Abstract
The paper describes a comparative experimental - numerical analysis to study the vibration behavior of a fiberglass/polyester composite box housing electronic components inside a satellite. A finite element model was developed in order to predict the natural modes and the values of the natural frequencies of the structure. In order to perform the numerical analyses, specimens made of the analyzed composite material were tested to obtain the elastic constants. The numerical values of the natural frequencies were further compared to those measured experimentally using a PULSE modal analysis system. The differences between results were less than 9%, validating thus the proposed numerical model, which can be further used to predict the behavior of the subassembly subjected to other loads occurring during the launching phase and on the orbit, as accelerations and/or thermal cycles. Since the order of magnitude of the first natural frequencies is important in understanding and evaluating the performance of subassemblies mounted inside satellites, such a study is necessary in the design phase of these structures.
Keywords: satellite; subassembly; vibration behaviour; composite materials; finite element