Active vibration control of smart lightweight composite structures for a small flexible satellite

Micro/nanosatellites have increasingly been assigned demanding tasks, including tele-communication and universe observation. Even for such small platforms, the interaction between rigid and flexible dynamics - e.g., related to deployed solar panels or antennas - can result in significant elastic disturbances affecting the system pointing accuracy and stability, especially when performing agile attitude manoeuvres. Active Vibration Control (AVC) emerges as a promising solution to mitigate such effects and to ensure mission success, with piezoelectric actuators/sensors that can be installed to suppress unwanted flexible oscillations. Currently, these devices must interact with various passive structures, including innovative materials like thermoplastic composites, which offer several advantages over traditional options. This paper investigates the application of a piezoelectric-based vibration control system on an innovative lightweight thermoplastic composite. Numerical and experimental investigations are conducted to assess the thermoplastic material's properties. An equivalent orthotropic shell laminate is then developed to enable the finite element modelling of a solar panel with integrated smart actuators and sensors. Finally, the efficiency of the AVC system is evaluated during simulated attitude manoeuvres.