Fuzzy attitude control of solar sail via linear matrix inequalities

This study presents a fuzzy tracking controller based on the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model of the solar sail. First, the T-S fuzzy model is constructed by linearizing the existing nonlinear equations of motion of the solar sail. Then, the T-S fuzzy model is used to derive the state feedback controller gains for the Twin Parallel Distributed Compensation (TPDC) technique. The TPDC tracks and stabilizes the attitude of the solar sail to any desired state in the presence of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances while satisfying actuator constraints. The performance of the TPDC is compared to a PID controller that is tuned using the Ziegler-Nichols method. Numerical simulation shows the TPDC outperforms the PID controller when stabilizing the solar sail to a desired state. •A nonlinear solar sail model is approximated by a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model.•Model following is achieved using Twin Parallel Distributed Compensation (TPDC).•Control input constraints were considered in designing the TPDC.•The TPDC controller outperforms a PID controller tuned using Ziegler-Nichols.•The TPDC controller is robust to model uncertainties in moments of inertia.