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Actuators
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Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition
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Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuators for Surface Vehicles".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 3729

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Junqi Xu

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Guest Editor
National Maglev Transportation Engineering R&D Center, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Interests: maglev train levitation control technology; intelligent control technology; maglev train track dynamics; stability and stability theory of high-speed maglev trains
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhiqiang Long

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Guest Editor
College of Intelligence Science and Technology, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Interests: maglev train technology; maglev bearing technology; maglev control technology; fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control; electromechanical system safety control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jin Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Interests: magnetic levitation technology; rotating machinery; electromechanical system control; vibration control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Feng Sun

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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang 110870, China
Interests: magnetic levitation technology; magnetic bearings; magnetic actuators applications; active vehicle suspension using magnetic actuators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Chunfa Zhao

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
Interests: maglev transit; rail vehicle dynamics; railway track dynamics
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Dr. Yougang Sun

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Guest Editor
Institute of Rail Transit, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Interests: maglev vehicle dynamics; nonlinear control and intelligent monitoring; under-actuated robot; electromechanical system control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Magnetic actuators are actuators which use magnetic force or Lorentz force, and are extensively utilized in industry, defense, aviation, aerospace, and daily life. Magnetic actuators integrate electromagnetism, electronic technology, superconducting and cryogenic technology, control engineering, signal processing, mechanics, and dynamics. They have attracted extensive attention from scholars both nationally and internationally, thus representing a research hotspot in related fields. In order to overcome the basic scientific and technical problems related to magnetic actuators and compile recent research regarding magnetic actuators and vibration control, this Special Issue of Actuators, entitled "Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition", aims to address the use of actuators that employ magnetic force or Lorentz force.

Following the success of the first two volumes of this Special Issue, we have decided to broaden the scope and compile a third volume for the publication of all types of manuscripts (reviews, perspectives, and research papers).

