Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.3
2.3
Journals
Actuators
Special Issues
Magnetic Levitation and Actuator Integration: From Fundamental Research to Emerging...
share announcement

Magnetic Levitation and Actuator Integration: From Fundamental Research to Emerging Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 1878

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Junqi Xu

E-Mail Website
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

E-Mail Website
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

E-Mail Website
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

E-Mail Website
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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yougang Sun

E-Mail Website
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,

This Special Issue focuses on the synergies between magnetic levitation (maglev) technology and actuators, exploring their integration across industrial, transportation, and aerospace domains. Maglev systems, including maglev trains, bearings, and vibration isolation platforms, rely on advanced actuators for precise levitation, propulsion, and dynamic control. We welcome contributions on actuation principles (electromagnetic, superconducting, etc.), control strategies (adaptive, robust algorithms), system design (energy efficiency, miniaturization), and emerging applications (urban mobility, high-speed machinery, biomedical devices). This Special Issue aims to bridge fundamental research and practical implementation, providing a platform for scholars and engineers to share innovations that advance maglev-actuator systems toward smarter, more sustainable technologies.

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 levitation
  • intelligent control
  • vibration control
  • system applications
  • robust algorithms

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 4862 KB  
Article
Design and Analysis of a High-Speed Slotless Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Considering Air-Gap Airflow
by Hong-Jin Hu, Ze-Qiang Lin, Guang-Zhong Cao, Ming-Hong Guo and Su-Dan Huang
Actuators 2025, 14(11), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110530 - 31 Oct 2025
Viewed by 562
Abstract
The air-gap airflow significantly influences the performance of high-speed slotless permanent magnet synchronous motors (HSSPMSM), yet this critical factor is frequently overlooked during the design phase, resulting in performance deviations. This paper presents the design and multi-physical analysis of a 10 kW/40,000 rpm [...] Read more.
The air-gap airflow significantly influences the performance of high-speed slotless permanent magnet synchronous motors (HSSPMSM), yet this critical factor is frequently overlooked during the design phase, resulting in performance deviations. This paper presents the design and multi-physical analysis of a 10 kW/40,000 rpm HSSPMSM, explicitly accounting for air-gap airflow effects. A comprehensive coupling model integrating electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical, and airflow fields is established to guide the motor design. Based on this analysis, the motor dimensions and parameters are determined, and a prototype is fabricated. Experimental validation demonstrates that the developed HSSPMSM successfully meets the design specifications. Considering air-gap airflow can obtain more accurate thermal design results with an accuracy improvement of 6.8% compared to not considering air-gap airflow. The close agreement between the simulated and measured performance confirms the effectiveness of the proposed design methodology that incorporates airflow effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetic Levitation and Actuator Integration: From Fundamental Research to Emerging Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 4479 KB  
Article
Magnetic-Track Relationship and Correction of Magnetic Force Model for EMS High-Speed Maglev Train
by Meiyun Chen, Donghua Wu, Yougang Sun, Xin Miao and Zheyan Jin
Actuators 2025, 14(11), 514; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14110514 - 24 Oct 2025
Viewed by 784
Abstract
The high-speed maglev train employs linear induction motors for propulsion and incorporates electromagnetic suspension for levitation. Ensuring the stability of the suspension control is imperative for the effective operation of the maglev train at high speeds, necessitating precise calculation of the suspension force. [...] Read more.
The high-speed maglev train employs linear induction motors for propulsion and incorporates electromagnetic suspension for levitation. Ensuring the stability of the suspension control is imperative for the effective operation of the maglev train at high speeds, necessitating precise calculation of the suspension force. The commonly employed models, while simple in structure, lack the accuracy needed for high-precision suspension control. This paper conducts finite element analysis to simulate the static suspension conditions of high-speed maglev trains and refines the magnetic force calculation model using the obtained data to minimize computational inaccuracies arising from factors like magnetoresistance effects. The revised model is particularly well-suited for scenarios with significant air gaps and elevated currents, showcasing practical value for engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetic Levitation and Actuator Integration: From Fundamental Research to Emerging Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 2755 KB  
Review
Machine Learning in Maglev Transportation Systems: Review and Prospects
by Dachuan Liu, Donghua Wu, Junqi Xu, Yanmin Li, M. Zeeshan Gul and Fei Ni
Actuators 2025, 14(12), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14120576 - 28 Nov 2025
Viewed by 255
Abstract
Magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology has long garnered significant attention in the engineering community due to its inherent advantages, such as contactless operation, minimal friction losses, low noise, and high precision. Based on electromagnetic suspension (EMS) and electrodynamic principles, these systems are primarily developed [...] Read more.
Magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology has long garnered significant attention in the engineering community due to its inherent advantages, such as contactless operation, minimal friction losses, low noise, and high precision. Based on electromagnetic suspension (EMS) and electrodynamic principles, these systems are primarily developed for advanced transportation, while also inspiring emerging applications such as vibration isolation and flywheel energy storage. Despite progress, practical deployment faces critical challenges, including accurate modeling, robustness against nonlinear and uncertain dynamics, and control stability under complex conditions. Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning (ML) offers promising solutions. Studies show ML-based methods, i.e., improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) optimize proportional-integral-derivative (PID) to reduce controller output overshoot, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) reduces levitation gap fluctuation under complex conditions, ensemble learning achieves high fault diagnosis accuracy, and convolutional neural network-long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM) predictive maintenance cuts costs. This review summarizes recent AI-enabled advances in Maglev transportation system modeling, control, and optimization, highlighting representative algorithms, performance comparisons, technical challenges, and future directions toward intelligent, reliable, and energy-efficient transportation systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Magnetic Levitation and Actuator Integration: From Fundamental Research to Emerging Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop