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

The development of lightweight, large-aperture optics is of vital importance to the Department of Defense and the US Air Force for improving remote sensing capabilities. One way of constructing a large space structure is to use digitized, inflatable beams. This research presents the experimental vibration analysis of the ground testing for inflatable beams that will be used in an AFIT Space Shuttle ridized inflatable beams experiment. The natural frequencies, damping ratios, and bending modes were identified for the beams. Various parameters were modified to determine what affects the vibration characteristics of the beams. The test results were compared to an Euler- Bernouli beam model using a its approximation.Air Force Inst of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB OH School of Engineering and Management is the author of 'Experimental Vibration Analysis of Inflatable Beams for an AFIT Space Shuttle Experiment', published 2002 under ISBN 9781423511380 and ISBN 1423511387.