Optimal structural design of the Airborne Infrared Imager

Keith B. Doyle; Vincent J. Cerrati; Steven E. Forman; John A. Sultana

doi:10.1117/12.218659

6 September 1995 Optimal structural design of the Airborne Infrared Imager

Keith B. Doyle, Vincent J. Cerrati, Steven E. Forman, John A. Sultana

Proceedings Volume 2542, Optomechanical and Precision Instrument Design; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.218659
Event: SPIE's 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The airborne infrared imager (AIRI) is a dual-band IR sensor designed to study air defense issues while wing mounted in a pod. The sensor consists of an optical bench attached to a two- axis inertially stabilized gimbal structure in elevation and azimuth. The gimbal assembly operates within an 18-inch diameter globe while meeting strict pointing and tracking requirements. Design conditions for the assembly include operational and nonoperational inertial, thermal, and dynamic loads. Primary design efforts centered on limiting the line-of- sight jitter of the optical system to 50 (mu) rad under the operating environment. An MSC/NASTRAN finite element model was developed for structural response predictions and correlated to experimental data. Design changes were aided by MSC/NASTRAN's optimization routine with the goal of maximizing the fundamental frequency of the gimbal assembly. The final structural design resultsed in a first natural frequency of 79 Hz using a titanium azimuthal gimbal, a stainless steel elevation gimbal, and an aluminum optical bench which met the design and performance requirements.

Citation Download Citation

Keith B. Doyle, Vincent J. Cerrati, Steven E. Forman, and John A. Sultana "Optimal structural design of the Airborne Infrared Imager", Proc. SPIE 2542, Optomechanical and Precision Instrument Design, (6 September 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.218659

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