Propulsion control experiments in mass-control mode of an underwater travelling Marine-Express model vehicle ME02

A unique linear synchronous motor (LSM) vehicle ME02 is designed to travel underwater based on the theory of new combined levitation and propulsion for the Marine-Express. This paper presents a stable underwater-propulsion-control experiment in a mass-control made where the vehicle is sustained by guide-rollers. In this mode, ME02 vehicle can run with guide-rollers contacting with the LSM guideway both in repulsive-mode and in attractive-mode by controlling the lift force to be a required value. Laboratory experiments have shown that ME02 vehicle had been controlled successfully to run underwater in the mass-control mode by applying the decoupled-control method of lift and thrust forces.