ECE2620 – Laplace Analysis of the Permanent Magnet Brushed DC Motor
A permanent magnet brushed DC motor (the type of motor that spins when connected to a constant
voltage) can be described by the simplified model Kv , where is the angle of the motor shaft,
v is the voltage applied to the motor, is a positive constant known as the motor time constant, and K
d
is a positive constant known as the motor speed constant. Dots indicate time derivatives, so and
dt
d 2
2 .
dt
a) The initial angle and angular velocity of the motor are zero. A unit step in voltage is applied to the
motor. (That is, the voltage to the motor is v (t ) u(t ) .) Determine the Laplace domain position of
the motor ( s ) { (t )} . (Hint: transform the differential equation for the motor to the Laplace
domain and solve for ( s ) .)
b) Use ( s ) from part (a) to determine (t ) for t 0 .
c) What is the steady state speed (or velocity) of the motor? (Note that the motor velocity is ) Hint:
you should be able to determine this from part (b) by inspection.
d) For the solution from part (b), at steady state the motor will spin at a constant speed. How long does
it take the motor to reach 63.2% of its final speed? (Note that 1 e 1 0.6321 )
e) The initial angle and angular velocity of the motor are zero. A step in voltage with magnitude va is
applied to the motor. What is the steady state speed of the motor and how long does it take the
motor to reach 63.2% of its final speed?