Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.

Chapter 4

Dynamic and transient behavior of a DC-motor

4.1 INTRODUCTION.

The discussion of electric dc machines presented in the preceding chapters was limited to the steady-
state operating conditions. That is, the machine has either been running at a given condition for a
long time or moving from one operating condition to another very slowly so that the energy
imbalance between the electrical and mechanical elements would be insignificant during the
transition period. However, when the change from one operating condition to another is sudden,
changes in the stored magnetic energy and the stored energy in terms of the inertia of the rotating
members do not occur instantaneously. As a result, a finite time, known as the transient (dynamic)
period, is needed to restore the energy balance from the initial and to the final conditions. For
example, if the applied voltage to a motor changes suddenly, the machine will undergo a transient
period prior to attaining its new steady-state condition. In fact, such events occur quite often when
machines are driven by electronic drives. Another condition that may cause a change in the dynamic
equilibrium of a machine is a sudden change in its load.
From the above explanation, it is quite clear that the study of both electrical and mechanical
transients is essential to better understand the operation of electrical machines. Therefore, this
chapter is devoted to the dynamic of dc machines.

As we known before the dc machine are used in applications such that require control of speed over a
wide range or applications require precise control of variables such as position in servo drives.
The saturation of the magnetic core makes the study of the dynamics in a dc machines quite difficult
because the mathematical representation of the machine yields a set of nonlinear differential
equations. In that case a closed-form solution would not be possible, and the need for a numerical
method becomes inevitable. The following assumptions are made to reduce the complexity of the
analysis when the dc machine is used as part of complete system.
1. Magnetic saturation is neglected. This assumption implies that the inductances are
independent of currents.
2. The field mmf act along the d-axis, and the armature mmf act along the q-axis, so there is no
mutual inductance between the field circuit and the armature circuit. A further consequence
is that there is no demagnetizing effect due to armature reaction.

In servo applications one has to control the

direction of rotation as well as the torque direction
of the motor, and so the motor is operated over all
four quadrants of the velocity-torque plane shown
in chapter 1. For many applications there may
also be the need for control of the position of the
load, and therefore of the motor shaft. Figure 4.1
shows the additional feedback loop required for
position control. Of major importance in the
design of the control system is a knowledge of the
'open-loop' properties of the motor and load unit,
before its inclusion in the closed loop. The next Figure 4.1: Closed-loop control of velocity and position.
sections look at the characteristics of the motor
and load, and at how they affect the open-loop behavior.
Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.2

4.2 THE ELECTRICAL EQUATION OF THE MOTOR

In the previous chapter the equations were developed for the steady-state characteristics of the
brushed motor. It can been proved that there is nearly no difference between the brushed and
brushless motors only looking as a energy converter. This means that the theory explained here is
also useful for the small brushless DC-motor. So both machines can be considered operating from a
DC supply.
For the brushed motor, the current is subjected to commutation in only a small part of the winding at
any time. The distorting effect of the inductance of the commutation is low in comparison to the
smoothing effect of the inductance of the remaining winding. The direct current to the brushed motor
is therefore largely unaffected by the commutation process, and the speed at steady-state is usually
assumed to be independent of motor inductance. Such an assumption cannot be made for the
brushless motor, where commutation occurs at the same moment for a complete winding. Any
formulation of steady-state equations must take account of the voltage drop across the winding
inductance as well as that across the winding resistance. A little increasing of the resistance value can
compensate the voltage drop.
Transient demands of torque and speed are, however, the common requirements for a brushless
motor, and steady-state equations are unlikely to be of use.
An equation for the motor speed under transient conditions
must take account of all mechanical and electrical factors
which affect a change in speed. The rate of change of the
motor torque is limited by the rate at which the motor
current can be changed, which is in turn limited by the
motor inductance. The inductance can be found by
applying a sinusoidal AC voltage of angular frequency ù
rad/s to the stator, after first locking the rotor shaft in a
Figure 4.2: AC-voltage experiment blocked rotor.
fixed position. The line-to-line impedance of the motor to
the flow of alternating current is shown in figure 4.2 to consist of resistance Rr and the motor
reactance ùL, where L is the electrical inductance of the motor. Resistance Rm accounts for the power
losses in the magnetic circuit but as its value is normally high in comparison with ùL, its effect on
the overall circuit is usually ignored. The voltage applied across the lines is:
L is the only unknown and is
normally assumed to have the same
value over a wide range of
frequency. Figure 4.3 shows an
equivalent of the stator input circuit
for brushless motors, which
consists of the line-to-line back
emf, inductance and resistance. Figure 4.3: Equivalent circuit transient behavior.
This circuit is the same for the rotor
for brushed motors.
We will study how quickly the motor speed can be changed on the assumption that the input voltage
Uter is applied suddenly, as a step input. In figure 4.3, the volt drop across L acts against the direction
of the change of current. In other words, UL opposes the change in current.
The electrical equation of the motor is: , where Uter is the applied voltage
and i is the current at time t.

