DESIGN, SIMULATION AND IMPLIMENTATION OF AN ACTIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC SEAT-SUSPENSION.

INTRODUCTION Active magnetic levitation using controlled electromagnets is an emerging technology that provides frictionless motion between moving bodies with a very high precision (limited only by measurement of displacement). Electromagnetically-levitated actuators supporting rotating shafts provide low-noise, high-precision bearings for spacecraft actuators, for example reaction and momentum wheels, CMGs and power storage flywheels. Design of electromagnetic actuators and control of these is a challenging problem due to the highly nonlinear relationship between operating current, airgap and suspension force [1].Other interesting applications of magnetic levitation are magnetic levitation for ground transportation, low friction bearings, and levitation melting of conductive metals [2]. The magnetic levitation principle is also used in the design of active magnetic bearings which can be used to reduce frictional losses in moving parts of wind turbines which are now gaining ground as alternative energy sources In the oil industry the results of the research can be applied in the design of bearingless drives which can include motors which are widely used in the industry, and also in pumps. The principles can also be used in the design of magnetic actuators which are applicable in positioning and manipulating devices. In fact the range of applications of the control strategy that would be developed in the thesis is very wide. In this project a proposal is presented for the design of an active electromagnetic suspension system for automobile seats. As a vehicle moves over rough terrain large displacements will be undergone by the vehicle frame and even the seats. Therefore the research will focus on designing and control of suspension systems undergoing large displacements.

MOTIVATION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Transportation of patients in ambulances, especially in developing countries, where road conditions are far from ideal, is sometimes traumatic as the patient is tossed up and down as the ambulance negotiates rough roads. Also the smoothness of a car ride is of prime importance to the majority of car owners. It is unfortunate that notwithstanding the technological advancements that have been recorded in the auto industry, a car ride over rough terrain is far from being perfectly smooth. This may be due to the inherently mechanical nature of automobiles. Passenger comfort (combined with handling and safety) is an ever increasing demand, where everybody expects ever improving comfort and handling from the automotive industry [3]. It would be worthwhile to develop a suspension system for the automobile seat which will eliminate the effects of bumps and potholes in roads. This will greatly increase ride comfort, reduce fatigue and hence help in preventing accidents. A perfectly suspended seat will especially be

useful in ambulances. With a steady vehicle doctors and other health personnel will be able to undertake procedures that would otherwise have to be left until the hospital is arrived at. Therefore the realization of optimal seat suspension will help increase ride comfort, reduce fatigue, prevent accidents and even reduce deaths from automobile accidents. Magnetic suspension systems have been developed for vibration isolation, but the maximum airgap distance over which control needs to be applied is usually small. Therefore it would not be feasible to use the same approach for car seat suspension where a large airgap separation is expected. In this project the use of large airgaps will be investigated. AIM AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this project is to develop an active electromagnetic seat suspension system for road vehicles to respond to variations in the road terrain. A permanent magnet will be used to suspend the seat and any expected weight. This is to minimize the large electric power that will be needed if the seat is to be levitated by electromagnets only. The electromagnets will then be used only for stabilization. Large airgaps cannot be used because of the high magnetic reluctance of the air medium which will require huge power usage. Also the current-magnetic flux relationship becomes quite nonlinear. In this project large airgaps will be used, but the problem of the high reluctance in the airgap will have to be tackled. An important aspect of this project is to investigate the use of powdered low reluctance materials in a liquid or gas suspension. It is hoped that this will allow greater movement of suspended seat as well as lower power requirement. After the preliminary investigations have shown a feasible solution, the whole suspension system will be modeled, where appropriate using finite element techniques. The system is expected to be quite nonlinear, therefore the controller to be developed for the system is expected to be a fuzzy controller. Fuzzy control is a practical alternative for a variety of challenging control applications since it provides a convenient method for constructing nonlinear controllers via the use heuristic information [4]. The system model and the controller will then be simulated using the Simulink software. A prototype system will then be developed and the controller will be implemented using an appropriate microcontroller.

METHODOLOGY

1. Develop a preliminary model of the suspension system.

2. Design the permanent magnet suspension system. 3. Design the electromagnetic active suspension system. 4. In no.3 various airgap fillers will be studied and an optimal one will be choosen. 5. Derive a full model of the overall system. 6. Develop an appropriate fuzzy controller for the system. 7. Build the overall test system.

REFERENCES

1. http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/SSC/prospective/topics. 2. Marc T. Thompson, Electrodynamic Magnetic Suspension-Models, Scaling Laws, and Experimental Results, IEEE Transactions on Education, Vol.43, No.3, August 2000. 3. Bart L.J. Gysen, Johannes J.H. Paulides. Jeroen L.G. Janssen, and Elena A. Lomonova, Active Electromagnetic suspension System for improved Vehicle Dynamics, IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC), September 3-5, 2008, Harbin, China. 4. Passino, Kevin M., Fuzzy Control, 1998 Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.