INPE/LIT New Facility for Vibration and Acoustics Tests - Novel Ideas and Lessons Learned

摘要

The Brazilian Institute of Space Research/Integration and Testing Laboratory (INPE/LIT) is conducting a project to implement a new large facility for vibration and acoustic tests of spacecrafts. This new facility was designed to provide an integrated environment where simultaneous tests can be conducted with efficiency, while multiple test results can be easily analyzed and compared, allowing an incremental mechanical structural development. The facility provides resources that allow the running of automatic pretest checks, and fully automatic system and subsystems calibration procedures. Artificial Intelligence technology supports system supervision and helps system operation and data result analysis. Budget constraints required that subsystems of the current vibration facility were used wherever possible. The system is scheduled to be operational in November 2000. In this work we present the system architecture and the novel ideas that have been used in this new facility.