Pseudo Derivative Feedback (PDF) Control for Performance Improvement in Magnetic Bearing of Reaction Wheels

Reaction wheels play a significant role in the attitude control of a spacecraft. Magnetic bearings-based reaction wheels in space applications offer high reliability, show no wear or abrasion, and can be used in a vacuum environment without the need for lubrication. They show no stiction and have very low rotational losses. Conventionally PD, PID or Lead compensation-based control is used for the magnetic bearing system. It is found that the performance parameters with these types of controllers are marginal in meeting the requirements. In this paper, a Pseudo Derivative Feedback control architecture for the magnetic bearing is studied in detail for possible improvements in the performance compared to conventional schemes. A comparative simulation study is also carried out to see the performance of PDF control. A simulation study regarding the parameter variation has been carried out to ensure the robustness of the proposed scheme.