Concurrent Mechanism and Control Design for the Slewing of Flexible Space Structures

Abstract

An integrated single-step design approach to the synthesis of a mechanical device and an active controller is presented for slew maneuvers of flexible space structures. A mechanical device consists of a noncircular gear pair that acts as a varying gear ratio transmission between an electro-mechanical actuator and a flexible structure. Such a system has been introduced as an analytical application in minimizing flexural vibrations in the slewing maneuver of flexible space structures such as large solar panels and satellites in space. Only a simple regulator-type feedback controller is called for to control this complex electro-mechanical-and-structural system and the purpose is to design this complex system in an integrated procedure to achieve low flexural vibrations of the structure. Numerical simulations of the slewing control tasks for a planar articulated double-beam structure are presented.