Centralized Robust Control of a 2 MW Drivetrain Supported on Three Radial Magnetic Bearings

Higher power applications such as compressors, turbines, and fans benefit from high-speed electrical machines and elimination of a gear box. Magnetic bearings have been successfully replacing mechanical bearings providing oil-free, reliable, and low-maintenance solutions. Two trends can be observed in recent development of such applications. The first is the maximum integration provided by the application integration to a bearingless motor rotor. The second is the flexibility provided by the AMB rotor driving applications using flexural coupling. Typically, AMB rotors with two radial AMBs and one axial AMB are employed. Three radial AMB planes provide some advantages when facing changeable drivetrain dynamics. Centralized model-based controllers provide a superior performance compared with decentralized PID-based control methods. Here, the design process of the centralized robust control of an AMB rotor with three radial AMB actuators is presented. LQG, H
∞
, and µ-synthesis controllers are analyzed and tested with the multirotor drivetrain. An uncertain plant model is considered. The physical experiment results are presented.