Wind-induced structural response of a large telescope

David R. Smith; Peter Avitabile; Geoff Gwaltney; Myung Cho; Michael Sheehan

doi:10.1117/12.550465

29 September 2004 Wind-induced structural response of a large telescope

David R. Smith, Peter Avitabile, Geoff Gwaltney, Myung Cho, Michael Sheehan

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5495, Astronomical Structures and Mechanisms Technology; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.550465
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

In May of 2000, the construction progress of the Gemini South 8m telescope at Cerro Pachon in Chile was such that the telescope and dome were installed and able to move, but the primary mirror had not been installed. This provided a unique opportunity to make extensive tests of the structure in its nearly-completed state, including a modal impact test and simultaneous measurements of wind pressure and structural response. The testing was even more comprehensive because the Gemini dome design allows for a wide range of wind flow configurations, from nearly enclosed to almost fully exposed. In these tests, the operating response of 24 surface pressures on the primary mirror cell, 5 wind velocity channels (each with direction vector information), and more than 70 channels of accelerometers on the telescope structure were measured. The data were taken in a variety of wind loading configurations. While previous analysis efforts have focused on the wind velocity and pressure measurement, this paper investigates the dynamic behavior of the telescope structure itself. Specifically, the discussion includes the participation of the modes measured in the modal impact test as a function of wind loading configuration. Data that indicate the most important frequency ranges in the operating response of the telescope are also presented. Finally, the importance of the response of the enclosure on the structural vibration of the telescope structure is discussed.

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David R. Smith, Peter Avitabile, Geoff Gwaltney, Myung Cho, and Michael Sheehan "Wind-induced structural response of a large telescope", Proc. SPIE 5495, Astronomical Structures and Mechanisms Technology, (29 September 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.550465

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