Abstract:

A new second-order balanced truncation (SOBT) method is presented to obtain the loworder model of large flexible space structures (FSS) which is generally described by second-order linear differential equation. The truncated equation obtained by conventional first-order balanced truncation (FOBT) method, which utilizes the first-order form, destroys the second-order structure and physical meanings of original system. However, the new SOBT method is capable of preserving the second-order structure of the original system, the symmetric and positive properties.

Key words: internal , balanced,  , second-order , system,  , flexible , space , structures,  , close , modes , Gramian , matrix