Design of a magnetic levitation system

This thesis describes the analysis, design procedure, and real-time control of a magnetic levitation system. In this thesis, we explore the feasibility of using a new solution to suspend the ball. First a literature review on theoretical background and the development of magnetic levitation is presented. This is followed by the hardware design. In the next chapter, dynamic modeling of the maglev model, from its model identification to its linearization, is described. Then, development of a Matlab simulation model and specification (H/W, S/W) of the real-time digital controller are provided in detail. Experimental data is collected and compared to the theory. We propose a proportional-derivative controller combined to a nonlinear controller, and show that it makes the maglev system stable.