Optimal design of a snubbed vibration isolator for vibration sensitive electrooptic payload

Abstract

ABSTRACT Low frequency vibration isolation of airborne gyrostabilised el ectrooptic payloads is an ultimate and life proven solution aimed at improving their imagery performance primarily during relatively quiet cruise flight. This portion of airborne mission is characterised by rather moderate environmental conditions, under which the vibration mounts operate mostly in a linear working range within the predefined working rattle space thus delivering their best performance. Compliant snubbers are the indispensable emergency components in such vibration protection arrangements coming into play during exposure to environmental extremes typical for the relatively short periods of the airborne mission such as take-off, landing, weapon application, etc. Their primarily objective is to safely protect the above soft vibration mounts from bottoming and disintegration without developing ruining impulsive accelerations compromising the integrity of the payload frame and the internal fragile components mounted upon it. The optimal approach to designing such a snubbed vibration isolator delivering a fail-safe environment for both payload frame and critical components subject to the tight constraints imposed on size, weight and price does not seem to exist. It is the author’s intention to devise such an optimal desi gn approach and to demonstrate its application to low frequency vibration mounted electro-optic payload comprising the vibra tion sensitive Integrated Dewar-Detector-Cooler Assembly. Keywords: vibration isolation, snubber, visco-elastic impact, IR detector, optimal design.