Thermally Induced Vibration of a Flexible Plate with Enhanced Active Constrained Layer Damping

When spacecraft execute missions in space, their solar panels—crucial components—often need to be folded, unfolded, and adjusted at an angle. These operations can induce numerous detrimental nonlinear vibrations. This paper addresses the issues of nonlinear and thermal-coupled vibration control within the context of space-based flexible solar panel systems. Utilizing piezoelectric smart hybrid vibration control technology, this study focuses on a flexible plate augmented with an active constrained layer damping. The solar panel, under thermal field conditions, is modeled and simulated using the commercial finite element simulation software ABAQUS. The research examines variations in the modal frequencies and damping properties of the model in response to changes in the coverage location of the piezoelectric patches, their coverage rate, rotational angular velocity, and the thickness of the damping layer. Simulation results indicate that structural damping is more effective when the patches are closer to the rotation axis, the coverage area of the patches is larger, the rotational speed is lower, and the damping layer is thicker. Additionally, the effectiveness of vibration suppression is influenced by the interplay between the material shear modulus, loss factor, and specific working temperature ranges. The selection of appropriate parameters can significantly alter the system’s vibrational characteristics. This work provides necessary technical references for the analysis of thermally induced vibrations in flexible solar sails under complex space conditions.