Dynamic DC Motor Excitation Controller

This paper presents the development of a unique dynamic excitation controller for a DC motor having shunt and series field windings. The main purpose of this study is to increase overall power efficiency of an DC motor across a range of speeds and torques by switching between various field excitation configurations. Controller employs Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) to allow software control of the excitation method used to produce mechanical motion in the motor. Three excitation methods are used: series, separately excited, and cumulatively compounded. Connecting the motor to the voltage source through the IGBT circuit allows software to control which of the three excitation methods should be used based on the speed and torque of the motor at any given time. This switching is shown in this paper to increase the power efficiency by using a decision-making model.