Exact boundary controllability results for a multilayer Rao-Nakra sandwich beam

Abstract: We study the boundary controllability problem for a multilayer Rao-Nakra sandwich beam. This beam model consists of a Rayleigh beam coupled with a number of wave equations. We consider all combinations of clamped and hinged boundary conditions with the control applied to either the moment or the rotation angle at an end of the beam. We prove that exact controllability holds provided the damping parameter is sufficiently small. In the undamped case, exact controllability holds without any restriction on the parameters in the system. In each case, optimal control time is obtained in the space of optimal regularity for $L^2(0,T)$ controls. A key step in the proof of our main result is the proof of uniqueness of the zero solution of the eigensystem with the homogeneous boundary conditions together with zero boundary observation.