Speed Control Methods of

Various Types of Speed Control

Motors
abstract
There are three speed control motor product
groups. The "AC speed control motor unit" that
uses the most popular single-phase capacitor-run
induction motor, the small and highly efficient
"Brushless DC motor unit", and the "Inverter unit"
that combines a three-phase induction motor with a
small inverter. This article explains the structure,
principle of speed control and the features of each
product group, and our standard products are
introduced.
A large number of motors are being used for
general purposes in our surroundings from household equipment to machine tools in industrial
facilities. The electric motor is now a necessary and
indispensable source of power in many industries.
The function and the performance required for these
motors are wide-ranging. When focusing attention
on the speed control segment of the motor market,
servo and stepping motors control their speed with a
pulse train, while the induction motor and the
brushless DC motor control speed with an external
resistor and/orDCvoltage. This article explains the
structure, the speed control principle, and the
features of the following three product groups that
can control the speed relatively easily by using an
analog input.

AC speed control motor

Brushless DC motor unit
Inverter unit

2. Speed control methods of the various speed

control motors:The output control method of a
speed control circuit can be divided roughly into
two groups: phase control and inverter control,
which make up the product groups shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Classification of speed control motors

2.1. AC speed control motors

2.1.1. Construction of motor:As shown in Fig. 2,

the construction of the single phase and three-phase
induction motors includes a stator where the
primary winding is wound and a basket-shaped,
solid aluminum die cast rotor. The rotor is low-cost
because the structure is simple and does not use a
magnet.

Fig. 2 Construction of induction motor

When the speed of this motor is to be controlled, a
tacho-generator is used to detect the speed and is
attached to the motor as shown in Fig. 3. The tachogenerator is made of a magnet connected directly to
the motor shaft and a stator coil that detects the
magnetic poles, and generates an AC voltage at 12
cycles per revolution. Since this voltage and frequency
increase with a rise of the rotational speed, the
rotational speed of the motor is controlled based on
this signal.

Fig. 4 Rotational speed - torque characteristics of

induction motor
Fig. 3 AC speed control motor system

2.1.2. Principle of speed control:Rotational speed

N of an induction motor can be shown by the
expression (1). When the voltage applied to the
motor is increased and decreased, the slip s changes,
then the rotational speed N will change.
N= 120f (1-s)/P (1)
N: Rotational speed[r/min]
F: Frequency Hz
P: Number of poles of a motor
S: Slip
In the case of an induction motor as shown in Fig.
4, a stable range and an unstable range exists in the
Rotational Speed - Torque curve. Since it is
impossible to reliably operate in the unstable range,
simple voltage control (open loop control) is limited
to controlling the speed in a narrow range like,
N1~N3 in Fig. 5. To make it possible to operate
reliably even in the above-mentioned unstable
range, it is necessary to detect the rotational speed
of the motor and use a voltage control mechanism
(closed-loop control) that reduces the speed error
when compared to a set value.

Fig. 5 Simple voltage control

Available voltage control methods include control by a
transformer or by phase control. Fig. 6 shows when
voltage is controlled by using a transformer. This
method is not so easy to do with an AC speed control
motor. Alternately, the AC voltage can be adjusted by
setting the ON/OFF time of every half cycle of the AC
voltage (50 or 60Hz) applied to the motor using a
switching element (thyristor or triac) that can directly
turn on and off the AC voltage as shown Fig. 7 and Fig.
8. Speed control is obtained by the phase control
method by controlling the r.m.s. value of the AC
voltage.

Fig. 6 Voltage change by transformer

Fig. 10 Waveform for each block

Fig. 7 Voltage change by phase control

Fig. 8 Triac control circuit

This AC speed control method can provide steady speed
control by closed-loop phase control even in the
unstable range.Fig. 9 shows the configuration of the
speed control system for an AC speed control motor in a
block diagram.

