Globally stabilizing controllers for flexible multibody systems

Global asymptotic stability of nonlinear multibody flexible space structures under static dissipative compensation is established. The stability is shown to be robust to certain actuator and sensor nonlinearities, modeling error, and parametric uncertainty. The results are applicable to a wide class of systems, including large flexible space structures with articulated flexible appendages, which are classified as Class II/IV structures by NASA´s Controls-Structures Interaction program. The stability proof uses the Lyapunov approach and exploits the inherent passivity of such systems