Control of an Active Magnetic Bearing System Using the Transputer

Transputers with their parallel computing ability offer the prospect of using complex and/or computer intensive algorithms for real time control of magnetic bearings. The design of such a controller is presented from a control point of view. with supporting experimental results; though only relatively simple PID control has been investigated to date. Transputers. programmed with the parallel language Occam also allow a flexible approach to control system design and implementation. The magnetic bearings levitate a pump shaft 2 meters long. weighing J J 0 kg, and driven by an induction motor capable of spinning at variable speeds of up to 3000 rpm. The experimental results demonstrate that this bearing system is stable when the shaft is run through its two critical speeds.