SERVOMOTORS

A servo system is one in which the output is some mechanical variable like position,
velocity or acceleration. Such systems are automatic control systems in which output is some
mechanical function such as controlling the position of the shaft, controlling angular speed of the
shaft etc.

As seen earlier, the motors used in such control systems are driven by the signal which is
derived based on the error information supplied to the controller. These motors used in such
servosystems or servomechanism are called as servomotors. These motors are low power rating
motors and can drive the load directly, hence these motors are usually coupled to the load
through a gear train for power matching purpose.
Requirement of a Good Servomotor
The servomotors which are designed for use in feedback control systems must have
following requirements :
1. Linear relationship between electrical control signal and rotor speed, over a wide range.
2. Inertia of rotor should be as small as possible. A servomotor must stop running without any
time delay, if control signal to it is removed.
For low inertia, it is designed with large length to diameter ratio, for rotors. Compared to its
frame size, the rotor of a servo motor has very small diameter. From its low diameter rotor only,
the servomotor is distinguished from other motors in practice.
3. Its response should be very fast. For quickly changing error signals, it must react with good
response.
This is achieved by keeping torque to weight ratio high. Hence these motors can be started,
stopped or reversed very quickly compared to normal motors.
4. It should be quickly reversible.
5. It should have linear torque-speed characteristics.
6. The output torque at any speed should be roughly proportional to the applied control signal.
7. Its operation should be stable without any oscillations or overshoots.
The servomotors are basically classified depending upon the nature
of the electric supply used for its operation. The electric supply can be a.c. or d.c. in nature hence
basic classification is obviously is a.c. servomotors and d.c. servomotors.
 The detail classification of servomotors is given in the following chart :

AC SERVOMOTOR

Most of the servomotors used in the low power servomechanism are a.c. servomotors. The a.c.
servomotor is basically two phase induction motor. The output power of a.c. servomotor varies
from fraction of watts to few hundred of watts. The operating frequency is 50 Hz to 400 Hz.

Construction
The a.c. servomotor is basically consists of a stator and a rotor. The stator carries two
windings, uniformly distributed and displaced by 90o in space, from each other.
On winding is called as main winding or fixed winding or reference winding. The reference
winding is excited by a constant voltage a.c. supply.
The other winding is called as control winding. It is excited by variable control voltage,
which is obtained from a servoamplifier. The winding are 90o away from each other and control
voltage is 90o out of phase with respect to the voltage applied to the reference winding. This is
necessary to obtain rotating magnetic field.
The schematic stator is shown in the Fig. 1.
 Stator of a.c. servomotor

To reduce the loading on the amplifier, the input impedance i.e. the impedance of the control
winding in increased by using a tuning capacitor in parallel with the control winding.
Rotor
The rotor is generally of two types. The two types of rotors are,
1. Squirrel cage rotor
2. Drag cup type rotor
Squirrel Cage Rotor
The usual squirrel cage rotor has aluminimum bars which are shorted at the ends with the
help of the end rings. The overall construction looks like a cage. The construction is similar to
the squirrel cage rotor used for the three phase induction motors.
This has small diameter and large length. This is because to reduce the inertia. Aluminimum
conductors are used to keep weight small. Its resistance is high to keep torque-speed
characteristics as linear as possible. Air gap is kept very small which reduces the magnetism
current. The cage type of rotor uses the skewed bars as shown in the Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 Cage type rotor construction

To reduce the inertia further, a drag cup type of rotor construction is used. There are two air gaps
in this construction. The drag cup is made up of nonmagnetic material like copper, aluminium or
an alloy. The slotted rotor laminations in this construction. These are wound for as many number
of poles as possible so that operating speed of motor is very low. Such a construction is used in
very low power applications. A drag cup type rotor construction is shown in the Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 Drag cup type rotor construction

Operating Principle
The operating principle of two phase a.c. servomotor is same as that of normal three phase
induction motor. The control voltage applied to the control winding and the voltage applied to
the reference winding are 90o out of phase. Hence the flux produces by current through control
winding is also 90o out of phase with respect to the flux produced by the current through the
reference winding. The resultant flux in the air gap is hence rotating flux sweeps over the rotor,
the e.m.f. gets induced in the rotor. This e.m.f. circulates the current through the rotor. The rotor
current produces its own flux called as rotor flux. This flux interacts with the rotating magnetic
field, producing a torque on the rotor and rotor starts rotating.
In the two phase a.c. servomotors, the polarity of the control voltage determines the direction
of rotation. A change in the sign of the control voltage reverses the direction of rotation of the
motor. Since the reference voltage is constant, the torque and the angular speed are the functions
of the control voltage.

