Force Reconstruction for Impact Tests

Abstract

Two force reconstruction techniques were used to evaluate the impact test of a scale model nuclear transportation cask dropped 30 ft. onto an unyielding target. The two techniques are: the sum of weighted acceleration technique (SWAT) and the deconvolution technique (DECON). A brief description and the calibration of the techniques as applied to the cask are presented. For the impact test, both techniques yielded very similar resultant forces and provided more accurate definition of the force-time history for the cask than is available from conventional data reduction methods. An applied moment, measurement previously unobtainable from conventional accelerometer data reduction techniques, was determined with SWAT. The angular velocity calculated with SWAT was verified with photometric measurements.