TMCnet News
S&V News [Sound and Vibration](Sound and Vibration Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Call for Papers The 85th Shock and Vibration Symposium will be held in the Washington D.C. metro area over October 26-30. The symposium hotel will be Hyatt Regency Reston located near Washington's Dulles airport. The annual Shock and Vibration Symposium is the leading forum for the structural dynamics and vibration community to present and discuss new developments and on-going research. The Symposium was established in 1947 and typically includes both unclassified (unlimited and limited distribution) and classified sessions. Over 200 technical papers are typically presented. Panel discussions address topics such as new software developments and accelerometer isolation problems. Tutorials provide up-to-date technology overviews by leading specialists. HI-TEST Laboratories is responsible for all planning and operational aspects of the symposium. This will be HITEST's 13th consecutive year of running the annual Shock and Vibration Symposium. Topics of interest include: 901D Case Studies, Active Vibration Control, Ballistic Shock, Biodynamics, Blast Design, Combined Environments, Computational Structural Dynamics, COTS, Crash Dynamics, Damping, Data Analysis, Dynamic Analysis Methods, Dynamic Measurement, Dynamic Scale Modeling, Dynamic Testing, Environmental Databases, Finite Element Analysis, Fluid-Structure Interaction, Ground Shock, Impact/Penetration Mechanics, Instrumentation, Isolation Systems, Large Structures, Live Fire Testing, Machinery Diagnostics, Machinery Vibration, Material Dynamic Properties, Modal Analysis and Testing, Multi-Axis Vibration, Product Announcement/Facility Description, Seismic Shock, Pyrotechnic Shock, Shock Characterization, Shock Hardening, Shock Qualification by Extension, Shock Test/Equipment Failure Modes, Simulation Methods, Specifications and Standards, System Identification, Test Criteria, Test Tailoring, Underwater Shock Testing, Vibration & Vibroacoustics. To submit an abstract for the upcoming symposium, please visit www.savecenter. org and click the 85th Shock and Vibration Symposium page. Abstract deadline is July 15. SDRL Seminars The University of Cincinnati, Structural Dynamics Research Lab (UC-SDRL) is again offering their Experimental Techniques Seminar Series. The Structural Measurements Seminar will be offered August 13-15, followed by the Modal Analysis Seminar August 18-20. While the form and content of each of these seminars has been updated and changed each year over the last three decades, these seminars have been offered at least once a year by the UC-SDRL Team since 1978 and are the longest running seminars in the area of experimental modal analysis. There is already enough preregistration to guarantee that both of these seminars will be held. The FRF and Modal Model Applications Seminar has been tentatively scheduled late this fall (December). At present, there is nearly enough preregistration to assure that this seminar will be held as well. Each 3-day seminar includes lectures and demonstrations of basic theory and concepts covering the latest methods used by practitioners. Sufficient background and detail is provided so that the technical issues and limitations of more advanced topics can be well understood by users. If you are wondering what MIMO-FRF and MRIT test methods, cyclic averaging, burst pseudo-random excitation, PTD®, PFD®, PolyMax® and AF-Poly® and Autonomous Modal Parameter Estimation are all about, these seminars are for you! All examples and demonstrations will be given using UC-SDRL developed software (X-Modal III® with embedded data acquisition) that utilizes Matlab® as the computational engine and software platform. Again this year an autonomous modal parameter estimation procedure, presented at recent ISMA and IMAC conferences, will be explained along with the tools that make this possible. Each seminar includes complete notes and reference material, along with lunch and snacks at a cost of $1300. Complete information concerning lecture topics for each seminar along with registration information can be found at: www.sdrl.uc.edu/seminar. ATA Engineering Relocates ATA Engineering, Inc., (ATA) a nationwide provider of innovative, high-value, testand analysis-driven mechanical engineering design solutions, recently announced the opening of its new corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA, 10 miles east of its previous location. The relocation of ATA's headquarters represents a significant expansion, with the new 50,000 square foot facility that houses employee offices, training and demo rooms, conference rooms, and a library - as well as a fully equipped 4,500 square foot testing laboratory and a 4,200 square foot prototype lab and machine shop area outfitted for manufacturing, assembly, and robotics experimentation. The new location will also facilitate the ongoing expansion of the breadth and depth of the technical services ATA provides. "The relocation of our corporate office to this space will allow for strategic growth as we build upon our recent successes," says General Manager and Chairman Jeff Young. "We look forward to the opportunity to further expand the scope and quality of services that we offer to our customers." The corporate headquarters of ATA Engineering are now located at 13290 Evening Creek Drive South, Suite 250, San Diego, CA 92128. This move also comes as the company celebrates the selection of ATA President Mary Baker as one of Caltech's Distinguished Alumni. According to Caltech's