Controller Design of High-Speed Maglev Train Guidance System

The guidance system of the high-speed maglev train enables the vehicle to realize non-contact guidance on the operating line. The guidance system provides the lateral force paralleling to align the vehicle centerline with the track centerline. By adjusting the current magnitude of the excitation coils in the guidance electromagnets, the magnitude of the guidance forces of the guidance system can be tuned so that the functional surfaces of both levitation and guidance electromagnets can maintain a certain gap from the functional surfaces of the track. In this chapter, by adoption of the nominal state, a joint structure-based mathematical model and a mathematical model of the guidance system under the consideration of disturbances and faults are established respectively. Then, the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal control method is applied to design the nominal controller. A robust controller is proposed to guarantee good dynamic performance when the guidance system is disturbed by external disturbances. Finally, an experimental platform of the guidance system is set up and the performance test of the guidance control is carried out to verify the effectiveness of the designed guidance control algorithm.