Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE

International Conference on Control Applications

Trieste, Italy 1-4 September 1998 WPOl

Optimization of Speed Control System for Electrical Drives with Elastic Coupling
Joiko Deur, Tomislav KolediC and Nedjeljko PeriC

Faculty of Mechanical Eng. and N a v d Architecture, University of Zagreb, I. LuEiCa 5 , 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Siemens d.d., Heinzelova 70 a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Unska 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
E-mail: josko.deur@fsb .hr , nedjeljko.peric@fer.hr

Abstract In h s contribution an analytical optimization

Analytxal procedure of speed control system
optimization for electrical dnves with elastic coupling is
presented. The optimization and comparative analysis of
the control system are provided with the aid of the
damping optimum for four state controller types of
different order, assuming a wide range of variation of
characteristic process parameters ratios. The behaviour of
the optimized system with the respect to reference value
and disturbance has been examined by computer
simulation and experimentally.
1. Introduction
Controlled electrical drives are usually implemented
using a cascade control structure with a proportional-
integral (PI) speed controller tuned according to the
symmetrical optimum [l]. However, it is generally
recognized that electrical drives with considerable
transmission elasticity utilizing such a speed control
system tend to develop undesirable poorly damped
torsional vibrations [2]. It is therefore important to
research the possibility of torsional vibrations damping,
while retaining the simple and widely used PI speed
controller but modaing the control system optimization
procedure is presented and the respective behaviour of the
control system analyzed for four Merent state controller
types, assuming a wide range of variation of characteristic
ratios of process parameters. It is assumed that all the state
variables of the mechanical system are directly
measurable. However, the optimization results being
readily applicable to the case of state estimator application
because of separation principle. The behaviour of the
optimized control system has been examined by computer
simulation and exyerimentally.
2. Structure of control system
The considered digital speed control system (Fig. 1)
has a cascade structure in which the speed controller sets
the reference value mlR for the inner torque (current)
control loop [ 11.
U

procedure talung into account the transmission elasticity. Fig. 1. Block diagram of speed control system
If well-damped response of an optimized speed control
system with a PI controller is impossible to obtain for
given process parameters, the PI controller must be Process
expanded by adding stabilization feedback paths. If only a The mechanical system of a large number of electrical
single feedback path is introduced for the coupling torque drives with significant transmission elasticity may
[4] or the differential speed [5], the so-called PLn and PISO conveniently be described by an elastic two-mass system
controllers are obtained. Both of these controller types (Fig. 2) [l, 31. All system quantities are referred to the
including the PI controller actually function as a reduced- shaft and normalized [4]. Friction and backlash effects are
order state controllers. The full-order state controller with neglected.
two additional feedback paths for the load speed and The transfer h c t i o n of the mechanical system is
torsional angle provides additional capability 141.
Introduction of additional feedback paths imposes the need
for additional sensors. However, this problem may be
overcomed by using either the Luenberger state estimator
[5] or a partial estimator of the coupling torque [4]. where
Control system optimization is the next step following
selection of appropriate controller structure. The aim of
the optimization procedure is to obtain well-damped
system response at least possible response time and
efficient disturbance rejection (i.e. compensation of load
torque effect). For this purpose, it is convenient to apply
the simple and powerful analytical optimization method
utilizing the damping optimum, which has been originally
described in [6], modlfied for discrete-time control systems
in 271 and widely used in optimizing controlled electrical
drives [4].

0-7803-4104-X/98/$10.0001998 IEEE

319

Because of the very small value of the damping ratios 6
and c2 (only a few percentages) [4, 81, additional
conjugate-complex pairs of poles and zeros occur in the
transfer function (1) of the elastic two-mass system in
contrast to a stiff system. The presence of a weakly-
damped pair of poles is manifested by the development of
The series connection of the sampler and the zero-order
hold has the same transfer function G,(s)=G,,(s). For the
purpose of equivalent continuous-time control system
design, all the three process lag terms with their small
(parasitic) time constants may be approximated by a single
system lag term [7]:
with the time constant
T

weakly-damped torsional vibrations in the inadequately Tx = T e j + 2 f - = T e i + TI

2
controlled electrical drives. On the other hand, the weakly-
damped pair of zeros exerts a compensating (stabilizing) The dynamic system behaviour is characterized by two
dimensionless coefficients [4]: the ratio of the moment of
effect. Since these zeros do not occur in the transfer inertia of the load to motor (the inertia ratio)
function between the motor torque ml and the load speed
m,the control system is more convenient to implement
with a feedback path for the motor speed q [2].
and the ratio of the mechanical systein resonance
frequency to the bandwidth of the system lag term (10)
(the frequencies ratio)
r j = R,/T;' = T, R,