award announcement. Dr. Baker "has been at the leading edge of engineering design, testing, and analysis" throughout her career, and her pioneering entrepreneurship and leadership in aerospace are reflected in the outstanding team of professionals that she has helped build at ATA. Please visit ATA's website for more information: www. ata-e.com. Fiber-Optic Accelerometers Brüel and Kjær has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with UK Company, Smart Fibres to produce and sell fiber-optic acceleration sensors worldwide. Created in Brüel and Kjær's R&D laboratory, the Smart Accel-HF is a fiber-optic acceleration sensor suitable for high frequency measurement of small vibrations, making it ideal for condition monitoring of rotating machines such as pumps, turbines, motors and wheeled vehicles. It can be used as part of an integrated fiber-optic system to monitor subsea pumps for the oil and gas industry. The unique measurement benefits of optical fiber sensing technology include increased tolerance against extreme harsh environments, allowing long-term, sustainable monitoring solutions for a wider range of applications. CEO of Smart Fibres, Chris Staveley said: "We have already proven the product in oil and gas applications and we are now looking to apply it to our other industry sectors." The SmartAccel-HF is a singleaxis fiber Bragg grating (FBG) acceleration sensor. According to Chris: "One of the key advantages of FBG technology is the ability to multiplex numerous sensors of different types on a few optical fibers. Acceleration is one of the most interesting measures for machine health monitoring, so we are delighted that Brüel and Kjær has applied its expertise to develop this product." Finn Kryger Nielsen, Brüel & Kjær's Transducer R&D Manager, said: "Developing this transducer has been a valuable research project that has produced transferable knowledge and expertise in Brüel & Kjær. Now, working together with Smart Fibres, we eure excited to see it come into the market." Under the terms of the agreement. Smart Fibres will manufacture and sell the product to its customers in the oil and gas business and other harsh environment industries. Chris adds: "By bringing the manufacture of the product in-house, we have made acceleration an integral part of our Smart Fibres machine health monitoring solutions." Smart Fibres considers this the best product available to carry out high speed vibration measurements for condition monitoring of rotating machines, when combined with Smart Fibres' SmartScan interrogator. More information about Smart Fibres is available at: http://smartfibres.com/. Bridge Monitoring RDP Electrosense offers a full line of LVDTs that are ideal for monitoring bridges. They are used to measure movements and strain in the structures caused by the increased weight and volume of traffic, environmental conditions, and other factors. These data help engineers understand the movements and loads imposed on the bridges and the supporting structures in order to predict potential problems and to maximize the safe working life of the bridge. The LVDT monitoring approach is relatively inexpensive, particularly when several points on a bridge need to be monitored, calling for long cable runs. By using a 4-20 mA, 2 wire loop, the wiring installation cost can be considerably reduced. This approach also offers the best interface to use with long cables for temperature drift reasons. The high accuracy, cycle life, resolution, and stainless steel construction of RDP's submersible LVDTs make them an ideal choice for engineers who need to understand movements and loads imposed on the structure of a bridge under all weather conditions. Very often the transducers used to monitor movements are installed on structures in coastal regions where rain water must be considered saline and transducers are also exposed to chemical pollutants created by road vehicles. Transducers can be supplied that are moisture resistant or fully welded for submersible applications. The stainless steel construction allows operation in marine environments and also resists the corrosive effects of winter road treatments for ice. For more information, please visit www.rdpe.com. Acentech Gets Contract Acentech Inc., a nationally recognized multi-disciplinary acoustics, audiovisual system design, and vibration consulting firm, announced that it has received final funding on a three-year, $706,000 project for the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command to develop technologies that reduce noise experienced by divers in dive helmets. The undersea environment is full of biological and man-made sound. Inside dive helmets, noise levels, due to diver breathing or the use of power tools underwater, are high enough to rank among the Navy's top ten noisiest work environments, posing a threat to diver hearing and well being. To minimize the danger, the "bottom times" allowed for undersea missions are limited to avoid a standard maximum allowable daily "noise dose." Nevertheless, there is evidence that Navy divers can develop hearing damage over their careers, which contributes to the $2.5 billion annual costs borne by the Veterans' Administration for treatment of hearing loss and tinnitus. Commercial divers face the same danger. Acentech's program seeks to reduce the sources of helmet noise and to interrupt the paths this noise takes to divers' ears. The primary source of respiration noise is the dive regulator, which delivers breathable air at ambient water (depth) pressure to the diver and allows him or her to exhale, forming