The Mode Localization Phenomenon: Visual Test Results

The high degree of manufacturing precision required in space structures may make them moresusceptible to mode localization. In this demonstration, the mode localization phenomenon isinvestigated using an existing full scale antenna-like structure having the complexity, manufacturingprecision, and dynamic characteristics of space structures. The actual imperfections were measuredand incorporated in a numerical model of the structure. The impact of several parameters thatprovoke the phenomenon were first studied by numerical simulations, then experimentally. Theresults show excellent agreement, thereby confirming the importance of mode localization in thedesign of actual space structure.