Review of pyroshock wave measurement and simulation for space systems

Numerous pyrotechnic devices are used in aerospace vehicles to accomplish initiation, release, severance/fracture, jettison, valving, switching, time delay, and actuation process. The initiation of these devices generates severe shock, which has been overlooked as a potentially damaging environment in many equipment specifications. This severe shock is referred to as pyroshock which is characterized by transient high acceleration and high frequencies. Since pyroshock can cause the failure of electronic components, many researchers have attempted to develop an effective method to analyze the generation and propagation of shock waves. The simulation and characterization of shock waves in ground tests are necessary to ensure equipment integrity in this phase. We review the measurement and characterization of pyroshock, requirements for various experimental simulations, excitation and measurement techniques, data acquisition, and an overview of numerical simulation.