Drag-Free Control Verification Based on a Combined Ground Simulator

This paper proposes a method to verify the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller of the drag-free control system in space gravitational wave detection based on a ground-based semi-physical drag-free simulator. The ground-based simulator for drag-free simulation is innovatively designed referred to the drag-free satellite with two test masses (TMs). The dynamics scaling laws used for the design of the ground simulator between the space prototype and the ground system are derived by using the Pi theorem. The control scaling laws of LQR are analyzed based on the idea of energy equivalence. The simulation results indicate that the two systems exhibit similar closed-loop dynamic behavior.