This Special Issue also cooperates with the 13th Chinese Symposium on Magnetic Levitation Technology and Vibration Control (https://csve.kejie.org.cn/meeting/MLVC13/), held on 15 August 2025–18 August 2025, Qingdao, China. Authors of high-quality papers related to this Special Issue and resented at the conference are invited to submit extended versions of their work to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Junqi Xu
Prof. Dr. Zhiqiang Long
Prof. Dr. Jin Zhou
Prof. Dr. Feng Sun
Prof. Dr. Chunfa Zhao
Dr. Yougang Sun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • magnetic bearing
  • maglev train
  • magnetic suspension
  • suspension control
  • new maglev technology
  • new applications of maglev technology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4144 KB  
Article
Static Performance Analysis and Optimization of High-Speed Solenoids Integrated with Permanent Magnets and Annular Flanges
by Peng Liu, Wenwen Quan, Jiecheng Wang and Zhida Gao
Actuators 2026, 15(3), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15030172 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 302
Abstract
To enhance the performance of high-speed solenoids (HSSs) in control systems, two improved structural designs incorporating a permanent magnet (PM) and an annular flange (AF) are proposed based on the parallel magnetic circuit principle. Their static electromagnetism performances were thoroughly investigated by the [...] Read more.
To enhance the performance of high-speed solenoids (HSSs) in control systems, two improved structural designs incorporating a permanent magnet (PM) and an annular flange (AF) are proposed based on the parallel magnetic circuit principle. Their static electromagnetism performances were thoroughly investigated by the finite element method. Furthermore, multi-objective optimization combined with the response surface method and NSGA-II was carried out. The results indicate that the electromagnetic energy conversion efficiency and electromagnetic force of HSSs can be promoted by applying a PM and an AF: for the first improvement design just employing a PM, increasing the PM height improves energy conversion efficiency and mitigates magnetic saturation within the main pole, and for the second improvement design employing both a PM and an AF, the electromagnetic energy conversion efficiency and electromagnetic force of HSS can be further promoted. In the end, based on the Pareto optimal solution set, the optimized design increases the net electromagnetic force by 18.8% and reduces the peak current by 18.8%. This is the result of applying the optimization scheme, which is beneficial for increasing the dynamic response speed of the HSS valve and reduce its energy loss. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition)
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18 pages, 4743 KB  
Article
Reinforcement Learning-Based Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Control for Maglev Guidance System
by Junqi Xu, Wenshuo Wang, Chen Chen, Lijun Rong, Wen Ji and Zijian Guo
Actuators 2026, 15(3), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15030147 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 405
Abstract
The high-speed Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) maglev guidance system exhibits inherent characteristics of strong nonlinearity, parameter time-variation, and complex external disturbances. To further optimize and improve the control performance of the guidance system for high-speed maglev trains, a novel intelligent control strategy that integrates [...] Read more.
The high-speed Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) maglev guidance system exhibits inherent characteristics of strong nonlinearity, parameter time-variation, and complex external disturbances. To further optimize and improve the control performance of the guidance system for high-speed maglev trains, a novel intelligent control strategy that integrates the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm with Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Control (STSMC) is proposed. Focusing on a single-ended guidance unit with differential control of dual electromagnets, an STSMC controller is first designed based on a cascaded control framework. To overcome the limitation of offline parameter tuning in dynamic operational conditions, a reinforcement learning optimization framework employing DDPG is introduced. A multi-objective hybrid reward function is formulated, incorporating error convergence, sliding mode stability, and chattering suppression, thereby realizing the online self-tuning of core STSMC parameters via real-time interaction between the agent and the environment. Numerical simulations under typical disturbance conditions verify that the proposed DDPG-STSMC controller significantly reduces the amplitude of guidance gap variation and accelerates dynamic recovery compared to conventional PID control. Its superior performance in disturbance rejection, control accuracy, and operational adaptability is validated. This study, conducted through high-fidelity numerical simulations based on actual system parameters, provides a robust theoretical foundation for subsequent hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experimentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition)
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25 pages, 2116 KB  
Article
Structural Design and Modeling Analysis of an Active Magnetic Levitation Vibration Isolation System
by Chunhui Dai, Cuicui Huang, Xinyu Liu and Xiaolong Li
Actuators 2026, 15(2), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15020120 - 14 Feb 2026
Viewed by 529
Abstract
This paper addresses the stringent requirements of high-precision equipment for broadband, contactless active vibration isolation by tackling three key research gaps: the lack of an integrated design deeply coupling vertical and lateral subsystems, the absence of explicit characterization of the base-to-load vibration transmission [...] Read more.
