REDUCTION OF PYRO SHOCK IN STAGE SEPARATION MECHANISM BY USE OF GAS GENERATOR SYSTEMS – DEMONSTRATION IN SYSTEM LEVEL

• DOI: 10.1615/intjenergeticmaterialschemprop.2025057301
• Publication Date: 2025-02-20T18:10:07Z
• Authors: Amitabh Chakraborty; Nikunj Rathi; R. Srinivasan; Sanjay Anandrao K...; P. A. Ramakrishna; H. Murthy

Most modern spacecraft systems rely on pyrotechnically actuated separation mechanisms to achieve stage separation events. These systems are associated with a very high level of pyro shock, which is detrimental to many sensors and delicate electronic packages. The current research focuses on designing and implementing a system that minimizes pyro shock levels during separation events. This study investigates developing and validating a low-shock gas generator system for stage separation mechanisms. The proposed gas generator cartridge has been used in stage separation hardware, and the shock levels were compared to that of the pyro cartridge actuated stage separation event. The shock levels and the shock response spectrum for gas generator and pyro cartridges were plotted and compared. The gas generator cartridge has demonstrated a significant drop in the shock levels. This comprehensive methodology with stage separation hardware using a gas generator cartridge demonstrates the system's effectiveness in reducing shock levels, ensuring improved performance, and repeatability in practical applications. The results highlight the potential of the proposed approach to enhance operational efficiency by lowering shock levels to a significant order in stage separation mechanisms in aerospace systems.