test data can be
used to establish realistic component
test specifications. This is particularly
true when the primary source of excitation
is through the spacecraft-booster inter-
face. Results of the Biosatellite Primate
Mission program verified this approach.
Future spacecraft programs should
consider the implementation of a '''stage'''
release system whereby component qualifi-
cation test specifications may be peri-
odically updcted as system test data
becomes available. This provides a means
of establishing component tests more
representative of actual flight conditions.
References
1. G. H. Klein and A. G. Piersol, "The
Development of Vibration Test Speci-
fications for Spacecraft Applications,'''
NASA CR-239 0
 May 1965.
2. L. Condranr "Biosatellite Vehicle
Development Vibration Test •- 30 Day
Configuration," General Electric
Document No. 67SD7111, September 1967.
0.1
.o i
6


Development of Biosatellite Primate Mission component qualification levels

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