Reluctance Control Magnetic Suspension System--Suspension System with Permanent Magnet and Linear Actuator.

A new type of magnetic suspension system is proposed which uses a permanent magnet. In this system. the attractive force is adjusted by controlling the reluctance of the magnetic circuit. Since no electromagnet is necessary, this system is effective for saving energy and avoiding heat generation. The composition of this paper is as follows. First, the principle of this suspension system is explained and various types of magnetic circuits are introduced for reluctance control. Second, the possibility of one of them is examined from the viewpoint of linear control theory. Third, an experimental device is developed based on the proposed suspension method. The reluctance of this device is controlled by the air gap which is between the magnet and the suspended object, and which is adjusted by driving a permanent magnet by piezoelectric actuator. Experimental results support the theoretical predictions well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]