Configuration design and collision avoidance control of an electromagnetic vibration isolation system on satellites considering environmental disturbances

Abstract This paper presents an electromagnetic vibration isolation system (EVIS) that connects the support module (SM) and the payload module (PM) by electromagnetic interaction, where there is no mechanical connection between the two parts to keep the PM free from disturbances while working on orbit. The configuration and the control method of the EVIS are designed to realize vibration isolation, collision avoidance and accurate control for the PM. First, the configuration of the EVIS is presented and the relative motion equations between the SM and the PM including translation and rotation equations are built, considering disturbances from the SM and space environment. Based on the dynamic equations and the collision constraint between the SM and the PM, the control method which realizes collision avoidance and accurate control for relative motion of the two parts is presented. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of this study are validated through numerical simulations.