PASSIVE DAMPING OF SPACE STRUCTURES

THE SCENARIOS FOR MANY LARGE SPACE SYSTEMS WILL REQUIRE THAT, FOR THEIR SUCCESS, THE EFFECTS OF STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS BE REDUCED. PASSIVE DAMPING IS AN EXCELLENT MEANS OF SUPPRESSING UNDESIRED STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS. DISCRETE DAMPERS ARE ESPECIALLY WELL SUITED FOR DAMPING LARGE STRUCTURES WHICH ARE CHARACTERIZED BY LOW, HIGHLY DISTRIBUTED MODAL STRAIN ENERGY, E.G., A LARGE SPACE-BASED PLATFORM OR TRUSS. DISCRETE DAMPERS MAY TAKE THE FORM OF LINK DAMPERS, DAMPED JOINTS, OR TUNED-MASS DAMPERS. EACH OF THESE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE PASSIVE DAMPING OF SPACE STRUCTURES. THE PROPOSED EFFORT IS DIRECTED TOWARDS ADVANCING THE STATE OF THE ART IN PASSIVE DAMPING OF SPACE STRUTURES BY DEVELOPING DAMPED JOINTS AND LINK DAMPERS. THERMAL CONTROL FOR THE VISCOELASTIC MATERIAL WILL BE DEVELOPED SO THAT THESE DAMPING DEVICES CAN BE EMPLOYED IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT IS WIDELY CHANGING. SINCE ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF VISCOELASTIC MATERIAL IS USED, VERY LITTLE POWER WILL BE REQUIRED. THE CAPABILITY FOR DESIGN AND PREDICTION OF DAMPING OF THESE PASSIVELY DAMPED COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS WILL ALSO BE EXPANDED AND IMPROVED.