US Army Centrifuge:  Critical Capability for the Future

 

Wipawi Vanadit-Ellis, Engineering Research & Development Center

 

 

 

Abstract:

Large models can be built and tested at normal gravity (1-g), field tests can be conducted, but these are expensive, difficult to perform and most importantly they are often inaccurate.  Predictions from 1-g model are also difficult if the materials are time, stress, and/or strain state dependent.  However, if a small-scale model could be subjected to an acceleration field of magnitude many times earth’s gravity, self-weight stresses and other gravity dependent processes can be simulated. Acceleration above normal gravity is achieved through the use of a centrifuge. The paper will discuss the wide range of applications for centrifuge modeling with focus on dynamic (earthquake and blast) modeling.

 

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