Fuzzy Logic Controller vs PID Controller for Real Time Magnetic Levitation System

This paper is written with the aim of introducing an original approach to implementing the Fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for a Feedback Magnetic Levitation system in real time while comparing its' performance with the Feedback Magnetic Levitation system's PID controller in real time for step input, sine wave and square wave. In order to achieve the objective of suspending a steel spherical ball by means of a magnetic field, a magnetic levitation system (Maglev) has been studied as a case study. The magnetic field serves to counteract the force of gravity and further allows the application of a controlled disturbance that permits the movement of the sphere along a predetermined trajectory. The FLC has been implemented here by the use of the MATLAB Simulink. Real time results reveals that the FLC system is more stable for controlling maglev system since it has a very low steady-state error than PID for all types of step input and dynamically varying sine and square wave inputs. Despite this, FLC had a higher overshoot compared to the PID.