Hybrid Nonlinear Passivity-Based Control Approach to Magnetic-Impulsive Spacecraft Attitude Regulation

Abstract

This paper proposes two novel passivity-based control design frameworks for hybrid nonlinear time-varying dynamical systems involving an interacting amalgam of continuous-time and discrete-time dynamics whose dynamical properties evolve periodically over time. In this regard, the hybrid Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov conditions are employed in tandem with the passivity theorem to construct a three-step control design algorithm to render closed-loop dynamics stable. The proposed control architectures are subsequently exploited to regulate the attitude motion of spacecraft with magnetic and impulsive modes of operation. Practical considerations involved in implementing the proposed hybrid algorithms are then discussed in detail. Simulation results show significant improvement in the performance of the attitude control system in terms of system response, robustness, and the required magnetic and impulsive control usage as compared to a hybrid linear approach.