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Time Frequency Analysis of Spacecraft Propellant Tank Spinning SloshMany spacecraft are designed to spin about an axis along the flight path as a means of stabilizing the attitude of the spacecraft via gyroscopic stiffness. Because of the assembly requirements of the spacecraft and the launch vehicle, these spacecraft often spin about an axis corresponding to a minor moment of inertia. In such a case, any perturbation of the spin axis will cause sloshing motions in the liquid propellant tanks that will eventually dissipate enough kinetic energy to cause the spin axis nutation (wobble) to grow further. This spinning slosh and resultant nutation growth is a primary design problem of spinning spacecraft and one that is not easily solved by analysis or simulation only. Testing remains the surest way to address spacecraft nutation growth. This paper describes a test method and data analysis technique that reveal the resonant frequency and damping behavior of liquid motions in a spinning tank. Slosh resonant frequency and damping characteristics are necessary inputs to any accurate numerical dynamic simulation of the spacecraft.
Document ID
20100027426
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Green, Steven T. (Southwest Research Inst. San Antonio, TX, United States)
Burkey, Russell C. (Southwest Research Inst. San Antonio, TX, United States)
Sudermann, James (NASA Kennedy Space Center Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
July 25, 2010
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
KSC-2010-145
Meeting Information
Meeting: 46th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit
Location: Nashville TN
Country: United States
Start Date: July 25, 2010
End Date: July 28, 2010
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., American Society for Engineering Education, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNK08LB12C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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