Transfer Function of Armature Controlled DC Motor:

The speed of a dc motor can be controlled by varying the voltage applied to the armature of a
dc motor. A separately excited dc motor with variable armature voltage finds application as a
drive motor in a variable speed drive. The variable armature voltage is provided by a phase
controlled rectifier. The schematic of a Transfer Function of Armature Controlled DC Motor
is shown below.

The torque developed by the dc motor

𝑇𝑑 = 𝐾𝜃𝑖𝑎 (1)

where:

Φ is air gap flux

ia is armature current

K is a constant

Neglecting the effects of saturation and armature reaction we have the air gap flux proportional
to the field current. That is

𝜃 = 𝐾𝑓 𝑖𝑓 (2)

Because if is constant the torque developed is given by

𝑇𝑑 = 𝐾𝑡 𝑖𝑎 (3)

where, Kt is motor constant. The armature voltage ea is supplied by the thyristor converter.
The armature circuit equation is given by

𝑑𝑖𝑎
𝑒𝑎 = 𝑖𝑎 𝑟𝑎 + 𝐿𝑎 + 𝑒𝑏 (4)
𝑑𝑡

eb in Eq. (4) is the rotational (back) emf induced in the armature and is proportional to the
product of speed and flux. But, the flux of the motor is constant. Therefore, the dynamic
equation of the motor giving the torque balance can be written as

𝑑𝜔
𝐽 + 𝑓𝜔 = 𝐾𝑡 𝑖𝑎 (5)
𝑑𝑡
Assuming the initial conditions to be zero, Laplace transforms of Eq. (4) can be written as

𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) = 𝑟𝑎 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐿𝑎 𝑠𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐸𝑏 (𝑠) (6)

𝐸𝑏 (𝑠) = 𝐾𝑒 𝜔(𝑠) (7)

𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) = 𝑟𝑎 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐿𝑎 𝑠𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐾𝑒 𝜔(𝑠)

𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) = (𝐿𝑎 𝑠 + 𝑟𝑎 )𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐾𝑒 𝜔(𝑠) (8)

Hence,

𝐸𝑎 (𝑠)−𝐾𝑒 𝜔(𝑠)
𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) = (9)
(𝐿𝑎 𝑠+𝑟𝑎 )

Then Eq. (5) can be written as

𝐽𝑠𝜔(𝑠) + 𝑓𝜔(𝑠) = 𝐾𝑡 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) (10)

(𝐽𝑠 + 𝑓)𝜔(𝑠) = 𝐾𝑡 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) (11)

𝐾𝑡 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠)
𝜔(𝑠) = (12)
(𝐽𝑠+𝑓)

Taking Ea(s) as the input and w(s) as the output, the transfer function w(s)/Ea(s) can be obtained
by eliminating Ia(s) from the equations and illustrate by the following diagram block:

𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) 𝑇𝑑 (𝑠) 𝜔(𝑠)

1 1
𝐾𝑡
𝐿𝑎 𝑠 + 𝑟𝑎 𝐽𝑠 + 𝑓
-
𝐸𝑏 (𝑠)
𝐾𝑒

Closed loop transfer function of the system above is written as:

𝜔(𝑠) 𝐺(𝑠)
𝑇(𝑠) = 𝐸 = 1+𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠) (13)
𝑎 (𝑠)

𝐾𝑡
where: 𝐺(𝑠) = (𝐿 and 𝐻(𝑠) = 𝐾𝑒
𝑎 𝑠+𝑟𝑎 )(𝐽𝑠+𝑓)

𝐾𝑡
𝜔(𝑠) (𝐿𝑎 𝑠 + 𝑟𝑎 )(𝐽𝑠 + 𝑓)
=
𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) 1 + 𝐾𝑡
𝐾
(𝐿𝑎 𝑠 + 𝑟𝑎 )(𝐽𝑠 + 𝑓) 𝑒

𝜔(𝑠) 𝐾𝑡
= (𝐿
𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) 𝑎 𝑠+𝑟𝑎 )(𝐽𝑠+𝑓)+𝐾𝑒 𝐾𝑡

𝜔(𝑠) 𝐾𝑡
=𝐿 (14)
𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) 𝑎 𝐽𝑠2 +(𝐿 𝑎 𝑓+𝑟𝑎𝐽 )𝑠+(𝑟𝑎 𝑓+𝐾𝑒 𝐾𝑡 )
 𝜃(𝑠)
The system also can be modelled in position output, where 𝑇(𝑠) = 𝐸 and the block diagram
𝑎 (𝑠)
is changed to be

𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) + 𝐼𝑎 (𝑠) 𝑇𝑑 (𝑠) 𝜔(𝑠) 1 𝜃(𝑠)

1 1
𝐾𝑡 𝑠
𝐿𝑎 𝑠 + 𝑟𝑎 𝐽𝑠 + 𝑓
-
𝐸𝑏 (𝑠)
𝐾𝑒

𝜃(𝑠) 𝐾𝑡 1
=𝐿 2
𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) 𝑎 𝐽𝑠 +(𝐿𝑎 𝑓+𝑟𝑎𝐽 )𝑠+(𝑟𝑎 𝑓+𝐾𝑒 𝐾𝑡 ) 𝑠

𝜃(𝑠) 𝐾𝑡
=𝐿 (15)
𝐸𝑎 (𝑠) 𝑎 𝐽𝑠3 +(𝐿 𝑎 𝑓+𝑟𝑎𝐽 )𝑠
2 +(𝑟 𝑓+𝐾 𝐾 )𝑠
𝑎 𝑒 𝑡

Normally the armature inductance La is very small and may be neglected.