Propulsion Control of a Small Maglev Train with Linear Synchronous Motors

선형 동기 전동기가 있는 축소형 자기부상열차의 추진 제어

In this paper, the propulsion control of a high-speed maglev train is studied. Electromagnetic suspension is used to levitate the vehicle, and linear synchronous motors (LSM) are used for propulsion. In general, a low-speed maglev train uses a linear induction motor (LIM) for propulsion that is operated under 300[km/h] due to the power-collecting and end-effect problem of LIM. In case of the high-speed maglev train over 500[km/h], a linear synchronous motor (LSM) is more suitable than LIM because of a high-efficiency and high-output properties. An optical barcode positioning system is used to obtain the absolute position of the vehicle due to its wide working distance and ease of installation. However, because the vehicle is working completely contactless, the position measured on the vehicle has to be transmitted to the ground for propulsion control via wireless communication. For this purpose, Bluetooth is used and communication hardware is designed. A propulsion controller using a digital signal processor (DSP) in the ground receives the delayed position information, calculates the required currents, and controls the stator currents through inverters. The performance of the implemented propulsion control is analyzed with a small maglev train which was manufactured for experiments, and the applicability of the high-speed maglev train will be explored.