SBIR-STTR Award

The Airborne Laser program has an ongoing need to minimize the risks associated with jitter due to acoustically-induced and structure-borne vibrations of sensitive optical equipment. This proposal describes a series of interoperable hardware and software modules designed to quickly implement active noise and vibration control techniques. The modules constitute an active control platform capable of integrating a variety of sensors, actuators, and active control algorithms. Development of the proposed platform will allow the ABL team to evaluate active noise and vibration control solutions in a fraction of the time that would be required to develop a problem-specific solution. The platform will be based on control architectures and algorithms that have been proven in hardware. The research will focus on achieving dramatic reductions in deployment time, making active noise and vibration mitigation as easy to apply as most passive techniques. The Phase I effort will consist of four tasks: requirements definition; conceptual design of the various modules and their interfaces; implementation of a small number of modules to form a prototype active controller; and testing the prototype in a real-world environment. The resulting products will have applicability to a wide range of vibration problems faced by both government and commercial customers

Ground testing of space flight systems is a means of verifying component and system performance, developing new capabilities, and reducing risk. This research will produce a computer-controlled physical system capable of delivering motion, vibration and jitter in six degrees of freedom to a payload up to 300 kg. The payload could be a small spacecraft, or a large or small subassembly or sensor. A means of physical characterization of vibration disturbance sources will also be developed. Requirements for simulation will be gathered from the AIRSS program and other sources. These will drive the design of a hardware and software spacecraft motion and vibration simulator. The six-axis simulator will use a hexapod geometry with electromagnetic actuation and be both portable and suitable for vacuum operation. It will be operated from a user interface and will accept and export data to other ground test systems. The simulator will be delivered to the Air Force and interfaced with new ground test subsystems and payloads. It will reach full capability with inclusion of software for simulating more general mechanical impedances, for example those resulting from spacecraft solar arrays. A separate system for six-axis characterization of vibration disturbances including cryocoolers will also be delivered.

Benefit:
The motion and vibration simulator will have direct application to the Third Generation Surveillance (TGIRS) system and its Integrated Testbed (ITB). It will provide greater realism in the mechanical environment during ground testing and allow verification and improvement of wide field of view infrared sensor performance through physical test. It will reduce risk for space flight components. The companion vibration characterization system will provide a means of verifying properties of vibration disturbance sources and of comparing signatures of different components including cryocoolers. This information will be useful in satellite and sensor models. The simulation capability will be applicable to missile flight motion simulation and generation of synthetic environments for other aerospace and defense systems, including testing and validation of homeland security systems on mobile or harsh environment platforms."

Keywords:
Motion Simulation, Vibration, Jitter, Synthetic Environment, Ground Test, Infrared Sensors, Integrated Testbed