Tip Clearance Control in Conical Active Magnetic Bearing-Driven Centrifugal Compressor System for Surge Suppression Problems

This study presents an advanced active surge controller designed to regulate tip clearance in a high-speed centrifugal compressor by utilizing cone-shaped active magnetic bearings (CAMBs). The CAMBs offer a more optimized geometric structure than traditional AMBs, using conical electromagnets that generate force components in both axial and radial directions. This configuration eliminates the need for a bulky thrust bearing typically required in conventional systems. However, CAMBs inherently introduce coupling elements, which complicate modeling and control strategies. To address this, the paper proposes a co-simulation framework that integrates finite element modeling (FEM) and MATLAB/Simulink. Specifically, Simcenter Magnet FEM captures high-fidelity mechatronic interactions in CAMBs, while Simulink implements control algorithms. This setup enables precise modeling while overcoming control implementation constraints in FEM environments. Three main contributions are highlighted: (1) Implementation of a co-simulation method combining FEM and MATLAB/Simulink, allowing for accurate modeling and real-time control of CAMBs. (2) Evaluation of discrepancies between the mathematical and FEM models, revealing that the mathematical model shows better control performance metrics such as ISE and ITSE under the same control laws. (3) Design and comparison of different controllers, including ADRC and SMC-based ESO. Results show that the SMC-ESO controller achieves superior performance over ADRC, especially when applied to the FEM model.To further improve the system’s tracking accuracy, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied to tune controller parameters. The stability of the closed-loop control system is verified through Lyapunov theory, and the co-simulation outcomes validate the system’s effectiveness and robustness.