Vibration damping and robust control of the JPL/AFAL experiment using μ-synthesis

The technology for controlling elastic deformations of flexible structures is one of the key considerations for future space initiatives. A vital area needed to achieve this objective is the development of a control design methodology applicable to future structures. The μ-synthesis technique is employed to design a high-performance vibration attenuation controller for the JPL/AFAL experimental flexible antenna structure. The results presented deal primarily with the control of first two global flexible modes using only two hub actuators and two hub sensors. Implementation of the multivariable control laws based on a finite-element model is presented. All results are from actual implementation on the JPL/AFAL flexible structure testbed