The rate at which the motor speed can change is clearly affected by the moment of mechanical inertia
of the driven load, and also by the moments of inertia of the rotor and sensor. The unit of the moment
of inertia is the kgm2 . In figure 4.4, the rotor of a motor of inertia Jm is connected to a load mass of
Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.3

inertia JL and to a sensor of inertia Js. The

torque Tem produced by the motor is
opposed by the torque Tfr, due to bearing
and bearing seal friction, and by the
torque TD due to the viscous damping
from iron losses and windage. The motor
must also react to the torque TA imposed
by the mass of the motor, load and sensor
during speed changes. The dynamic
equation is: ,
where J = Jm + JL + Js.
Figure 4.4: The dynamic system
At constant speed, the expression reduces
to the steady state form.

4.3 ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL TIME CONSTANTS

Following the application to a stationary motor

of a constant voltage in the form of a step input,
the rotor speed and stator current each rise over
time. Suppose that the rotor is locked in position
and stationary throughout. With w set to zero, the
electrical equation becomes:
Dividing through by R gives the final current as:

Solution of this expression shows that the current

rises exponentially towards its final value

according to:
Figure 4.5(a) shows the form of the current rise
following the application of the step input of
voltage. When te = L/R, the current reaches
100(1-e-1 )%, or 63.2% of its final value.

The constant te = L/R is defined as the

electrical time constant.
Suppose now that the rotor is stationary but free
to rotate, with no load and no supply voltage.
Following the application of the step input
voltage to the stator, current flows into the stator
winding and the rotor accelerates. If the opposing
torques due to viscous damping and friction are
assumed to be insignificant, the accelerating
torque on the rotor is found from the dynamic
equation to be: where Jm is from Figure 4.5: Rise of current rotor locked (b) Rise of speed
L = 0.
this point taken to include the inertia of the
sensor. The rate of rise of stator current, and therefore of torque and rotor speed, is affected by the
Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.4

electrical time constant. In order to study the other factors which affect the rate of speed rise after the
sudden application of Uter , assume for the moment that the motor has no inductance and therefore an
electrical time constant of zero. The electrical equation reduces to:

The final no-load speed at voltage Uter would be: . Replacing Tem by KT.i and

combining the last three equations above gives:

Solving the last expression shows the speed of the unloaded motor with no inductance to rise with

time according to: with .

In figure 4.5(b), the speed reaches 63.2% of its final value when t equals the mechanical time
constant ôm . Since this is one of the fundamental parameters given in manufacturers’ catalogues, let
us examine its meaning.
If one calculates how the rotational speed w(t)
changes with time when a voltage Uter is
suddenly applied to a motor, it becomes,
when this is plotted, as in figure 4.6. It is seen
that i(t) approaches the final value U/KE
faster with a smaller tm .
Thus, the actual response in the rotational
speed is delayed as compared with the speed-
command voltage. This type of delay is called
a first-order delay, and the time required for
the speed to become about 63% of the final
Figure 4.6: Response to a voltage step.
value is equal to the time constant.
Since it is desirable that time delays be as small as possible in a servo system, servomotors are
required to have a small mechanical time constant. For a motor with a large mechanical time
constant, a large gain in the voltage or current amplifier reduces the system time constant and thereby
can improve the response. However, such a high gain increases the heat loss generated in the motor
and power devices, and can be a cause of unstable operation in the system. When the motor's time
constant is small, it is not necessary to increase the gain of the amplifier, which makes the system
operation stable and decreases the power loss. Thus so far, we have looked at a terminal voltage that
suddenly changes from 0 to U0 . A similar change is observed when the terminal voltage U0 of the
motor rotating at U0 /KE is suddenly changed to U0 + ÄU V.

