Lateral vibration control of a low-speed maglev vehicle in cross winds

This paper presents a framework of nonlinear dynamic analysis of a low-speed moving maglev (magnetically levitated) vehicle subjected to cross winds and controlled using a clipped-LQR actuator with time delay compensation. A four degrees-of-freedom (4-DOFs) maglev-vehicle equipped with an onboard PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller traveling over guideway girders was developed to regulate the electric current and control voltage. With this maglev-vehicle/guideway model, dynamic interaction analysis of a low-speed maglev vehicle with guideway girders was conducted using an iterative approach. Considering the time-delay issue of unsynchronized tuning forces in control process, a clipped-LQR actuator with time-delay compensation is developed to improve control effectiveness of lateral vibration of the running maglev vehicle in cross winds. Numerical simulations demonstrate that although the lateral response of the maglev vehicle moving in cross winds would be amplified significantly, the present clipped-LQR controller exhibits its control performance in suppressing the lateral vibration of the vehicle.