Polynomial speed control of electric drive with flexible coupling: Preliminary experiments

The generic polynomial controller for linear, time invariant (LTI) plants is applied to a DC electric drive with significant flexibility of the coupling between the motor and the mechanical load for its speed control. In contrast with a traditional PI controller, the polynomial controller permits independent placement of the closed loop poles to achieve the desired closed loop dynamics. An original contribution is the simple design procedure based on the Settling Time Formula that relates the location of a dominant multiple pole to the settling time of the step response. The model of the flexible drive is presented and expressed as a transfer function. This is used to introduce the general polynomial controller design method. Then step response simulations are presented followed by corresponding experimental runs and comparisons made.