Torque-Speed Characteristics
The usual torque-speed characteristics of an induction motor with high inductance to
resistance ratio are not suitable for the servomotor. A servomotor must have
1. Linear torque-speed characteristics
2. Slope of the torque-speed characteristics must be negative.
3. The characteristics must be parallel to one another for various values of the control voltage
applies.
It is seen that when rotor resistance is increased the torque-speed characteristics becomes
more and more linear. In general for low inductance to resistance ratio, the torque-speed
characteristics are almost linear. This is shown in the Fig. 4(a) and (b).

In practice, design of the motor is so as to get almost linear torque-speed

characteristics. A servomotor rotates only when a detectable error occurs at low voltage and it
rarely operates at high speeds. Hence for a given value of control voltage, torque-speed
characteristics are almost linear. Fig. 5 shows the torque-speed characteristics for various control
voltages.

Torque-speed characteristics of a.c servomotor

 All the characteristics are equally spaced for equal increments of control voltage as shown.

Other Performance Characteristics

The performance characteristics other than the torque-speed characteristics of a two phase
a.c. servomotor are shown in the Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 Performance characteristics of a typical a.c. servomotor

As torque developed increases, current drawn and the power input increases. Power factors
also improves upto certain limit. While the efficiency increases upto certain limit and then starts
decreasing.

Features of A.C. Servomotor

The various features of a.c. servomotor are,
1. Light in weight for quick response.
2. Robust in construction.
3. It is reliable and its operation is stable in nature.
4. Smooth and noise free operation.
5. Large torque to weight ratio.
6. Large resistance to reactance ratio.
7. No brushes or slip rings are required. Hence maintenance free.
8. Driving circuits are simple to design.
9. The negative slope of the torque-slip characteristics adds more friction improving the
damping. This improves the stability of the motor. This features is called internal electric
damping of two phase a.c. servomotor.

Drag cup servo motor

The stator of the Two Phase AC Servo Motor has the two distributed windings which are
displaced from each other by 90 degrees electrical. One winding is known as a Reference or
Fixed Phase, which is supplied from a constant voltage source. The other one is known as
Control Phase, and it is provided with a variable voltage.

The connection diagram of the two Phase AC Servo motor is shown below.

The control phase is usually supplied from a servo amplifier. The speed and torque of the rotor
are controlled by the phase difference between the control voltage and the reference phase
voltage. By reversing the phase difference from leading to lagging or vice versa, the direction of
the rotation of the rotor can be reversed.

The torque speed characteristic of the two phase AC servomotor is shown in the figure below.
The negative slope represents a high rotor resistance and provides the motor with positive
damping for better stability. The curve is linear for almost various control voltages. The response
of the motor to a light control signal is improved by reducing the weight and inertia of the motor
in a design known as the Drag Cup Servo motor as shown in the figure below.

The rotor of the Drag cup servo motor is made of a thin cup of the nonmagnetic conducting
material. A stationary iron core is placed in the middle of the conducting cup. This arrangement
completes the magnetic circuit. As the rotor of the motor is made of thin material, its resistance
will be high, which results in the high starting torque.

Applications of A.C. Servomotor

As mentioned earlier a.c. servomotor are preferred for low power applications. Consider an
a.c. position control system where load position is to be maintained constant. The driving motor
used is two phase a.c. servomotor. The potentiometer arrangement compares the actual position
with the reference position to generate the error voltage. The error voltage is amplifier which
generates control voltage . This voltage is applied to the control winding of two phase a.c.
servomotor. This control The torque and inturn controls the output position of the load. As
driving motor is a.c. servomotor, the system is called as a.c. position control system. The entire
scheme is shown in the Fig. 7.

