This paper describes a new electromagnetic device for vibration control of a light-weighted deployable/retractable structure which consists of many small units connected with mechanical hinges. A typical example of such a structure is a solar cell paddle of an artificial satellite which is composed of many thin flexible blankets connected in series. Vibration and shape control of the paddle is not easy, because control force and energy do not transmit well between the blankets which are discretely connected by hinges with each other. The new device consists of a permanent magnet glued along an edge of a blanket and an electric current-conducting coil glued along an adjoining edge of another adjacent blanket. Conduction of the electric current in a magnetic field from the magnet generates an electromagnetic force on the coil. By changing the current in the coil, therefore, we may control the vibration and shape of the blankets. To confirm the effectiveness of the new device, constructing a simple paddle model consisting eight hinge- panels, we have carried out a model experiment of vibration and shape control of the paddle. In addition, a numerical simulation of vibration control of the hinge structure is performed to compare with measured data.

Date Published: 5 August 2003
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 5056, Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Smart Structures and Integrated Systems, (5 August 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.483449

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5056:
Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Smart Structures and Integrated Systems
Amr M. Baz, Editor(s)