Dynamic modeling of rotating flexible platforms

Many large space structures, such as satellite´s solar energy plates and a space station´s strut platforms, can be modeled as a rotating flexible platform. For the active control of such structures, an accurate dynamic model for rotating flexible platforms is therefore desired. As the first step toward platform control, two sets of dynamic equations for the rotation of flexible platforms are presented. The first one is based on Mindlin´s plate theory, which takes the effect of both rotatory inertia and shear deformation into account, and the second one is based on Kirchhoff´s plate theory, which considers only the effect of rotary inertia. While the Mindlin dynamic model has three unknown distributed functions to solve, the Kirchhoff model has only one. The dynamic models of rotating flexible platforms described can also be considered as the more accurate dynamic models of flexible manipulators