Controller

I I
I - 1

ml,m2 - motor and load torque

q, wz - motor and load speed
m - coupling torque
Aa - torsional angle
A 0 = wl-@ - differential speed
TM, TM, - motor and load mechanical time constant
c, d - stiffness and damping coefficient of transmission
( T, = Is - base quantity for time)
d
Fig. 2. Elastic two-mass system. Mechanical scheme (a) and
block diagram (b) Fig. 3. Block diagrams offour speed controller types.
PI (a) , PLn (b) , PLw(c) and state controller (4
With respect to the design of the slower superiinposed
speed control system, the inner torque (current) control Four different types of speed controller represented by
loop of a DC or vector controlled AC drive can be block diagrams in Fig. 3 are discussed. An integral term
approximated by the equivalent lag term [I] ensuring steady-state accuracy of the control system with
respect to load torque disturbance action is present in main
(7) branch of all controllers. One or several proportional
terms, depending on the number of measurable mechanical
system state variables, are present in the feedback paths.
It is assumed that the speed is reconstructed by time- If only the motor speed CO, is measurable, a PI
differentiation of the measured position. The transfer controller is applied. After introducing an additional
function of the measuring term is feedback path for the coupling torque in [4] or the
differential speed Aw = CO, - [SI, the PIm and PIACO
controllers are obtained. A state controller is obtained by
measurement of the motor and load angle al and a2 and
where T is sampling time. The corresponding continuous- reconstruction of the state variables y, y and
time transfer function is Aa=al-a2[4].
PI, P I m and PIACOare actually reduced-order state
L = -1-CTS
Gnio ( s >w= (s) - e-05Ts
z
-
1
(9) controllers. The state controller may be regarded as a full-
Q5Ts+ 1
N
'
w(s) Ts order state controller since only the parasitic state of the
system term (lo) remains uncontrolled.

320
 3. Optimization of control system
The transfer function of the closed-loop system is
derived from the block diagrams of the control system,
mechanical system and controllers (Figs. 1-3) and the
simplified transfer function (10) of the system lag term:
Different equations are obtained for the characteristic
polynomial coefficients a,,. ..,a5 for different controller
types. By equating the lower coefficients a,, ...,a*, with
the corresponding lower (dominant) coefficients of the
characteristic fifth-order polynomial of the damping
optimum [6,4]:
+D3D:T3s3 +D2C2s2+ Q + 1 (15)
the equations for total Y controller parameters (Table 1)
and equivalent time constant T, (Table 2) are obtained.
The optimal controller parameters are calculated by
inserting the optimal value 0.5 for the dominant
characteristic ratios:
D2 =. ..= Dy+, = 0.5 . (16)
The following equations for the nondominant
characteristic ratios are valid irrespective of controller
type:
Dividing (17) by (IS) yields the relation between
equivalent and system time constant
Since the state controller has Y = 4 parameters, it can
set all characteristic ratios (16) at the optimal value 0.5.
The control system step response has a well-damped, so-
called quasiaperiodic form with an overshoot of 6% and
time to first steady state value of 1.8Te.
The PI controller has the least number of parameters
and can therefore set the optimal value of only two
dominant characteristic ratios D2 and D3. This will suffice
to retain a well-damped response provided that the
following two conditions are satisfied:
D4 < 1.4D40pt= 0.7 ; (20)
D5-0.6
-___
A=D,D, <Amax(Ds)=AO+(A1-AO)(l-e
A, =0.376, A, = 0.645, 6 , = 1.1 . (21)
Condition (2 1) states that the lower dominant ratio D5 may
increase arbitrarily beyond the value of 0.5 if the ratio D4
decrease concomitantly. However, the factor A = D4D5
must not exceed the value A,, which has been
determined numerically, observing the requirement of
equality between the real parts of the nondominant
weakly-damped and dominant well-damped conjugate-
complex pair of roots of the characteristic polynomial (15).
Interpolation of the so obtained data Amax=f(D5)by the
exponential curve f according to (21) ensures an accuracy
better than 95%.
The optimization procedure is elaborated bellow for
each controller type separately. It was simplified by
assuming that
5-52=0. (22)
The behaviour of the optimized system with respect to the
reference value and disturbance (load torque m2) is
examined by simulation assuming a sampling time of
T = 5 ms and the following fixed process parameters
no= 30 s-’ and’ T = 0.1 s, while the remaining process
parameters varied in response to variation of ratios YM and
rEMdefined by (12) and (13).
PI controller
On inserting (22), the equation from Table 2 is
transformed to
m m
(23)
It can be shown that one of the solution of the cubic
equation (23) is too small, approximately equaling Tx.
Dividing the polynomial P(T,) by (T, - T d and inserting
D2 =D3=0.5,a quadratic equation is obtained
T2- 3T,T, - (3T; +SQ$) = 0
with the following physically acceptable solution
The relative error of the approximate solution (25) is less
than 5% over a wide range (TZQo2< 10) of process
parameter values.
The equivalent time constant (25) varies in response to
process parameter changes between two extremes:
soft coupling, TxQ02 < rm = T,Q, << 1 : (26)
stiff coupling, T,Q,, >> 1 r,, >> 1 ; (289
T, = 3,STI -4TI . (29)
Equation (27) indicates that in the case of soft coupling the
response time depends on the load resonance frequency
Ro2,i.e. tends to increase with increasing inertia ratio YM
(Fig. 5a). In the case of stiff coupling the expected result
(29) is obtained in accordance with symmetrical optimum
), [ 11, which is a special case of the damping optimum.
The area of favorable reference response damping is
obtained in (rM, rEM)plane by the conditions (20) and
(21), assuming that the critical value Am%is not exceeded
by more than 15% (Fig. 4). Weakly-damped (oscillating)
response is obtained at low inertia ratios (approx. rM< 1)
and high frequencies ratios (approx. rBM> 1) as evidenced
by responses shown in Figs. 5a and 6a. At high
frequencies ratios rEbf,significant and almost undamped
torsional vibrations are observed, especially in the load
step response.
32 1
 Table 1. Equationsfor optinial parameters of different controller types

