Control of an Electrodynamically Levitated Microgravity Platform

Zehra Kartal, Kadir Erkan

This study develops single degree of freedom control of airgap for a microgravity platform based on the principle of induction-based electrodynamic levitation. Using nonlinear levitation force model, relation between disc velocity and airgap is obtained. The nonlinear model of the Halbach array has been linearized using Taylor series expansion and stability analysis are done. Step response of the system examined. PID controller is designed and simulated. To avoid non-minimum phase PI-D and I-PD controllers are designed. PID, PI-D, I-PD controllers designed and simulated using MATLAB Simulink. Each controller’s control signal and states are exemined. Comparing controller designs performances on system model showed that PID and PI-D controllers result non-minimum phase. As a result, I-PD controller design shows better performance and suitable for using on real time experiments.