An Advanced Controllable Electromechanical Lateral Support System

摘要

A full-scale, remotely operable Lateral Support System (LSS) for fixed missile vertical launch tubes that features controllable shock and vibration mitigation damping and electromechanical actuation were designed, built and tested. The next generation payload LSS eliminates the need for hydraulically operated jacking feet and manual installation that is required in the legacy system. The primary objective of the project was to give the US Navy the ability to maximize their payload capacity and reduce the time and cost associated with installation and removal payload tubes. This work presents the development of a system that increases the capacity to protect payload canisters from underwater shock and vibration events, increases the available volume within a fixed launch tube, and reduces installation and removal times via remote operation. A full-scale system with integrated smart-material damping capability was designed and validated in a laboratory environment. The electromechanical actuation can apply preloads ranging from 5-20 kips, and the controllable damping system can provide optimized protection at all shipboard vibration frequencies and shock levels. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) was developed to remotely operate and monitor the status of the LSS. The functionality of the full-scale LSS was demonstrated in the laboratory environment by performing pre-load tests, damping tests on the smart damping subsystem and the GUI. The technology maturity is at Technology Readiness Level(TRL) of 6.