I I’hw controllcr Statc controller 1

Table 2. Equahonsfor equivalent time constant T, of closed-loop systems utilizing different controller types

PIm controller The complex solution obtained for D4=0.5 at higher values
Inserting (22) into the equation from Table 2 yields of the ratios r M and rEbf may be overcomed by delaying the
system with decreasing characteristic ratio D4 according to
D4D:D@i!2t2T,c3 +
- D3D32i2c2 1 = 0 . (30) D4 = min(0.5, D,,,,) . ( 35 )
Analysis of the cubic equation (30) provides the following In the case of soft coupling (rEM<< I), the highest
physically acceptable solution coefficient of the cubic equation (30) is negligible, and
hence the same result (27) is obtained as for the PI
r, = 2 p cos(-) P +3 X cp (31) controller. In the case of stiff coupling (rEM>> a),
D4=D4- is valid which yields p = 0 and finally
where (D2=D3=0.5):

Inserting (36) and (22) into (19) yields after rearranging

4
p= (33)
3 0 , T,!2: (37)
The solution is real if the following condition is satisfied
Equation (37) indicates that with increasing frequencies
ratio rEM,especially at low inertia ratios rM, the well-
damped response condition (21), and even the necessaly
system stability condition ( A < 1) are no longer satisfied.

322
 The impaired control system stability resulting from
violation of condition (21) may be reversed by delaying the
system with increasing equivalent time constant according
to (19):
r,= T, - 4TX
(38)
( ~ 5) m QD,
~a4 Amax (55
where the estimated value of the nondominant ratio D5 is
computed using the PI controller optimization procedure
(with rM= 1 substituted for r M > 1). According to (21), Amax
is bounded by 0.376 and 0.645, so that the following is
true
6.2T, < T, < 10.6T, . (39)
Since the equivalent time constant T, no longer satisfies
equation (30), the integral time constant of the controller
(unlike the gains KCo1and Km) is computed as follows
(C=r2=0)
instead according to equation from Table 1.
As shown in Fig. 4, the area of favorable reference
response damping is significantly extended in comparison
with the system utilizing the PI controller, resulting in
well-damped reference response even at higher frequencies
ratios r E M 2 1 (Fig. 6b). Torsional vibrations still occur at
the load step response but they have a significantly smaller
amplitude and are more adequately damped than those of
the PI controller-based system. The benefits of introducing
a feedback path for the coupling torque are also reflected
in well-damped system response at low inertia ratios rbf
(Fig. 5b), with the exception of a relatively narrow range
of frequencies ratios around rEM = 0.5 (Fig. 4).
10
-+ PIm controller
0 1 1
10
Fig. 4. Area of well-damped reference response of optimized
control system (whole (rM,rBM)plane for P I A 0 and state controller)
PIA^ controller
On inserting (22), the equation from Table 2 is
transformed into the biquadratic equation
D 4 D ~ D ~ Q @ ~ 2-
T ,D2Qi2T,2
4 + 1= 0 (41) . low inertia ratios rM the PI controller does not perform
with the following physically acceptable solution
( 0 2 =D3=0.5):
(42)
The solution is real if the following condition is satisfied
323
rl
D4 < DJmaX= -.!- (43)
l+r,
At higher inertia ratios r M , the value of the characteristic
