Control of chaotic instability in a dual-spin spacecraft with dissipation using energy methods (Q1610800)

A dual-spin spacecraft is treated in the paper as a mechanical system, consisting of an axisymmetric rotor attached to an asymmetric platform that contains an axial nutational damper, modelled as a spring-mass-dashpot. The system is subjected to a torque \(T_r=T_E+T_C\), applied to the rotor bearing and composed of an excitational time varying moment \(T_E\) and a control torque \(T_C\). It was found by the authors earlier, [Nonlinear Dyn. 17, No. 3, 269--284 (1998; Zbl 0943.70019)] that under \(T_C=0\) a sinusoidal torque \(T_E\) induces the chaotic instability, which shows itself as an irregular nutation motion. So, a control method is designed, based on energy sink approximation, which ensures the nutational stability and thus suppresses chaotic vibrations. Its effectiveness is then confirmed numerically.