Sliding mode control of flexible structures and its application to a spacecraft model

In this study, a new Sliding Mode Control (SMC) method is proposed for a class of nonlinear systems. The SMC method is based on linear time varying approximations of the nonlinear system. By using the linear time varying system models, the sliding surface and SMC are designed. Hence, the sliding surface and SMC design problem for a class of nonlinear systems is transformed to an easier problem which is the sliding surface and SMC design problem for recursive linear time varying system models. The convergence conditions of the method are given and the stability analysis of the SMC for linear time varying system models is performed. The suggested method is then applied to a spacecraft model with flexible solar panels to stabilize the spacecraft attitude. The designed SMC also suppresses the vibrations on the solar panels. Key Words : Sliding Mode Control, Nonlinear Control, Design of Sliding Surface, Flexible Structures, Vibration Suppression