ratio D4should be reduced according to (35) from 0.5 to
Dma. The equivalent time constant changes with variations
of the inertia ratio r M as follows:
5.5 4
->T >---, for O<rM 1 3 ,
no e - n o
Comparison of (44) and (27) indicates that at lower inertia
ratios rM<< 1 the PIAOIcontroller provides slower control
system response than the PI and PIm controllers, while at
higher inertia ratios rM>> 1 it provides faster response, as
evidenced by the responses shown in Fig. 5a-c.
Since the equivalent time constant described by (42) is
independent of the system time constant Tx, the system
stability is impaired at higher frequencies ratios rEM.As
with the PIm controller, the problem may be solved by
increasing the equivalent time constant T, according to
(38). Although the time constant T, no longer satisfies
equation (40), all the equations for controller parameters
given in Table 1 are still valid.
As demonstrated by the responses shown in Figs. 5c
and 6c, the optimized controlled system satisfies the well-
damped response conditions (20) and (21) over the entire
plane (rM,rEM)in Fig. 4. Inferior disturbance rejection at
higher frequencies ratios 1) is its only disadvantage
in comparison with the PIm controller.
State controller
Inserting (22) into the equation from Table 2 yields
T,= (45)
D5D4D3D2 D5D4
With optimal values of nondominant characteristic ratios
D4=Ds=0.5, equation (45) gives T, = 16Tz.
Since the equivalent time constant T,is independent of
the resonance frequency of the mechanical system Ro, the
control system response time in the presence of extremely
soft coupling (approx. rEM< 0.25) is less than that of
system containing PI, PIm or PIAOIcontrollers (compare
equations (27) and (44)).
On the other hand, in the case of median or stiff
coupling, the response time would be longer and
disturbance rejection considerably worse than that
provided by a lower order controller (compare T, = 16Tz
with (39) and (29)). This problem may be solved by
increasing the nondominant ratio D5 to the value D5pI
which is obtained by PI controller optimization. Since at
properly, at rM< 0.7 the ratio D5 is set at the value DSPuo
which is obtained by PIAOIcontroller optimization. The
ratio D4 is computed from the boundary well-damped
response equation (21).
The complete state controller optimization procedure is
defined by:
 1 rM = ........... 02 ~ , . .....
5. I
0.3

0.2
PI
0.1
' ,
0.0 o.ob[:,
0.0
, I
0.5
,

1.0
,, , , ,
1.5
, , , , ,

2.0
~ , , , , I

2.5
, , , ,

3.0
, , , , ,
3.5
, , , , ,
4.0
,, , , ,
4.5
, t i s, l,
, , ,

5.0 c&

,;,
PIm 0.1

021T::iI,
tis1
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 20 2.5 3.0 3.5 40 4.5 so b

,,....,
PIAW
0.1
..
,
.,.
00
t/si
0.0 0.2 04 0.6 0.8 1 0 12 14 1.6 18 2.0 C

I U2

State
C.

Fig 5. Responses of optimized control system with respect Fig. 6. Responses of optimized control system with respect
to reference step (AWR= 0.2 at t = 0 ) and load step to reference step (AWR= 0.2 at t = 0 ) and load step
( A m 2 = 0.1 at t Is) for d ~ e r e ncontroller
t types and (Am, = 0.1 at t = 2.5s) for different controller types and
inertia ratios rM (rm = 0.3) frequencies ratio ?'EM (rM = 1)

responses for all drive configurations (Figs. 7a2, b2, c2).

