Specifications

CT Corsair Final Report May 2, 2014
8
Servo drives receive command signals from a controller. They amplify the signal and transmit
current to an actuator to produce a proportional motion. The command signal typically represents
velocity but can also represent torques or positions. Unlike induction, servos have an integrated
feedback sensor which reports the shaft’s status to the drive. The drive compares actual status
with the commanded status. It then alters the applied signal pulse width to correct for deviations.
Servo motors are the best choice for this application due to their integrated encoder, minimal
size, and power efficiency. Although induction motors are half the price on average of a servo
motor, the sponsor asked the team to disregard cost when performing motor analysis. An
extensive comparison of both induction and servo motors and drives can be found on the
following page in Table 1.