Study on Electromagnetic Levitation System for Ultrathin Flexible Steel Plate Using Magnetic Field from Horizontal Direction

摘要

??In the transport system of a thin-steel-plate production line, the quality of the plate surface deteriorates over time because of contact with rollers. As a solution to this problem, we have proposed the use of electromagnets to control the horizontal displacement of the steel plate. Vertical force to support the steel plate and horizontal force to suppress elastic vibration are applied to the steel plate by using the horizontal electromagnet. Focusing on these forces, we proposed a magnetic levitation system for the steel plate using only electromagnets installed in the horizontal direction. In this paper, the suspension force in the proposed system is analyzed by the finite element method, and the possibility of applying the proposed system for thinner steel plates is considered. Suspension force is effectively generated owing to the thinness of the steel plate. The results, indicate the proposed magnetic levitation system to be effective for thin steel plates. To verify the validity of the analytical conclusion, an electromagnetic suspension experiment has been carried out, and suspension force generated by the electromagnet has been measured. The agreement between the experimental and analytical results, confirmed the validity of the analytical results.