SERVOMOTORS

By
Joseph m Abraham Aeronautical dept

Definition of Servomotor

Servo motors are used in closed loop control systems in which work is the control variable. They are Mainly used in automatic control systems. Servo motors feature a motion profile, which is a set of instructions programmed into the controller that defines the servo motor operation in terms of time, position, and velocity. They can either Operate in a Continuous duty or step duty depending on the construction.

How it Works
This is a simple example to demonstrate how a

servomotor actually works using dc servo motor system. The digital servo motor controller directs operation of the servo motor by sending velocity command signals to the amplifier, which drives the servo motor. Feedback devices are incorporated within the servomotor. These devices provide information on the motors position and velocity to the digital controller Controller in turn compares and monitors these actions with the given set of instructions programmed manually into the controller. Controller than controls or alters the velocity signal for better output or efficiency.

Types of Servomotors
DC servo motors

Ac servo motors
Generally suited for low power applications such as instrument

Generally used for large power applications such as in machine tools and robotics High torque to inertia ratio that gives them quick response to control signals Low electrical time constants (0.1 to 6ms) and low mechanical time constants(2.3 to 40ms)

servo (e.g.) control of pen in X-Y recorders) and computer related equipment (disk drives, tape drivers, printers). Lower cost, higher efficiency and less maintenance Characteristics are nonlinear and more difficult to control

Features of Servomotors
Linear relationship between the speed and electric control

signal

Steady state stability Wide range of speed control speed range

Linearity of mechanical characteristics throughout the entire Low mechanical and electrical inertia and Fast response

Ac servomotor
These servo motors are basically

two-phase, reversible, induction motors modified for servo operation.

Ac servo motors are used in

applications requiring rapid and accurate response characteristics.

To achieve these characteristics,

these ac servo motors have small diameter, high resistance rotors.

The ac servo motor's small diameter

provides low inertia for fast starts, stops, and reversals.

. High resistance provides nearly

linear speed-torque characteristics for accurate servo motor control.

Dc Servomotor
dc servo motors are used in applications

where starts and stops are made quickly and accurately.

Very low armature inductance is found

resulting low electrical time constant (typically 0.05 to 1.5 msec) that further sharpens servo motor response to command signals.
The rotor of a shell dc servo motor

consists of a cylindrical shell of copper or aluminum wire coils which rotate in a magnetic field in the annular space between magnetic pole pieces and a stationary iron core.
Dc Servo motors usually have two, four,

or six poles.

Transfer Function of A.C servomotor

parameters required :
Tm Torque developed by servomotor Angular displacement of rotor angular speed Tl Torque required by the load J Moment of Inertia of load and the rotor

B Viscous frictional coefficient of load and the rotor

K1 - slope of control phase voltage vs torque characteristic K2 slope of speed torque characteristic

Torque equations
With respect to the characteristics of the servo motor for speeds near zero, all the curves are straight lines parallel to the characteristic at rated input voltage (ec=E) and are equally spaced for equal increments of the input voltage. Under this assumption, Torque developed by the motor,

The load torque is given by

Equilibrium condition
At equilibrium, load torque is equal to load torque.

Therefore,

On taking laplace transform of equation with zero initial conditions,

we get,

Transfer function of ac servo motor is given by

Transfer function of dc servomotor

Parameters required
ea = Armature voltage ia = Armature current Ra = Armature resistance La = Armature inductance em = back emf IL = Load moment of inertia m = Angular position of motor shaft m = Angular velocity of motor shaft

B = Frictional (speed dependant) load

The torque is proportional to current in a permanent magnet DC motor, so

The torque of the load is made up of the moment of inertia of the load, and the frictional force of the load, and is given by the equation

The back emf is proportional to the flux and to the speed, and since the flux is constant in a permanent magnet machine:

Kirchhoff's law around the armature circuit gives us:

 Combining all these equations gives us

Applying the electrical equation to the control theory

Since the angular speed, m, is the rate of change of angle:

Using the Laplace variable notation, where multiplying by s represents differentiation in time:

 The Transfer Function for a Dc servomotor is finally given by

References
Control Systems A. Nagoor kani, RBA

Publications, Chennai Scribd.com http://homepages.which.net/~paul.hills/Circuits/P owerServo http://auto-controls.blogspot.com