Design and Development of a Digitally Controlled Magnetic Levitation System

Abstract

In this project the study and the design of a magnetic levitation control system has been developed. The magnetic system that is studied in this project consist on an electromagnet which has been coiled with cupper wire making a winding and a levitating object with spherical (ball) shape and made of a ferromagnetic material. To be able to make the ball levitate, a control system is required. A sensor is needed to measure the location of the levitated object. A solar cell is used as a sensor, which works together with a LED light emitter. The location of the ball will be related with the output voltage of the sensor. The sensor provides a microcontroller the information of the measurements. The microcontroller, based on a Proportional Derivative (PD) control strategy, calculates the current or the voltage that has to be applied to the electromagnet in order to maintain the ball levitating. Arduino is used as a microcontroller. Simulation tools based on the model of the system are used in order to study and get information about the behaviour of the system. MATLAB Simulink has been used as a simulation software.