CAREER: A Mechatronic Framework for Magnetic Suspension Technology

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This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award supports the development of a mechatronic framework for magnetic suspension technology, which has the potential to significantly impact both manufacturing and transportation systems by providing an actuation principle with several attractive advantages: frictionless interaction of moving parts, high precision positioning at high speeds, high resolution and repeatability, and dust-free operation. These systems are virtually maintenance-free because they are not subject to wear, are mechanically simple and easy to assemble and manufacture, and can provide higher accelerations and velocities than other conventional actuator technologies. Several unresolved issues have relegated magnetic suspension technology to a few practical applications. Magnetic servo levitation (SML), the actuation principal based on electromagnetic attractive forces, is inherently unstable, highly nonlinear, and difficult to model and control. This project is devoted to provide the theoretical basis for accurate and robust control of this actuation principle. The proposed approach is an extension of recent experimental results by the investigator that suggest two key elements involved in achieving robust and accurate control of these systems: to minimize the use of approximate electromagnetic relationships, and the use of a novel nonlinear control algorithm that is robust to model uncertainties and does not require the system to be affine in the control input.The technology will be used to develop two applications in areas of broad impact: a multi-DOF high-precision positioning machine for semiconductor manufacturing, and a design test bench for active control of superconductive levitation for transportation systems. Levitated positioning machinery is expected to be the next generation of positioning technology for semiconductor manufacturing. On the other hand, magnetically levitated transportation systems are at the core of technology currently under investigation by NASA to develop spaceport capabilities for the operation of space shuttles. The proposed work will also contribute to develop a framework for analysis and design of a family of nonlinear problems that are nonaffine in the input, such as automotive active suspension systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, etc. Magnetic suspension technology integrates knowledge from several areas: physics, mechanical design, power electronics, control theory, instrumentation, data acquisition and computer programming. This makes it an ideal ground for a novel, interdisciplinary, integrative educational experience for undergraduate and graduate students across several fields: mechanical and electrical engineering, physics and computer engineering. The educational plan of this grant is centered on providing students increasing degrees of competency in knowledge integration by cultivating problem-solving skills in a multidisciplinary environment.