the familiar bubbles. While it may seem that the bubble noise is the loudest part of the breathing cycle, as the diver descends the critical "A-weighted" measure of the inhalation noise becomes louder than the bubble noise, making it the primary concern. "Means for quieting the dive regulator are being developed and tested. However, the challenge of ensuring that any specified changes do not in any way compromise the operation of the helmets or regulators remains ahead of us," said Acentech Program Manager, Dr. Steven Africk. "Our priority is the continued comfort and safety of the divers who rely on these helmets every day for underwater life support." Acentech's mitigation approach has been to determine the sources of this noise - mostly high velocity airflow through the regulator - and to quiet the airways through which air is delivered to the diver. This includes the addition of metallic screens to, and changes of the geometry of, the airways. Means to attenuate the paths that carry the noise from the regulator to the ear are also under development. These include expansion chambers similar to mufflers and heavier structures through which the noise must travel once inside the helmet. Acoustic treatments on the outside of the helmets have also been developed to exclude tool noise from entering the interior. Experimental work to study the noise and demonstrate the effectiveness of modifications has been carried out in Acentech's laboratory in Cambridge, MA. and at Dive Lab, the Panama City, FL. research facility of the helmet manufacturer, Kirby Morgan Inc. For more information, please visit www. acentech.com. LDS Order Test and certification group, TRaC Global, has expanded its testing services for the aerospace, defense and rail industries with the unveiling of a new LDS V984 electromagnetic shaker at its Warwick testing facility. TRaC Global is one of only two independent testing facilities in the UK to offer this large vibration test system for shock and vibration testing to replicate harsh environmental conditions that products might encounter. Supplied by Briiel & Kjaer, the LDS V984 is exceptional for testing larger products that are exposed to severe vibration levels typically seen in aerospace, defense and rail vibration specifications. The LDS V984 has 160 kN force output and is capable of testing up to a 2000 kg payload. Specialized features, such as a guided slip table and guided head expander, make it ideally suited for the testing of products with a large footprint, high centers of gravity, off-set loads or combination of both. For example: aircraft actuation systems, mobile power generation systems, aircraft landing gear, in-flight refueling equipment, aircraft motor driven systems, satellite sub-systems and motorway signage. Mark Heaven, CEO at TRaC Global explains: "This new investment means the UK aerospace, defense and rail industries will be able to experience greater availability, improved test capability and lead times for testing larger pieces of equipment and vital parts. "Our state-of-the-art UKAS accredited test facilities, located in Wimbome and Warwick, now house three of the four LDS V984 Shakers currently available at independent test labs within the UK." CTA Names President Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, Inc., (CTA) an acoustical, audiovisual and theatrical consulting firm, announces the appointment of Douglas H. Bell as President. Bell has over 25 years of experience at CTA. He first joined the firm as a college intern from M.I.T. After graduating, he spent seven years as an application engineer with Briiel and Kjær working with users throughout Europe. As a principal consultant at CTA, Bell's primary focus has been working with clients on environmental noise and vibration control issues and leading the firm's growth in these areas. While serving as CTA President, Bell will continue to provide clients with the industry's finest acoustical consulting services. After thirty-eight years of extraordinary service, Gregory C. Tocci, PE, FASA will be stepping down as President. He will continue to work full-time in his role as Senior Principal Consultant, overseeing major projects in environmental noise and acoustics. Tocci founded the firm in 1975 with his partner, William J. Cavanaugh, and has been the primary architect of the firm's growth and status as a premier consulting firm. "I am looking forward to working with Doug as he leads the firm into the future and to spending more of my time serving our clients on projects," notes Tocci. Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, Inc. is heralded for its work at the award-winning Verizon Innovation Center in Waltham, MA and its newly opened counterpart in San Francisco, CA. CTA maintains close working relationships with architects and engineers as well as corporate and institutional clients. Ken Eldred -1929-2012 Kenneth McKechnie Eldred was for decades an exceptional outstanding member of the noise control engineering profession. He was a founder, fellow, director, and president of INCE/USA. He was a fellow of ASA and received their Silver Medal in Noise in 1994. He was also elected in 1975 to the National Academy of Engineering. A Special Session in Honor of Ken Eldred was held during the Spring 2014 ASA meeting in Providence, RI. Copies of the agenda, slides by five presenters, a photograph of family members who attended and a photograph of the presenters are available on the INCE/ USA website: www.inceusa.org (click "In Honor of... " within the red box). (c) 2014 Acoustical Publications, Inc. |