Experimental Analysis on Combined Vibration and Acoustics Test of a Satellite

Abstract

Random vibration tests and acoustics tests are typical environmental testing approaches for verifying the dynamic environmental adaptability of a satellite, which should be selectively carried out on the ground before launch. Existing test criteria suggests that large spacecraft should be excited in a reverberation chamber, while a shaker should be used for a small spacecraft. With the development of experimental technique of environment simulation, the combined vibration and acoustics (vibro-acoustic) test are increasingly investigated for reproducing a more realistic environment and avoiding an over test or an under test. However, few studies have been published on coupling effect of combined vibration and acoustic test of a full scale prototype satellite. This paper discusses the equivalence between random vibration and acoustics excitation for satellite ground testing. The experiment results have shown advantages of the combined test in reproducing flight environment. And the coupling effect and distributions of high frequency response attenuation during the combined vertical vibro-acoustic test is observed and analyzed in detail.