Singular perturbation adaptive control and vibration suppression of free-flying flexible space manipulators

Abstract

Singular perturbation adaptive control is designed for free-flying space manipulators with multiple flexible links and unknown physical parameters. The dynamical Lagrange equation was established based on assumed mode technique and linear momentum conservation theory. A singular perturbation model has been formulated and used for designing a reduced-order controller. This controller consisted of a slow control component and a fast control component. An adaptive control law was constructed for the slow counterpart of the flexible manipulator. The flexible-link fast subsystem controller would damp out the vibrations of flexible links by optimal linear quadratic regulator method. Numerical simulations by undertaking a computer simulation of a two-flexible-link space manipulator using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta integration method showed that the link vibrations had been stabilized effectively with good tracking performance.