Resistance Rr places the limit on the current and torque for a motor with no inductance, which
accounts for the appearance of the electrical resistance in the mechanical time constant. A
hypothetical motor with Rr = 0 and Lr = 0 would reach full speed at the instant of application of the
supply voltage in response to an infinite current impulse. The rate of rise of speed of a real motor is,
of course, subject to the combined effects of the electrical and mechanical time constants.
The electrical time constant of a brushed motor is usually low compared to its mechanical constant,
and analysis is often eased by ignoring the motor inductance. This simplification cannot be used for
the brushless motor, where in many cases tm < te. Taking, for example, the trapezoidal motor in the
table below.
 Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.5

Table 4.1 Specification of a four-pole brushless servomotor

Motor type Trapezoidal Sinusoidal

Line-to-line resistance R [W] 3.5 3.5
Torque constant KT [Nm/A] 0.84 1.02
Max. continuous current Ia [A] 5.4 DC 4.4 rms
Max. current (peak) I piek [A] 26 26
Max. speed n [rpm] 6000 6000
Max. volts (peak) V Max [V] 530 530
Inductance L [mH] 24 24
Rotormoment of inertia J [kgm 2] 0.00028 0.00022
Electrical time constant te [ms] 6.9 6.9
Mechanical time constant tm [ms] 1.4 1.4
Thermal time constant tth [min] 35 35
Thermal resistance R th [ 0C/W ] 0.77 0.77

and

The electrical time constant of this motor is therefore about five times the mechanical value. When
the supply voltage is switched on, the rate of acceleration of the rotor mass would clearly be affected
by the opposition of the voltage Ldi/dt to the build-up of motor current, as well as by the moment of
inertia of the rotor.

4.3 DC-MOTOR DYNAMICS

The electric- mechanic

converter has a electric input and a mechanical output. Figure 4.7 shows a schematic drawing of the
converter. The dynamic behavior is noticeable as well electric as mechanic. DC motors are
extensively used in applications where precise control of speed and torque is required over a wide
range. A common method of control is the use of a separately excited dc motor with constant field
excitation. The speed is controlled
by changing the voltage applied to
the motor terminals. We will
investigate how the speed of the
motor responds to changes in the
terminal voltage. The study involves
electrical transients in the armature
circuit and mechanical transients in Figure 4.7: Electric-mechanic converter.
the mechanical system driven by the
motor. The theory written above is without a viscous friction (damping) term B. For a separately
excited dc motor system and assuming magnetic linearity, the basic motor equations are:
, where KT = KE = kf Ifield is a
constant, which is the torque and voltage constant in this case proportional with the field current If .
The Laplace transform are:

The switch SW in figure 4.8a will be closed at t = 0.

After the switch is closed:

Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.6

The Laplace transform for zero initial conditions is:

Where is the electrical time constant of the armature.

Figure 4.8: Separately excited dc motor, (a) Schematic diagram, (b) Block diagram
representation, (c) Response.

The dynamic equation for the mechanical system is:

Where J is the combined moment of inertia of the load and the rotor of the motor, B is the equivalent
viscous friction constant of the load and the motor, and TLoad is the mechanical load torque. The term
B.w represents the rotational loss torque of the system. The Laplace transform
is: so,

Where is the mechanical time constant of the system. A block diagram representation of the
above equations is shown in figure 4.8b.
Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.7

Let us consider a few special cases:

1. Load torque proportional to speed: Tload % w = BL . w.

The total inertia of the system will be: J = Jm + JLoad The equation for the torque can be written as:

The load therefore increase the viscous friction of the mechanical system. The voltage will be as:

The speed response due to a step change in the terminal voltage Uter is a second-order response
because of the two time constants ôm and ôe. The response can be underdamped or overdamped
depending on the values of these time constants and the other, parameters KT , B, and Rr. Two typical
responses are shown in figure 4.8c.

