SERVOMECHANISMS FOR INCREMENTAL MOTION POWER DISSIPATION CONSIDERATIONS

This paper considers the power dissipated in the D.C. servomotor of a servomechanism during incremental motions. Two forms of control are considered, linear control using a velocity reference which is trapezoidal in form, and time-optimal control. Sets of curves are presented which show the relationships between the power dissipated, the duration of each move, and the length of each move. It is the intention that the curves be used as an aid when rating servomotors, and when assessing the most appropriate form of control and the most appropriate reference signal to be used in a given application. Although difficult to achieve in practice, time-optimal control has been used as the basis for comparison since it represents the best performance that can be gained from a servomechanism.