Date of Award

Summer 2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Program/Concentration

Aerospace Engineering

Committee Director

Drew Landman

Committee Member

Colin P. Britcher

Committee Member

Brett Newman

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E535 J64 2008

Abstract

Lack of reliable in-flight data regarding the forces experienced by a spacecraft inside a Boeing Delta II rocket have led to the need for a simple and cost effective force measurement solution. This research investigates one solution that creates a direct reading force transducer to monitor the forces and moments experienced by the spacecraft rather than inferring forces from accelerometer readings as is currently practiced. In order to minimize costs, it is desired that the transducer is designed out of the existing structure that connects the spacecraft to the second stage. The existing structure is called a Payload Attachment Fitting (PAF). The procedure to design such a transducer coupled a computational structural model with a virtual experiment. Design of Experiments (DOE) was used to locate strain gages, necessary to monitor the applied forces. Gages were combined in Wheatstone bridges to optimize individual component response while minimizing interactions. This research outlines the gage placement procedure and additionally proposes a method for calibration.

Rights

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DOI

10.25777/z9t4-8983

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