Application of a.c. servomotor : A.C. position control system

The other applications of a.c. servomotors are,

1. Instrument servos 2. Process controllers 4. Robotics
4. Self balancing recorders 5. Machine tools
And is preferred for number of other applications in which precise angular motion is
necessary.
D.C. SERVOMOTORS
The d.c. servomotors is more or less same as normal d.c. motor. There is some minor
constructional difference between the two. All d.c. servomotors are essentially separately excited
type. This ensures the linear nature of torque-speed characteristics.

Basic Working Principle

 The d.c. servomotor is basically a torque transducer which converts electrical energy into the
mechanical energy. The torque developed on the motor shaft is directly proportional to the field
flux and the armature current.
Tm = Km Φ Ia ....... (I)
where Tm = Motor Torque
Km = Proportionally torque constant
Φ = Field flux and Ia = Armature current
In addition to the torque developed, when armature conductors rotate in the field flux, they
cut the flux and e.m.f. gets induced in the armature. This e.m.f. is called as back e.m.f. in case of
d.c. motors. It is directly proportional to the shaft velocity ωm rad/sec.
Em = Kb Φ ωm ....... (II)
where Eb = Back e.m.f. and Kb = Back e.m.f. constant
ωm = Motor angular speed in rad/sec
As back e.m.f. opposes the supply voltage, the voltage equation of the d.c. motor is given by
V = Eb + Ia Ra ....... (III)

where V = Supply voltage

Ra = Armature resistance
The equations (I), (II) and (III) form the basis of d.c. servomotor operation.

Basic Classification
The d.c. servomotors are classified as
1. Variable magnetic flux motors i.e. field controlled motors.
2. Constant magnetic flux motors i.e. armature controlled motors.

Field controlled d.c. Servomotor

In a field controlled d.c. servomotor, the electrical signal is externally applied to the field
winding. Hence current through the field winding is controlled, inturn controlling the flux. This
motor is also known as separately excited motor or variable magnetic flux motor.
In a control system, the error signal is generated by a controller by comparing the actual
output with the reference input. Such an error signal is not enough to drive the d.c. motor. Hence
it is amplified by an amplifier called servoamplifier. Such a signal obtained from a
servoamplifier is applied to the field winding. With the help of constant current source, the
armature current is maintained constant.
The circuit is shown in the Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Field controlled d.c. servomotor

When there is change in the voltage applied to the field winding Vf, the current through field
winding changes. This changes the flux produced by the field winding responsible for the change
in the motor characteristics. The motor has large Lf/Rf ratio where Lf is the field inductance
and Rf is and is the field resistance. Due to this the time constant of the motor is high. Control
signals hence field controlled d.c. servomotor is uncommon in practice.
Features of Field Controlled D.C. Servomotor
It has following features :
1. It is preferred for small rated motors
2. It has large field inductance to resistance ratio.
The ratio of inductance to resistances determines the time constant and hence the time constant
of field controlled d.c. servomotor is large.
3. The overall operation is an open loop system.
4. The control circuit is simple to design.

Armature controlled d.c. Servomotor

In a armature controlled d.c. servomotor, the control signal available from the servoamplifier is
applied to the armature of the motor. The field winding is supplied with constant current hence
the flux remains constant. So these motors are also called as constant magnetic flux motors. It is
easy to keep field current constant rather than armature current. This is because presence of back
e.m.f. in the armature.
The circuit of armature controlled d.c. motor is shown in the Fig. 2.
 Armature controlled d.c. motor

In some case constant field is obtained with the help of permanent magnets. A control
signal Va (t) available from the servoamplifier, is applied to the armature. This signal is based on
the feedback information, supplied to the controller. Due to this, armature current Ia changes
which inturn changes the torque produced. This changes the output of the motor as per the
requirement. As flux is kept constant, the torque developed is proportional to the armature
current.
The Ra and La are the resistance and inductive values of the armature, respectively. The
inductance is usually small and can be neglected.
1.1 Features of Armature Controlled D.C. Motor
1. It is suitable for large rated motors.
2. The value of armature inductance is small. Hence its time constant is small. Hence motor can
give quick response to the changes in the control signal.
3. The overall operation is a closed loop system.
4. The back e.m.f. provides internal damping which makes the motor operation more stable.
5. The efficiency and overall performance is better than field controlled motor.
Characteristics of a d.c. Servomotor
The torque-speed characteristics of a d.c. motor basically describes the static torque producing
capability of the motor with respect to applied voltage and motor speed.
The effect of armature inductance is negligible in the steady state and hence the torque
equation for a d.c. servomotor can be written as
Tm = Km Ia (flux is constant)
where Km = Motor constant
ωm = Speed in rad/sec
Va = Applied armature voltage
From the above equation (IV), it can be seen that the graph of Tm against ωm is a straight
line which is dropping in nature, for constant value of Va . This line represents torque-speed
characteristics of a d.c. servomotor, for constant Va .
Fig. shows a typical set of torque-speed characteristics for various values of applied voltage.

