Root Locus-Based Magnetic Levitation System Stabilization: An Undergraduate Control System Design Approach

The subject of control system design has evolved considerably over the years. Although several design techniques and strategies have been adopted to realize control systems that meet a predetermined set of performance criteria, the fundamental problem remains that of developing controllers to adjust the performance characteristics of a dynamic system in order to obtain a desired output behavior. The dynamic behavior of a magnetic levitation system (MLS) of a ferromagnetic ball is compensated in this paper. Consolidating the exposure of undergraduate students to the rudiments of control system design, the paper employs the classical root locus technique to stabilize the system. A combination of analytical and software-based methods is used to design proportional-derivative and phase-lead compensators based on the linearized model of the system. Complete details of the design approach, from modeling and analysis of the plant to computing the values of the controller parameters, are shown. MATLAB scripts for plotting root loci and simulating the system are provided