Tracking arbitrary free nutating trajectories of the Lagrange top using Floquet theory: linear feedback approach

We consider the problem of tracking arbitrary free nutating trajectories of the Lagrange top using linear feedback. The equations of motion of the top are linearised about the desired trajectories. Due to the inherent symmetries, this yields a system of linear equations with periodically varying coefficients governing the error dynamics. It is shown that the higher-order dynamics of the Lagrange top leads to nuances in the implementation of the control. Two different control strategies are implemented in the present work. These are applicable for impulsive and short-duration disturbances, respectively. The control effort is in the form of a body-fixed torque input about the symmetry axis and a vertical space-fixed force input. In both the proposed control strategies, the iterative application of the control effort over multiple periods is shown to stabilise the error. These strategies are shown to work for significantly large errors.