An Integrated Analytical/Numerical Framework for Verification and Validation of Attitude Control Systems for Flexible Satellites

摘要

Modern geostationary telecommunication satellites typically employ large antenna and solar arrays which can generate flexible modes close to the bandwidth of the attitude control system. Combined with uncertainties in mass and inertias and effects such as fuel sloshing in large tanks without membranes, such dynamics represent a particular problem for accurate attitude control. This paper describes a framework for assessing the effects of these uncertain dynamics on the stability and performance of attitude control systems, using a combination of analytical and numerical tools. We develop detailed Linear Fractional Transformation (LFT)-based models of the uncertainties present in a modern telecom satellite and apply μ-analysis to these models in order to generate robustness guarantees. We validate these models and results by cross-checking them against worst-case analysis results produced by global optimisation algorithms applied to the original system model. The proposed integrated analyticalumerical framework is shown to provide more reliable results, and to be significantly more efficient, than standard Monte-Carlo simulations.