Magnetic Levitation Apparatus

The apparatus, the ECP model 730 includes laser feedback and high flux magnetics to affect large displacements and provide visually stimulating tracking and regulation demonstrations in real-time experiments. The system can be set up in open loop stable and unstable (repulsive and attractive fields) configurations that allow to study MIMO control applications.The field interaction between the two magnets causes strong cross coupling and thus produces a true multi-variable system.

Challenges with the plant include magnetic field nonlinearities if not inverted via provided real-time algorithms. Based on a simplified model obtained via linearization about a moving operating point linear controller design is applicable.

Export of Matlab/Simulink code to a real-time target provides rapid prototyping capabilities and allows actual hardware-in-the-loop evaluation of control algorithms.

The setup is suitable for a variety of different control methods as well as different system identification approaches. Further, the magnetic levitation apparatus is also used to teach LQG controller design in the practical course Control Lab.