2. Lr is negligible.

If the armature circuit inductance is neglected, the electrical time constant ôe is zero. From Eq. 9.40a,
the transfer function becomes
where

3. B is negligible, only inertia load.

If the viscous friction is zero then: and the voltage will be:

, so

4. Supply disconnected.

Let us now investigate what happens if the supply is

suddenly disconnected, that is, the switch in figure 4.8a is
opened at t = 0. The dynamic equation for the mechanical

system is: or

The Laplace transform is:

Figure 4. 9: Speed for deceleration.

Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.8

, where ù0 is the initial speed.

The Laplace form for the speed is:

The time domain response of speed is:

The speed decreases exponentially with time constant ôm , The deceleration of speed is shown in
figure 4.9. The intersection of the initial slope on the time axis represents the mechanical time
constant ôm (=J/B).

4.4 THE ELECTROMECHANICAL EQUATION OF THE UNLOADED MOTOR

Assume now that we have a stationary motor which is free to rotate. The motor has an inductance L
and a resistance R, furthermore the motor and load has an inertia J and damping D. Let see what the
speed will be for a step voltage Uter input applied at t = 0. We already know that the electrical and
mechanical equations for the unloaded motor are:

and .

Replacing Tem by KT .ir gives:

The Laplace equations are:

Filling I(s) in the equation of ù (s) gives:

Let see what the current will be for a step voltage Uter input applied at t = 0. We already know that
the electrical and mechanical equations for the unloaded motor are:

and .
Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.9

Replacing Tem by KT .ir gives:

The Laplace equations are:

Filling ù(s) in the equation of I(s) gives:

4.4 PROBLEMS

Problem 1

A separately excited dc motor has the following parameters: Rr = 0.5 ; Lr = 0; B = 0

The motor generates an open-circuit armature voltage of 220 V at 2000 rpm and with a field current
of 1.0 ampere. The motor drives a constant load torque TL = 25 Nm. The combined inertia of motor
and load is J = 2.5 kgm2. With field current Ifield = 1.0 A, the armature terminals are connected to a
220 V dc source.
a. Derive expressions for speed shaft and armature current ir as a function of time.
b. Determine the steady-state values of the speed and armature current.
c. Draw the angular speed and current as function of the time

Problem 2

A separately excited dc motor has the following parameters:

Rr = 0.4 ; Lr = 0; KE = 2 Vs/rad
The motor is connected to a load whose torque is proportional to the speed.
J = Jmotor + Jload = 2.5 kgm2 B = Bmotor + Bload = 0.25 kgm2 /sec
The field current is maintained constant at its rated value. A voltage Uter = 200 V is
suddenly applied across the motor armature terminals.
a. Obtain an expression for the motor speed as a function of time.
b. Determine the steady-state speed.
c. Determine the time required to reach 95 percent of the steady state speed.
d. Draw the angular speed as function of the time

Problem 3

A separately excited dc motor has the following parameters: Rr = 0.5 ; L = 0; B = 0; J = 0.1 kgm2 .
The rotational loss is negligible. With the rated field current and an armature terminal voltage of 100
Chapter 4: Dynamic behavior DC-motor 4.10

V the motor and the load have a steady state speed of 1500 rpm. The motor is used to drive an inertia
load of 1.0 kgm2. At a certain time the armature terminal voltage is suddenly increased to 120 V.
a. Obtain an expression for the speed of the motor-load system as a function of time
b. Determine the speed 1 second after the step increase in the terminal voltage.
c. Determine the final steady-state speed of the motor.
d. Draw the angular speed as function of the time

Problem 4

A separately excited dc motor has the following parameters:

Rr = 0.4 Ù ; Lr = 0; B = 0; J = 4.5 kgm2; kfield = 1.0 Vs/A.rad
The motor operates at no load with Uter = 220 V and Ifield = 2 A. Rotational losses are negligible. The
motor will stop by plugging, that is, by reversal of its armature terminal voltage (Uter = -220 V).
a. Determine the no-load speed of the motor.
b. Obtain an expression for the motor speed after plugging
c. Determine the time taken for the motor to reach zero speed.
d. Draw the angular speed as function of the time