Monitoring of a controlled space flexible multibody by means of embedded piezoelectric sensors and cameras synergy

Interaction between elastic dynamics and attitude control is a serious problem in space operations, which often involve satellites with highly flexible appendages. Monitoring and eventually control of the vibrations are a major concern to avoid a decrease in the expected performance. In particular, the classic case of a central bus with two lateral appendages (solar panels) is considered. The design of a system for structural vibration monitoring is proposed both from a numerical and an experimental point of view. Piezoelectric devices are a usual solution for measuring the deformation of the structures. In the proposed work, optical sensors are also implemented: the combined use of the two sets allows for the monitoring of the elastic displacement of the solar panels and for the reconstruction of the modal shapes of the entire flexible multibody system.