Decoupling and adjustment of forces in an electromagnetic guiding system with six degrees of freedom

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the derivation of an adjustment directive for the non-linear and coupled forces of a high-comfort elevator guiding system based on so-called electromagnetic omega-actuators. Design/methodology/approach - The derivation of the adjustment directive contains a coordinate transformation from local forces and torques to global quantities. Findings - It is demonstrated that the derived system is able to operate the guiding system of the elevator car. Measurement results show a well running system in face of several mutual influences on the actuating forces. Practical implications - The results presented offer the opportunity to increase the riding comfort and decrease the deterioration of high-speed elevator systems. It is possible to apply the proposed system to ropeless elevators and to conventional elevator systems as well. Originality/value - The methods developed and proved in this paper grant an effective way to control magnetically levitated systems with complex actuator topologies.