Title: Design, modelling, setup fabrication and control of a levitation system for a steel plate

Authors: Janardan Kundu; Vinod Kumar Yadav

Addresses: Department of Electrical Engineering, Bikaner Technical University, Karni Industrial Area, Pugal Road, Bikaner, Rajasthan-334004, India ' Department of Electrical Engineering, MNIT Jaipur, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, Jhalana Gram, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan-302017, India

Abstract: This paper presents the elementary design, electromagnetic (EM) analysis, system modelling, controller design and fabrication of an electromagnetic levitation setup. The parameters are being evaluated by conventional analytical method and verified by experimental and FE-based results. The finite element (FE) model has been developed using standard software packages. Pohl's method is extended for the analytical results. The analytically evaluated results are verified with experimental results too. Controllers have been designed by classical control system methods. Parameter uncertainty and robustness issues have been considered carefully. Analogue controllers have been designed, analysed and implemented for the system. Their performances have been simulated and these are practically tested. Finally, the plate has been successfully levitated at an operating gap of 8 mm.

Keywords: modelling; controller design; system dynamics; restoring force; robustness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2023.133978

International Journal of Automation and Control, 2023 Vol.17 No.5, pp.529 - 550

Received: 07 Sep 2022
Accepted: 28 Dec 2022
Published online: 09 Oct 2023 *

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