SBIR-STTR Award

An acquisition system that will greatly reduce the time to perform ground vibration tests (GVT) on military aircraft is proposed. The system will automate GVTs, enabling rapid acquisition without requiring setup of nearly all sensors and cabling. Segments of the wireframe geometry and acquisition setup will also be generated automatically. Aircraft down times will be reduced dramatically. The system will utilize one or more robotic carts with gimbal-mounted laser vibrometers, wireless accelerometers for degrees of freedom that are not line of sight, and potentially mobile shaker carts. A soft suspension system is also proposed for applications requiring low-frequency isolation. Custom software will drive robotic assemblies and port data from sensors to modal acquisition and/or reduction software.

Keywords:
Ground Vibration Test, Laser Vibrometer, Robotic, Wireless Accelerometer, Aircraft Isolation, Down Time, Automated Data Acquisition, Modal Test

CSA offers a GVT test system that can dramatically reduce down time for AFFTC aircraft. Phase I demonstrated function of critical components that enable a configuration to reduce aircraft downtime by one-half or possibly even more. This proposal offers new techniques that preserve full control of data acquisition for the existing software used by AFFTC, retains identical data quality, and enables acquisition to begin merely minutes after committing the aircraft. Similarly, aircraft may be pulled from test even more quickly. A novel sensor design was demonstrated in Phase I that enables the system without detriment to data quality. Phase II will fabricate and deliver a fully functional system, and train AFFTC personnel in its operation and maintenance.

Keywords:
Fast Gvt, Fast Ground Vibration Test, Fast Modal Test, Rapid Modal Test, Accelerated Modal Test, Accelerated Structural-Dynamic Test, Aircraft Ground