Impact of model-order reduction of a dc motor on control systems: An undergraduate laboratory module

Abstract

The control lab module presented in this paper culminates with a hands-on experience of the basic theory given in an introductory control systems course. This module, whichisplaced during the last two sessions of an under graduate control laboratory course, focuseson the modelling of twoDC motors with different characteristics, parameter identification, and the impact of different model-order reduction techniques on control design. This module integrates theoretical, numerical and experimental analysis of practical relevance, and redirects students to focus more on performance measures and analysis. This paper details the objectives, equipment needed, laboratory lectures, experimental procedures, and observation and analysis desired for this module. It also includes assessment results pertaining to student learning. In addition, this paper providesanovel condition for neglecting the armature inductance. This condition, whichis elaborated theoretically and verified experimentally in this paper, isshown tobemore reliable than the two conditions presentedinthe literature.