Experimental measurement of passive material and structural damping for flexible space structures

Among the design objectives for large space structures are the maintenance of tight dimensional tolerance and the reduction of settling time after disturbance input. Two options are under consideration for the design of flexible structures to meet these objectives, including an active control option and a passive control option. In connection with both options, it is necessary to include material and structural damping in the design. A description is presented of the results of an experimental investigation of the damping of metallic and fibrous composite materials, taking into account also the analytical modeling and experimental verification of frictional damping schemes. To demonstrate how material and frictional damping can be combined, a simple structural optimization is performed, indicating the potential for significant savings in mass by the addition of frictional dampers.