EVALUATION OF SHOCK MITIGATING MATERIALS IN A V-BAND PYROSHOCK ENVIRONMENT SIMULATED WITH A RESONANT FIXTURE

An explosively activated V-band joint is used on a multistage rocket p ayload to release components at prescribed times in the rocket's fligh t and creates a pyroshock environment that the other payload component s must survive. Accelerometer response data were measured close to an actual V-band pyroshock. With the shock spectra calculated from these data, a resonant fixture was designed to simulate a V-band pyroshock e vent. The characteristics of the data and the design process are descr ibed. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine that the desired sh ock spectra with an unusually high knee at about 8,000 Hz was produced with the resonant fixture. The fixture was then mounted on a 29-in.-d iameter, 2-in.-thick plate simulation of a payload plate. Simulated el ectronic components were also mounted on the plate. The pyroshock envi ronment simulation was created by the resonant fixture response to a p rojectile impact. The component response to the environment was measur ed at the electronic component. The component responses to the pyrosho ck were measured with five different shock mitigating materials insert ed between the resonant fixture and the payload plate simulation, and the peak response values were tabulated.