Fig. 9 Block diagram of AC speed control motor system

Fig. 10 shows the waveforms of each block. The speed

set value d and the detected voltage e of the speed
generated by a tacho-generator is compared in the
comparison amplifier block. Then the level of the
voltage signal a is determined. The voltage signal a is
low when the speed detected value to the speed set
value rises, and is higher when the speed set value
lowers. Since the trigger signal is output at the point
where the triangular wave b intersects with the voltage
signal a, the timing (phase angle) when the triac is
turned on with a level of the voltage signal a is
determined. When this timing is slow, the voltage
applied to the motor becomes low and the rotational
speed of the motor decreases. The lowered rotational
speed is fed back again and the control is repeated so
that the difference between the speed detected value
and the speed set value may always be constant.Fig. 11
shows the appearance of the above-mentioned speed
control. In Fig. 11, the operation point of the motor
draws a loop of Q-R-S-T-Q centering on O, and the
rotational speed is maintained between N1 and N2. This
loop is reduced as much as possible by increasing the
speed detection accuracy.

2.1.4
Introduction
of
Oriental
Motor
products:Our typical AC speed control motors are
shown below.

Fig. 11 Operation of the speed control

The AC speed control motor has the following

features when using this closed-loop phase control.
1) Since the AC voltage is controlled directly,
the speed control circuit can be configured simply
because a smoothing circuit is unnecessary,
allowing for a compact design at a low price.2) In
the same way, a long-life design is possible because
a large aluminum electrolytic capacitor is
unnecessary.3) The switching is operated only one
time each half cycle of the commercial AC power
supply, which keeps the generated noise low.
2.1.3. CharacteristicsAC motor speed control
motors generally have the Rotational speed-Torque
characteristics shown in Fig. 12.

Designed for
ease
of
when operating
or wiring, with
ES01/ES02
all
of the
functions
required
for
speed control.

US Series

Panel mounted
design for ease
of
use and
simple
functions

Fig. 13 Product group of AC speed

control motors
The AC speed control motor has the following
features when using this closed-loop phase control.
1) Since the AC voltage is controlled directly, the
speed control circuit can be configured simply
because a smoothing circuit is unnecessary,
allowing for a compact design at a low price.
2) In the same way, a long-life design is possible
because a large aluminum electrolytic capacitor is
unnecessary.
3) The switching is operated only one time eachhalf
cycle of the commercial AC power supply, which
keeps the generatednoise low.
2.1.3. Characteristics:AC motor speed control
motorsgenerally have the Rotational speed-Torque
characteristics shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 12 Rotational speed-Torque characteristics

A "Safe-operation line" is included in Fig. 12. The
"Safe-operation line" represents the limitation
where the motor can perform at continuous duty
without exceeding its maximum permissible
temperature.

2.2.2. Principle of speed control: As shown in Fig.

15, the Rotational Speed-Torque characteristics of a
brushless DC motor show a negative sloping
characteristic when its speed is not controlled which
is similar to that of a brushed DC motor.

Fig. 12 Rotational speed-Torque characteristics

A "Safe-operation line" is included in Fig. 12. The
"Safe-operation line" represents the limitation
where the motor can perform at continuous duty
without exceeding its maximum permissible
temperature
2.2. Brushless DC Speed Control unit
2.2.1. Construction of motor:As for the
construction of a brushless motor, a coil is starwired (Y-wired) with three-phases: U, V, and W
and is located in the stator, and the rotor is made of
magnets magnetized in a multi-pole configuration
as shown in Fig. 14. Inside the stator, three hall ICs
are arranged as magnetic elements so that the phase
difference of the output signal from each hall IC
will be 120 degrees apart for every rotation of the
rotor.

Fig. 14 Construction of a brushless DC motor

Fig. 15 Rotational speed-Torque characteristics

of a brushless DC motor
When no load is applied and the input voltage is set
at V2 in Figure 15, the operation point of the motor
becomes P, and the rotational speed is N1. When
the load torque T1 is applied, the operation point
shifts to Q, and the rotational speed slows to N2,
however, the rotational speed returns to N1 if the
voltage is raised to V3. Therefore, since the
rotational speed changes whenever the load torque
changes, the speed control mechanism will only
have to change the input voltage whenever a change
in the speed is seen in order to maintain a constant
speed on the PR line. This voltage control is
realized by an inverter in the output part of the
control circuit (driver). This inverter generates a
three-phase AC voltage from DC current by turning
ON and OFF like the sequence shownin Fig. 16 (b)
by using the six switchingelements (FET or IGBT)
shown in Fig. 16 (a)

