Low-Velocity Impacts on PVDF Targets Using a Light Gas Gun

TL;DR

This paper investigates the response of PVDF sensors to low-velocity impacts using a light gas gun, aiming to improve in-situ space debris detection capabilities for spacecraft safety.

Contribution

It presents experimental data on PVDF sensor performance under low-velocity impact conditions relevant to space debris monitoring.

Findings

PVDF sensors effectively detect low-velocity impacts.

Sensor response correlates with impact velocity and energy.

Results support PVDF's suitability for space debris sensing applications.

Abstract

Orbital debris is a constraint on the long-term health of any spacecraft and must be consi-dered during mission planning. Varying mechanisms have been proposed to quantify the problem. Accurate in-situ data is essential with various types of sensors designed to detect orbital debris impacts employed on space missions since the 1950's [1]. The earliest of these was the PZT (piezoelectric lead zirconate tita-nate) sensor which was often used in-situ to measure the momentum of a particle at the time of impact. More recently, PVDF (Polyvinylidene fluoride) [2] has been employed as it exhibits piezoelectric capabilities along with the advantages of ruggedness, no bias re-quirement, ease of large area sensor construction, high counting rate capability, and space reliability, making it an ideal space debris sensor. Its large sensing sur-face area and ease of integration into a PZT sensor system makes it a desirable element in any in-situ space debris sensor.