Numerical Study for Zero-Power Maglev System Inspired by Undergraduate Project Kits

The single-axis maglev system is increasingly popular as undergraduate project kits over the recent years. Though it is simple and instructive, the large current in the electromagnet leads to the overheating problem. In order to enhance the energy-saving performance as well as the controller performance, this work compares three geometric modifications on the iron core, the upper permanent magnet and the floating permanent magnet for the maglev system. Four target cases are defined to incorporate the geometric modifications and are solved numerically. Moreover, the numerical solutions are carefully analyzed in terms of the zero-power force, the controller-gain requirement and the saturation current. Consequently, two approaches, i.e., extending the iron core and enlarging the floating magnet, can improve both the zero-power force and the controller-gain requirement and are highly recommended for the zero-power maglev system. On the contrary, though the upper magnet can improve the zero-power force, it significantly raises the controller-gain requirement and accelerates the saturation of the iron core.