Disturbance-Resilient Position Control of Maglev Systems Using Advanced Sliding Mode Techniques

Magnetic levitation (maglev) systems exhibit strong nonlinearity and intrinsic instability, making them vulnerable to parameter uncertainties and unforeseen external disturbances, especially in demanding environmental conditions. This paper presents a disturbance observer-based control (DOBC) integrated with a higher-order sliding mode (HOSM) controller to enhance the stability and performance of the maglev system. Traditional sliding mode control (SMC) methods often suffer from high-frequency oscillations, known as chattering, and require precise knowledge of system parameters, which may not always be available. To overcome these challenges, the proposed DOBCbased HOSM controller effectively estimates and compensates for disturbances while ensuring robust position tracking. The controller’s performance is evaluated through simulations conducted on a predefined reference trajectory, both in the presence and absence of external disturbances. Comparative analysis with conventional integer-order proportional-integral-derivative (IOPID) and standard HOSM controllers demonstrates the superior disturbance rejection capability and improved tracking accuracy of the proposed approach.