Motor Speed and Input Characteristics Experiment

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 Objectives

To investigate the transient response of a motor when a load is applied.

Apparatus

1. U-151 Dual attenuator

2. U-153 Pre-amplifier (gain: 20 dB)

3. U-154 Motor driver amplifier (10 Watts)

4. U-155 Tacho amplifier unit

5. U-156 DC power supply (±15V, 0.2A and motor power)

6. U-159 Tachometer (FS 4000 RPM)

7. U-161 Servo motor (Motor: 12V, 4.5W | Tacho generator: Approx. 3Vp-p/4000RPM)

8. U-162 Function generator

9. Oscilloscope

10. Patch chords

Theoretical Background (transient response of a real motor to a step input and why the

delay in response)

A real motor transient response describe how it behaves after a change in input

conditions, such as load. The transient response of a real motor to a step input is important in

motor control and performance analysis. When a step input, such as a fast change in load, is

applied to a motor, it does not immediately achieve its new operational state. Instead, it goes

through a brief adjustment period known as the transient response.

Motors has physical mass and rotational inertia, so they cannot immediately change their

speed or torque. When a step input is applied, the motor requires time to accelerate or decelerate

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its components to match the new required operating conditions. There are also electrical time

constants connected with motor windings and electromagnetic characteristics. These time

constants also govern how quickly the motor's electrical currents and voltages can vary in

response to an input signal. Motors also encounter mechanical friction and damping forces,

which oppose changes in motion. These forces lead to the motor's response time slowing and, as

a result, a delay in obtaining the new operating conditions in response to the step input.

Block Diagram

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 Schematic Diagram

Procedure

1. I first organize the required modules on a level surface according to the provided block and

schematic diagrams.

2. I then set the frequency of the function generator (U-162) to 0.1 Hz and turn on the power

supply U-156's power.

3. I set the motor speed using U-151, ensuring it stays below saturation as specified by

tachometer U-159.

4. I adjusted the oscilloscope's gain to display clearly on the screen. I observed the trace on the

oscilloscope and recorded the Δt for the motor's transient response in the measurements table.

5. I turned off the power to U-156, then attached a 20g flywheel to U-161's high-speed shaft,

and then turned the power on again. I then observed the trace on the oscilloscope and noted

the Δt for the motor's transient responses with the 20g flywheel attached in the measurements

table.

6. I always take care not to reach the saturation point, where additional voltage increases do not

result in an increase in motor speed.

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 Measurements table
No Load 20g Flywheel 50g Flywheel
Δt (s) 3.09 4.35 Not included
Motor Speed (RPM) 4000 4000 Not included

Pictures

General picture showing the experiment set-up

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 Graph

Motor Speed (RPM) Vs Time (s) Graph

Motor speed (RPM) vs time (for no load, 20g

flywheel and 50g flywheel)
4500
4000
3500
Motor Speed (RPM)

3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Time (s)

Conclusions

The transient response experiment provides useful information about how the motor's

performance varies over time under various load conditions. The transient reaction is noticeably

quick when the motor's high-speed shaft is not loaded. This quick response is due to the absence

of any external variables influencing the motor's operation. However, the experimental setup

takes an exciting turn when a 20g flywheel is attached to the shaft. Unlike the unloaded situation,

the motor's transient response takes longer to stabilize. This delay in response shows that the

presence of additional mass which increases the inertia that offered the resistance to changes in

motion experienced by the motor.

A larger 50g flywheel was to be added to the shaft to validate this observation. As

expected, this would have lengthened the transient reaction time considerably more than with the

20g flywheel. This trend clearly shows that the load the motor encounters is proportional to the

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time required for the motor's reaction to stabilize, the more mass the motor has to fight with, the

longer it takes for the system to adjust to its new operating conditions.

Questions & Answers

1. Write the description of each module used in this experiment in details (functions and

specifications).

I. U-151 Dual attenuator: The Attenuator is in responsible for activating the motor. It

adjusts the input voltage to the motor by adjusting the attenuation, which influences the

motor's speed.

II. U-153 Pre-amplifier (gain: 20 dB): The pre-amplifier's basic function is to manage and

modify the offset voltage. It is important to ensure that the offset voltage is effectively

regulated to preserve desired signal integrity.

III. U-154 Motor driver amplifier (10 Watts): The motor drive amplifier drives the DC servo

motor by amplifying control signal to produce the power and voltage fed to the motor.

IV. U-155 Tacho amplifier unit: The tacho unit modifies the tacho generator's output in

frequency-to-conversion and generates RPM proportional DC voltage polarized in (+) or

(-) output along the motor's rotational direction.

V. U-156 DC power supply (±15V, 0.2A and motor power): This is power supply to the DC

servo motor and other components.

VI. U-159 Tachometer (FS 4000 RPM): The tachometer displays the equivalent motor speed.

I. U-161 Servo motor (Motor: 12V, 4.5W | Tacho generator: Approx. 3Vp-p/4000RPM):

This module is in charge of transforming electrical energy into a mechanical motion.

VII. U-162 Function generator: The function generator generates the square wave and ramp

outputs.

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VIII. Oscilloscope: The oscilloscope displays voltage waveforms in real-time, allowing for

monitoring the behaviour of the motor's electrical signals.

IX. Patch chords: Patch cords are required to connect various experiment components.

2. Explain the schematic diagram of this experiment.

The motor is driven by a motor driver amplifier with an attenuator for voltage control. The

motor speed is determined by passing the motor's Tacho output through the F/V converter. The

converter output is displayed on the tachometer and fed to the oscilloscope. The transient

reactions are displayed on the oscilloscope.

3. How does the addition of different types of flywheel affect the transient response of a

motor?

Adding various types of flywheels to a motor influences its transient reaction by increasing

inertia, resulting in a slower response time.

4. Discuss the transient response of the motor with no load, 20g flywheel attached and 50g flywheel

attached.

When the motor is not loaded, its transient response is quick and exact since there is little

inertia to overcome to reach a steady-state condition. When a 20g flywheel is attached to the

motor's shaft, the transient reaction is noticeably slower than with an unloaded motor. The

existence of the flywheel adds inertia to the motor, which it must overcome while responding to

changes in load. The transient reaction time is extended further when a larger 50g flywheel is

attached to the motor's shaft because of more inertia.

5. Motor speed (RPM) vs. time (for no load, 20g flywheel and 50g flywheel)

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 From the graph, a clear linear relationship can be seen. The slope of the graph becomes steeper

as the mass of the flywheel increases, suggesting that the rate of change in motor speed over time is

directly proportional to the increased load (inertia), confirming the linear relationship between these

variables.