Emiliano Rustighi

Topic 

Vibration testing is a crucial step in the development of spacecraft as it is used for verifying the reliability of the spacecraft components to the dynamical launch environment. The spacecraft are positioned on a large-scale shaker testing facility, which provides a controlled excitation with the purpose of replicating the in-service structural response. To do so, the shaker is driven by a controller that follows a prescribed profile. Due to the complexity these systems, several issues may arise during the test. Digitalization offers powerful tools to predict the dynamic behaviour ahead of its physical execution. The so-called Virtual Shaker Testing (VST) environment can be built by coupling the controller with a time-domain dynamic model of the system under test (shaker + spacecraft) and it can be run to predict the results of the real test.

Research Activity 

• Literature review + tutorials, demos and exercises to get up to speed with the state-of-the-art of satellite vibration control tests, virtual shaker tests and the hardware / software tools (Simcenter Testlab). 
• Derive experimental as well as numerical models (FRFs) of a single-axis electromechanical shaker and a device under test (aluminium structure) when they are de-coupled. 
• Combine the 2 models (all combinations of experimental and numerical models) via a sub-structuring approach, such as frequency based sub-structuring (FBS). Then convert the model to state-space. 
• Compare the results with the system identification of the assembled system. 
• Perform a virtual shaker test and compare with a physical shaker test using in -house tools. 
• (Optional: generalise the methodology either to a multi axis-system or by adding a fixture element between the shaker and the device under test). 

Additional information 

Siemens Industry Software offers accommodation for the agreed period, company desktop/laptop, and required software.