Robust output tracking control of a linear brushless DC motor with time-varying disturbances

Robust output tracking control of a linear brushless DC motor for transportation within a manufacturing system is presented. System identification for a linear motor with a driver is performed by a dynamic signal analyser, thus providing a linearised model for the motor. External disturbances corrupting the driver and modelling uncertainties due to payload variations and identification errors are considered. A tracking control scheme with a guaranteed H_∞ tracking performance is proposed. It is shown that a state feedback control law achieving the desired objective can be obtained by solving a Riccati matrix equation. Computer simulation and experimental implementation are completed and compared. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme for output tracking control of the linear brushless DC motor, and also confirm the feasibility of its implementation in industrial applications.