Fig. 16 (a) Output part of control circuit

(driver

Fig. 16 (b) Switching sequence

The switching elements are connected to the motor
winding as shown in Fig. 16 (a), and the ON/OFF
state of the switching element determines which
coil of the stator is energized and in which direction
the current will flow, that is, which coil
becomesaNpoleorSpole. In fact, the position of the
rotors magnetic pole is detected by the hall IC, and
an appropriate switching element is turned ON or
OFF as shown in Fig. 16 (b). For example, in case
of step 1, the transistors Tr1 and Tr6 are turned ON,
and the current flows from the U-phase to the Wphase. At this time, U-phase is excited as an N pole
and W-phase becomes a S pole, and the rotor rotates
by 30 degrees moving to step 2. One rotation of the
rotor is made by repeating this operation 12 times
(Step 1~12).Fig. 17 shows the configuration for the
speedcontrol of a brushless DC motor unit in a
block diagram

Fig. 17 Block diagram of a brushless DC motor

system
The switching sequence of the inverter is decided
by the signal from the hall IC in the positional
detectionpartoftheblockiagram,andthemotorrotates.
Then, the signal from the hall IC is sent to the speed
detector to become a speed signal, and it is
compared with the speed setting signal in the
comparison amplifier block, which then generates a
deviation signal. The value of the motor input
current is determined by the PWM setting block
based on the deviation signal.Brushless DC motor
units have the following features.
1) It has high-efficiency because a permanent
magnet rotor is used and secondary loss is small.

2) The rotor inertia can be reduced, and a highspeed response is obtained.

3) It is possible to downsize the motor because it is
highly efficient.
4) Speed fluctuations with changing loads is low.
Fig. 16 shows a typical switching sequence (120degree energizing method). An evenmore efficient
brushless DC motor system uses a sine-wavedrive
method by obtaining high-resolution rotor position
information from software from the hall IC signal.
This method results in a low-noise drive method
since the current that flows to the motor does not
change rapidly. (2)

BX Series

BX
offer
high
performance and high
function. Outputs up
to 400W.
With
a
control
module,
positioning and torque
limiting functions are
available.

BLF Series

BLF offers high speed

up to 4000 rpm and
conforms
to
safety standards
around the world.
With
the
digital
operator, digital speed
setting and display
are available.

FBL
Series

FBL II is a standard
brushless motor
and
driver
package
with safety standards
approval.

Fig. 18 Comparison of voltages applied by sinewave drive method and120-degree drive method
2.2.3. Characteristics:The Rotational speed-Torque
characteristics of a brushless DC motor system have
a limited duty region in addition to the continuous
operation area. The limited duty operation area is
very effective whenstarting an inertial load.
However, when operation in the limited duty region
is continued for five seconds or more, the driver's
overload protection function is activated and the
motor decelerates to a stop.

II

BLU Series

BLU is a panel
mounted
product designed for
ease of use with safety
standards approval.

Fig. 20 Product group of brushless DC motors

Fig. 19 Rotational speed-Torque characteristics

2.2.4.
Introduction
of
Oriental
Motor
products:Our typical brushless DC motor products
are shown below.

The brushless DC motor product lineup has a wide

range of models that combine drivers and the
brushless DC motors.The high-performance BX and
BLF series use the sine-wave drive method for lownoise operation. In addition, the BX Series can
perform speed control in vertical applications by
combining a motor with an electro-magnetic brake.
Position control and torque limiting also are
possible with optional system enhancement tools.
2.3. Inverter Speed Control unit
2.3.1. Principle of speed control
The inverter unit controls the speed of a three-phase
induction motor by changing the frequency, f, of the

voltage applied to the motor. The inverter unit

changes the frequency, f, by changing the ON/OFF
cycle of the six switching elements, and the
rotational speed (N) of the motor changes in
proportion to the expression in formula(1).
N= 120f (1-s)/P (1)
N: Rotational speed [r/min]F: Frequency Hz P:
Number of poles of a motor S: Slip
In addition, to make the voltage applied to the
winding have a sine-wave shape, the inverter
controls the ON/OFF duty cycle as shown in Fig.
21. The ON/OFF time is controlled so that the
average voltage applied to the motor becomes a
sine-wave shape by comparing the triangular wave
called a carrier signal with the sine-wave shaped
signalwaveform. This method is called PWM
control.

