Design and Control of Passive Carrier Type Maglev Transfer System in Consideration of Levitation Electromagnet Interval

A stable transfer system needs to be developed because instability of transfer system display panel equipment can result in defective products. Maglev transfer systems facilitate non-contact conveyance, thus reducing the frequency of defective products and improving productivity. Levitation electromagnets, which generate attractive forces, are discontinuously arranged due to spatial and economic limitations. The placement interval of the levitation electromagnet warrants closer consideration because it is an important factor that may affect the design and control of the system. The purpose of this investigation is to study the design and control of a maglev transfer system according to the placement interval of levitation electromagnets. The paper details both design of the levitation electromagnet and the electromagnetic analysis of the effect of levitation force on the system. The controller was designed with consideration of the levitation electromagnet interval, and this was applied to the dynamic analysis model. The 400 kg passive carrier type maglev transfer system was analyzed to compare the levitation gap, carrier pitch angle, and carrier center displacement. Experimentally verified results confirm that a configuration of a total of 14 levitation electromagnets with 200 mm spacing is superior to a configuration of 12 levitation electromagnets with 230 mm spacing in terms of levitation stability.