Publication Date:
2017-07-14
Description:
During component level thermal-vacuum deployment testing of eight rotary viscous dampers for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, all the dampers failed to provide damping during a region of the deployment. Radiographic examination showed that air in the damping fluid caused the undamped motion when the dampers were operated in a vacuum environment. Improvements in the procedure used to fill the dampers with damping fluid, the installation of a Viton vacuum seal in the damper cover, and improved screening techniques eliminated the problem.
Keywords:
Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance
Type:
32nd Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium; 115-124; NASA/CP-1998-207191
Format:
text
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