Umeå University 2006-06-19

Applied Physics and Electronics

Staffan Grundberg

DC-motor control
Model
A DC motor can be modelled by an electric circuit with one resistance R, one inductance L,
and one voltage source vm (t ) connected in series, see figure 1. Kirchhoff’s second law yields
that the applied voltage can be written as
di
vapp = Ri + L + vm , (1.)
dt
where i denotes the current and
vm = K bω . (2.)
Newton’s laws yield that the angular velocity ω of the motor obeys
dω
J = ∑ τ ext = K mi − K f ω , (3.)
dt
where J is the moment of inertia of the rotor, K m is the armature constant, and K f is the
friction constant.

i L

+ +
vapp DC vm

Figure 1. Model of a DC motor. The box symbolizes the DC motor.

Exercise 1
Build a state-space model of the DC-motor where the external voltage is the input and the
angular velocity ω is the output. Determine also the transfer function.

Exercise 2
Use pole assignment to synthesize a controller for controlling the angular velocity of the DC-
motor. Use the following values of the parameters:
 J = 0.01 kg m 2
K f = 0.1 kg m 2 / s
K b = K m = 0.01 Nm/A (4.)
R = 1Ω
L =1H
Simulate the closed loop system.

Exercise 3
Use pole assignment to synthesize a controller for controlling the angular position of the rotor.
Simulate the closed loop system.

Discrete time control

Consider a time discrete control system for controlling the angular velocity of the motor. The
sampling time is to be 0.1 s.

Exercise 4
Calculate the sampled transfer function of the DC motor
B ( z)
H ( z) = 0 . (5.)
A0 ( z )

Minimal prototype method

By using the so called minimal prototype method and choosing the controller as
C ( z ) = (H ( z ) ) n −m
−1 1
, (6.)
z −1
where n and m are the orders of A0 ( z ) and B0 ( z ) respectively, the complementary sensitivity
function becomes
1
T ( z ) = n−m . (7.)
z
This means that the response settles in n − m sampling intervals. The drawback of this type of
discrete controllers is the intersample ripple.

Exercise 5
Synthesize a minimal prototype controller for controlling the angular velocity of a DC motor.
Observe the considerable oscillations between the sampling intervals.

Dead-Beat control
When using the dead-beat control strategy, the controller is chosen such as the output and the
control signal settles after a finite time. By choosing the controller as
αA ( z )
C ( z) = n 0 , (8.)
z − αB0 ( z )
where α = 1 / B0 (1) , the output and the control signals become
αB ( z )
Y ( z ) = 0n R( z ) (9.)
z
and
 αA0 ( z )
U ( z) = R( z ) . (10.)
zn

Exercise 6
Simulate a servo system in closed loop with a dead-beat controller. The angular position of
the rotor is the output of the control system. Use a sampling interval of 0.1 s.

Pole assignment
The dead-beat control strategy yields a maximally fast controller at the expense of a large and
rapidly fluctuating control signal. This problem can be remedied by moving the poles of the
closed loop from the origin. This can be achieved by pole assignment.

Exercise 7
Use pole assignment to design a controller with a smaller and less fluctuating control signal.
Let the controller cancel the poles of the process and move the other closed-loop poles from
the origin.