This paper addresses the stringent requirements of high-precision equipment for broadband, contactless active vibration isolation by tackling three key research gaps: the lack of an integrated design deeply coupling vertical and lateral subsystems, the absence of explicit characterization of the base-to-load vibration transmission chain in dynamic models, and the disconnect between theory and application due to spatial sensor–actuator mismatch. To bridge these gaps, a novel five-degree-of-freedom active magnetic levitation vibration isolation system is proposed. Its core contributions are threefold. First, an electromagnetic-structure co-design method based on the equal magnetic reluctance principle is introduced, enabling a globally optimized, integrated actuator layout that maximizes force density within spatial constraints. Second, a dynamic model incorporating explicit base kinematic excitation is established, clearly revealing the complete physical mechanism of vibration transmission through the suspension gap and providing an accurate foundation for model-based control. Third, a coordinate reconstruction control model is constructed, which transforms the ideal center-of-mass-based dynamics into a design model using only measurable gap signals via systematic coordinate transformations, thereby fundamentally eliminating control deviations from physical spatial mismatch. This work provides a comprehensive theoretical framework and solution for next-generation high-performance active vibration isolation platforms, encompassing integrated design, precise modeling, and engineering implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition)
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18 pages, 7224 KB  
Article
An Adaptive Harmonics Suppression Strategy Using a Proportional Multi-Resonant Controller Based on Generalized Frequency Selector for PMSM
by Kun Zeng, Yawei Zheng, Yuanping Xu, Qingli Gao and Jin Zhou
Actuators 2026, 15(2), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15020076 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 443
Abstract
In permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive systems, the nonlinearity of the inverter and non-sinusoidal nature of back EMF generate harmonics in the stator current, resulting in torque ripple and reduced motor efficiency. Although the proportional resonant (PR) controller is widely employed for [...] Read more.
In permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive systems, the nonlinearity of the inverter and non-sinusoidal nature of back EMF generate harmonics in the stator current, resulting in torque ripple and reduced motor efficiency. Although the proportional resonant (PR) controller is widely employed for harmonic suppression, the standard resonant controller is constrained by its narrow bandwidth and can only suppress a single harmonic order. To address these issues, an adaptive harmonic suppression strategy using a proportional multi-resonant (PMR) controller based on the generalized frequency selector (GFS) is proposed. Firstly, the sources and characteristics of the stator current harmonics were analyzed based on the mathematical model of PMSM. Subsequently, a proportional resonance controller was designed according to the tracking filtering characteristics of the GFS, and a proportional multi-resonance controller targeting multi-order harmonics was constructed. The stability of the current closed-loop system under the algorithm was analyzed. Finally, simulation and experimental results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm effectively suppressed current harmonics and significantly improved the current waveform. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition)
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19 pages, 2211 KB  
Article
Design and Implementation of Decoupling Controllers for Vertical Suspension System of Magnetic Suspension and Balance System
by Xu Zhou, Wentao Xia, Fengshan Dou and Zhiqiang Long
Actuators 2025, 14(10), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14100501 - 16 Oct 2025
Viewed by 700
Abstract
The Magnetic Suspension Balance System (MSBS) serves as a core apparatus for interference-free aerodynamic testing in wind tunnels, where its high-precision levitation control performance directly determines the reliability of aerodynamic force measurements. This paper addresses the strong coupling issues induced by rigid-body motion [...] Read more.
The Magnetic Suspension Balance System (MSBS) serves as a core apparatus for interference-free aerodynamic testing in wind tunnels, where its high-precision levitation control performance directly determines the reliability of aerodynamic force measurements. This paper addresses the strong coupling issues induced by rigid-body motion in the MSBS vertical suspension system and proposes a decoupling control framework integrating classical decoupling methods with geometric feature transformation. First, a nonlinear dynamic model of the six-degree-of-freedom MSBS is established. Through linearization analysis of the vertical suspension system, the intrinsic mechanism of displacement-pitch coupling is revealed. Building upon this foundation, a state feedback decoupling controller is designed to achieve decoupling among dynamic channels. Simulation results demonstrate favorable control performance under ideal linear conditions. To further overcome its dependency on model parameters, a decoupling strategy based on geometric feature transformation is proposed, which significantly enhances system robustness in nonlinear operating conditions through state-space reconstruction. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method in vertical suspension control is validated through both numerical simulations and a physical MSBS experimental platform. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition)
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19 pages, 2433 KB  
Article
Two-Dimensional Analytical Magnetic Field Calculation in a Brushless Doubly Fed Reluctance Machine
by Slimane Tahi, Cherif Guerroudj, Smail Mezani, Rachid Ibtiouen and Noureddine Takorabet
Actuators 2025, 14(10), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14100486 - 7 Oct 2025
Viewed by 759
Abstract
This paper proposes a 2D semi-analytical model based on the subdomain method for the performance analysis of a brushless doubly fed reluctance machine (BDFRM) with a salient pole rotor. In particular, assuming an infinite magnetic permeability of the iron core and assuming a [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a 2D semi-analytical model based on the subdomain method for the performance analysis of a brushless doubly fed reluctance machine (BDFRM) with a salient pole rotor. In particular, assuming an infinite magnetic permeability of the iron core and assuming a smooth stator, the field calculation region is divided into two solution subdomains, i.e., the rotor slot and air-gap. The magnetic vector potential in each subdomain is obtained by solving the governing PDE by the separation of variables method and employing the boundary conditions between adjacent interfaces. Moreover, based on the stored magnetic energy in the air-gap, the calculation of the three-phase windings’ self and mutual inductances is presented. Through a case study involving a 6/2 pole BDFRM, the accuracy of the developed subdomain model is confirmed by comparing its analytically predicted results with those obtained from two-dimensional finite element method (FEM) simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Theory and Application of Magnetic Actuators—3rd Edition)
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