Design and implementation of an electromagnetic levitation system for active magnetic bearing wheels

In this study, an electromagnetic levitation system is developed as a prototype for developing active magnetic bearing wheels. The main mechanical parts of the electromagnetic levitation system consists of a rotor, a shaft, a cover and a base. A meaningful electromagnetic force, which is the minimal norm solution to an equation associated with the force and torques of the electromagnetic levitation system, is derived by using the singular value decomposition. A control system using the proportional-integral-derivative controller is developed to levitate the rotor at a target position against the force of gravity and regulate the two gimbal angles of the rotor. The numerical simulation and experimental results on the control of the electromagnetic levitation system are given to demonstrate the validity of the control design presented in this study.