Design of a MIMO Levitation Controller for Maglev Transportation System

Abstract

In this paper, the levitation control method of a MIMO Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) transportation system with 3-DOF is presented. Fluctuations of magnetic poles cause the Maglev system to become critically unstable. We propose a design method of the MIMO Maglev controller based on SISO Maglev control technology to correct the suspension and compensate for the effect of rotational motions. In addition, a force loop controller is designed for placement in front of each sub-controller of an electromagnet for stability improvement. The proposed control method is evaluated using simulations and real experiments using the developed Maglev transportation system.