Torque [Nm]
Power supply voltage [V]
Motor current [A]
Frequency [Hz]
Constant
However, the lower the speed is, the more difficult
it is to keep constant the input impedance of the
induction motor with the change in f. Therefore, to
obtain a torque that is constant from low speed to
high speed it is necessary to adjust the V/f ratio at
low speed in accordance to the characteristics of the
motor like the solid line shown in Fig. 23

Fig. 23 V/f control

2) Closed-loop control:Fig. 24 shows the block
diagram configuration of theclosed-loop control
system used in our BHF Series.
Fig. 22 Block diagram of open-loop control
This method is used to change the input voltage and
frequency of the motor according to a set frequency.
This method is suitable for changing speed and can
obtain high speeds (The frequency can be set up to
80Hz.) simply when speed regulation with varying
loads is not so much of a concern. The generated
torque T of the motor is shownby the formula (2).
From this relation, it can be said that the torque will
also be constant by making V/f, the ratio of voltage
V to frequency f, constant.

Fig. 24 Block diagram of closed-loop control

This method detects the phase difference between

the voltage of the inverter output block and the
primary current, which calculates the driving
frequency corresponding to the load using the
characteristics data table (Fig. 25) prepared
beforehand, and controls the inverter frequency
without the need for a speed sensor on the motor.

Fig. 26 Rotational Speed-Torque characteristics

for open-loop control

Fig. 25 Characteristics data table

With this characteristic table and the detected phase
difference time t, the inverter calculates an inverter
output frequency that corresponds to the rotational
speed command Nset set by the speed
potentiometer, and outputs it as the inverter output
frequency. After receiving the output frequency, the
V/f control block calculates the voltage applied to
the motor corresponding to the output frequency f,
and performs the speed control by driving the PWM
inverter. As a result, when a load is applied, the
output frequency of the inverter is boosted so that
the decrease in the rotational speed may be
compensated for. (3).

Fig. 27 Rotational Speed-Torque characteristics

for closed-loop control
2.3.3. Introduction of Oriental Motor products

BHF
Series

BHF is a safety
standards approved
inverter product. Use in
vertical operations is
possible with an electromagnetic brake.

FE100/2
00

FE
is
a
panel
mounted inverter
designed for ease
of use. For use with
our safetystandardappro
ved 3-phase AC motors.

2.3.2. Characteristics
The Rotational Speed-Torque characteristics of the
inverter unit are shown Fig. 26 and Fig. 27. As
explained in the AC speed control motor section, a
"Safe-operation line" is drawn on the torque
characteristic. This line represents the limit for the
continuous operation, and the area under this line is
called the continuous operation area.

Fig. 28 Product group of inverters

Since the constant for all of our motors is preset in the speed control circuit of the inverter unit, the best
performance of the motor can be obtained. In addition, the BHF and UV Series operated in closed-loop control
mode can be used in vertical applications by combining a motor with an electro-magnetic brake.
CONCLUSION:
Oriental Motor offers three product groups (AC speed control motors, brushless DC speed control motors, and
inverter units) for use in a wide range of speed control applications. The proper speed control product can be
selected according to the function, the performance, the cost, and the purpose desired for your application.Table
1 shows the wide range of speed control performance (gear ratio and maximum speed) and the speed regulation
of typical models in these three product groups.
Table 1 Speed control range and rate of variability of each product group

Oriental Motor will continue to work on product development so that we can offer the products that best meet
the various needs of our customers for in the future.
References
(1) AC Motor Technology Study Group: Book to understand AC small motor, Kogyo Chosakai Publishing
(1998)
(2) Kazuo Abe: Low-noise drive technology of Brushless motor, RENGA No.163, pp.19-25 (2003)
(3) Koji Namihana, Masayoshi Sato: Newcontrol method of three-phase induction motor, RENGA No.159,
pp.23-28 (1999).