ROCKET  GROUND VIBRATION TESTING

In Preparation for the 2024 Spaceport America Cup my Experimental Dynamics Project Team and I planned, conducted, analyzed, and Presents the results of a Ground Vibration Testing Campaign for the 2024 BYU Rocketry High Power Team's Rocket, Alta.

A roving hammer Multiple Input Muliple Output (MIMO) test was conducted with 5 accelerometer inputs and 28 impact locations. A single tri-axis accelerometer was placed at the nosecone tip, a single-axis accelerometer on the middle of the rocket, and one single-axis accelerometer on the fin were.  The hammer locations consisted of two sets of 10 points along the length of the rocket offset by 90 degrees and 8 points on the fins of the rocket, 2 on each fin.

The Rocket was supported by 2 elastic cords to simulate a free-free boundary condition more similar to what would be experienced during flight.

For this project is was the Responsible Engineer for the Finite Element Model of the rocket which was used to compare with the experiemental results. Abaqus CAE Software was used to develop a 1-Dimensional Beam model of the rocket with varying densities and stiffnesses through the sections of the rocket to model the rocket more accurately.

A Linear Pertubation modal analysis was then conducted in Abaqus resulting in the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the model. These mode shapes a frequencies were compared to the natural frequencies and mode shapes gathered experiementally.

These mode shapes and frequencies obtained from the Finite Element Model were compared to the natural frequencies and mode shapes gathered experiementally.

The results of this study were compilled and presented to students, sponsors, judges, and industry professionals during the 2024 Spaceport America Cup as one of the Podium Session Presentations.