Design and Vibration Characterization of a Passively Damped Satellite Bracket

Space Systems/Loral Engineering, 2004-05

Liaison(s): James Bockholt
Advisor(s): Ziyad Duron ’81
Students(s): David Lipke (TL), Mark Brenneman (S), Chad Foerster, Jeffrey Lin, Arran McNabb (F), Gwen Yoshinaga

An antenna bracket currently in use on Space Systems/Loral’s (SS/L) satellites is manufactured out of lightweight, but expensive carbon fiber composites. SS/L has charged the team with the redesign of the bracket in order to reduce the overall manufacturing and launch costs. The bracket must not exceed two pounds, and cannot exhibit a response greater than 25g’s at any frequency below 100Hz. Bracket and passive damping designs were numerically modeled and vibration tested to meet specifications.