Torque-speed characteristics of d.c. servomotor

The slope of the characteristics can be obtained from the equation (IV), which is expressed
as,
 The slope of such characteristics is negative.
The torque-speed characteristics of d.c. servomotors are determined experimentally in
practice, by conducting various tests on the servomotor.
Other Performance Characteristics
The performance characteristics other than the torque-speed characteristics of a d.c.
servomotor are shown in the Fig..

Performance characteristics of a typical d.c. servomotor

As torque developed increases, the current and power input increases while the efficiency
increases upto certain limit and then starts decreasing.
Applications of dc servomotor
As mentioned earlier, due to the advantages of closed loop operation, armature controlled d.c.
servomotors is more preferred than field controlled d.c. servomotor. Let us see one or two
applications in detail.
Servostabilizer
The supply voltage in practice may vary due to number of reasons. But such variations in the
supply voltage are undesirable for many practical applications. The supply voltage for various
appliance is required to be kept constant.
The stabilizer is a device which keeps the output voltage constant, accepting a variable
voltage. In a servostabilizer there is a transformer whose secondary can be smoothly tapped
using a servomotor drive. The servomotor drives the shaft and controls the position of tap on the
secondary as per the control signal, to keep output constant.
 The armature controlled d.c. servomotor is used for such servostabilizer. Any change in the
secondary voltage is fed back to the error detector. The error signal is generated, comparing it
with a reference input. This is given to the controller which decides proper controlling action.
The signal from the controller is not enough to drive the servomotor. Hence the signal obtained
from the controller is amplified and then given to the armature of the servomotor, which inturn
adjusts the tapping on the secondary to keep voltage constant.
The entire scheme is shown in the Fig. 5.

Application of d.c. servomotor : Servostabilizer

Position Control System

In such application, it is required to keep the position of the load constant. Such a system
where output position is kept constant is called as position control system. The output position is
sensed and fedback to the potentiometer used as an error detector. For any change in the output
position θL, the potentiometer generates an error signal proportional to the difference θr and θL.
The θr is the reference position corresponding to the ideal output position. The error signal is
given to the amplifier and the output of the amplifier is given to the armature of a d.c. motor. The
d.c. motor maintains the output shaft position constant. The entire scheme is called d.c. position
control system which is shown in the Fig. 6.
 Application of d.c. servomotor : D.C. position control system

The other applications of d.c. servomotors are,

1. Air craft control systems
2. Electromechanical actuators
3. Process controllers
4. Robotics
5. Machine Tools
Comparison Between A.C. and D.C. servomotors

A.C Servomotor D.C. Servomotor

1) Low power output of about 0.5 W to 100 1) Deliver high power output
W.

2) Efficiency is less about 5 to 20 %. 2) High Efficiency.

3) Due to absence of commutator 3) Frequent maintenance required due to

maintenance is less. commutator.

4) Stability problems are less. 4) More problems of stability.

5) No radio frequency noise. 5) Brushes produce radio frequency noise.

6) Relatively stable and smooth operation. 6) Noisy operation.

7) A.C. amplifier used have no drift. 7) Amplifiers used have a drift.

Comparison Between armature Controlled and Field Controlled D.C. Servomotors

Field Controlled Armature Controlled

1) Due to low power requirement amplifiers 1) High power amplifiers are required to design
are simple to design.

2) Control voltage is applied to the field. 2) Control voltage is applied to the armature.

3) Time constant is large. 3) Time constant is small.

4) This is open loop system. 4) This is closed loop system.

5) Armature current is kept constant. 5) Field current is kept constant.

6) Poor efficiency. 6) Better efficiency.

7) Suitable for small rated motors. 7) Suitable for large rated motors.

8) Costly as field coils are must. 8) Permanent magnet can be used instead of field
coils which makes the motor less expensive.