The same is true for the PI controller only in the case of
Amax(D,) ID, , for D5 2 0.6 soft coupling and sufficiently high inertia ratio rM,but the
(48) response of control system is slower (Fig. 7al). In the case
D4 = { O S , forD, <0.6 '
of median coupling, low amplitude response oscillations
are observed (Fig. 7bl). In the critical case of low inertia
As demonstrated by the responses shown in Figs. 5 and ratio rM,the PI controller-based system develop undesired
6, the state controller combines all favorable properties of poorly damped torsional vibrations (Fig. 7c 1).
lower order controllers, and additionally provides faster
responses and superior disturbance rejection at very low
frequencies ratios rEM<O.25. Table 3. Three characteristic groups ofprocess parametersfor
different configurations of electrical drive laboratory model

4. Experimental results

The presented optimization procedure is

experimentally verified at a laboratory model of 2.5 kW
AC drive with adjustable inertia ratio and transmission
stiffness coefficient. Description and initial identification
of the drive laboratory model are presented in [8]. Three
model configurations with different characteristic groups
of process parameters given in Table 3 are considered.
Comparative reference and load step responses of speed
control system with PI and state controllers are shown in
Fig. 7. The state controller provides desired well-damped

324
 PI controller State controller

o.04h
0.02 ' ,

0 00 . .
4@2 - , , , . .....- f
...................................
Is/
0.0 o.'i 0.L 013 o.'4 0,'s 26 a2

0.063 0067

rM = 0.61 0.@4\

0.02

-0.02 ......-. . . . . . . . . . ,-..... ,I.m... . . . . . . - . . .t. .i. .s. ./

0.0 0'1 012 013 014 0,'s 0.'6bl

0.06 1 0 06

vEM = 0.34 002

0 00

. . .....,.- . . . . ,. . - , .-- .......,..._._ 0 02

00 01 02 03 04 05 06 cl 00 01 02 03 04 05 06

Fig. 7. Experimental responses of optimized speed control systems with PI (al. b l , cl) and state (u2, b2, c2) controllers with respect
to reference step ( A m R = -0.05 at t = 0 ) and load step ( b r , = 0.2 at t = 0.3 s ) for dierent inertia (rd and frequency (rEd ratios

5. Conclusion 6. Acknowledgment
The PI speed controller of electrical drives with elastic The authors would like to thank to Ministry of Science
coupling designed according to the damping optimum and Technology and Ministry of Defense of Republic of
provides well-damped reference step responses of the Croatia for financial support of this project.
control system only if the following two approximate
conditions are satisfied: load moment of inertia exceeds 7. References
motor moment of inertia (inertia ratio greater than l), and
resonance frequency of the mechanical system is lower W. Leonhard, "Control of Electrical Drives",
than the bandwidth of the system term (frequencies ratio Springer Verlug, Berlin, 1985.
less than I). D. Schroder, "Requirements in Motion Control
Significant improvement is obtained by expanding the Applications", IFAC Workshop 'Motion Control for
PI controller with a feedback path for the coupling torque. Inelligent Automation ",Perugia, Italy, 1992.
Such a controller provides oscillating reference response of R. Schonfeld, "Digitale Regelung elektrischer
the control system only at frequencies ratio between 0.35 Antriebe", VEB Verlug Technik, Berlin, 1987.
and 0.65 at inertia ratio less than 1. Well-damped U. SchSer, "Entwicklung von nichtlinearen
reference response independently of process parameter Drehzahl- und Lageregelungen zur Kompensation
ratios is obtained with a PI controller expanded with a von Columb-Reibung und Lose bei einein elektrisch
feedback path for the differential speed. Inferior angetriebenen, elastischen Zweimassensystem",
disturbance rejection at frequencies ratio greater than 1 is Dissertation, TU Miinchen, 1992.
its main disadvantage. G. Weihrich, "Drehzahlregelung von Gleichstrom-
The state controller combines the favorable properties antrieben unter Venvendung eines Zustands- und
of low order controllers, while providing faster responses Storgrossen-Beobachters", Regelungstechnik, H. 11,
and efficient disturbance rejection in drives with extremely S. 349-380, H. 12, S. 392-397, 1978.
soft coupling. P. Naslin, "Essentials of Optimal Control", IlGe
At relatively high resonance frequency of the Books Ltd, London, 1968.
mechanical system (frequencies ratio greater than 1) H.-P. Trondle, "Anwenderorientierte Auslegung von
disturbance response oscillations are impossible to avoid Abtastreglern nach der Methode der
independently of the controller applied. Nevertheless, Doppelverhaltnisse", Regelungstechnik, M. 12. S.
higher-order controllers generally tend to reduce the 384-391, 1978.
amplitude of oscillations and improve damping. J. Deur, A. BoiiC, N. PeriC, "Laboratory model of
controlled electrical drive with elastic coupling,
friction and backlash", accepted for 1Oth Int. ConJ
Electrical Drives and Power Electronics, Dubrovnik,
Croatia, 1998.

325