Final​ ​Project​ ​Lab​ ​Report​ ​-​ ​Forming​ ​the​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed

Curve​ ​Given​ ​an​ ​Arbitrary​ ​Motor

Section:​ ​3,​ ​Group:​ ​7

Jack​ ​Boyd:​ ​311-436
Sean​ ​Kowalik:​ ​974-070
Eric​ ​Perkey:​ ​835-625

MCEN​ ​3047:​ ​Data​ ​Analysis​ ​and​ ​Experimental​ ​Methods

Date:​ ​12/18/2017
1.0​ ​Abstract
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​This​ ​project​ ​explored​ ​the​ ​use​ ​and​ ​application​ ​of​ ​an​ ​encoder,​ ​which​ ​was​ ​used​ ​in​ ​this​ ​project​ ​to
measure​ ​the​ ​rotational​ ​speed​ ​of​ ​three​ ​motors​ ​at​ ​different​ ​voltage​ ​levels,​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​recreate​ ​the
Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​curves​ ​of​ ​each​ ​respective​ ​motor​ ​while​ ​hoisting​ ​up​ ​masses.​ ​ ​The​ ​encoder​ ​was
attached​ ​to​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​an​ ​81:1​ ​custom​ ​gearbox​ ​where​ ​a​ ​pulley​ ​was​ ​used​ ​to​ ​pull​ ​up​ ​increasing
masses.​ ​ ​The​ ​motors​ ​were​ ​individually​ ​attached​ ​to​ ​the​ ​other​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gearbox​ ​and​ ​were​ ​tested​ ​at
four​ ​different​ ​voltage​ ​levels​ ​each.​ ​ ​This​ ​resulted​ ​in​ ​voltage​ ​measurements​ ​correlating​ ​to​ ​the
rotational​ ​speed​ ​of​ ​the​ ​motors.​ ​ ​Current​ ​was​ ​measured​ ​using​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​multimeter.​ ​ ​With​ ​the
speed​ ​and​ ​current​ ​measurements,​ ​the​ ​power​ ​and​ ​efficiency​ ​curves​ ​within​ ​the​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed
curves​ ​were​ ​then​ ​derived​ ​for​ ​the​ ​motors​ ​at​ ​each​ ​voltage​ ​level.

2.0​ ​Introduction/Background​ ​Information

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​DC​ ​motors​ ​are​ ​commonly​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​engineering​ ​classroom.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​used​ ​in​ ​robots,​ ​model
cars,​ ​and​ ​other​ ​teaching​ ​applications​ ​in​ ​the​ ​education​ ​system.​ ​When​ ​one​ ​class​ ​uses​ ​a​ ​motor​ ​for​ ​a
project,​ ​they​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​return​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​and​ ​is​ ​re-used​ ​for​ ​future​ ​projects.​ ​After​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​years
of​ ​use,​ ​the​ ​specs​ ​of​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​are​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​lost.​ ​Some​ ​applications​ ​do​ ​not​ ​need​ ​a​ ​specific
motor,​ ​but​ ​some​ ​do​ ​need​ ​certain​ ​specifications.​ ​A​ ​group​ ​may​ ​need​ ​a​ ​high​ ​torque​ ​motor​ ​instead​ ​of
a​ ​high​ ​RPM.​ ​Every​ ​motor​ ​is​ ​made​ ​differently.​ ​Some​ ​have​ ​a​ ​higher​ ​speed​ ​while​ ​others​ ​provide
more​ ​torque.​ ​Regardless​ ​of​ ​the​ ​application,​ ​every​ ​DC​ ​motor​ ​will​ ​have​ ​a​ ​Torque-Speed​ ​curve.
Figure​ ​1​ ​is​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​the​ ​relationship​ ​between​ ​Speed,​ ​Torque,​ ​and​ ​Amperage.​ ​This​ ​plot​ ​was
created​ ​by​ ​inputting​ ​the​ ​no​ ​load​ ​and​ ​stall​ ​values​ ​of​ ​a​ ​known​ ​motor.

Figure​ ​1:​ ​General​ ​Torque-Speed​ ​Curve​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Motor

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​With​ ​this​ ​in​ ​mind,​ ​the​ ​goal​ ​of​ ​this​ ​experiment​ ​was​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​replicate​ ​the​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed
curve​ ​of​ ​any​ ​arbitrary​ ​DC​ ​motor.​ ​Setting​ ​up​ ​a​ ​testing​ ​apparatus​ ​that​ ​can​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​values​ ​of
speed,​ ​current,​ ​and​ ​torque​ ​allows​ ​us​ ​to​ ​plot​ ​the​ ​results​ ​as​ ​a​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​curve​ ​and​ ​allows​ ​us​ ​to
spec​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​tested.​ ​Stall​ ​torque,​ ​stall​ ​current,​ ​no​ ​load​ ​speed,​ ​and​ ​no​ ​load​ ​current​ ​are​ ​the​ ​four
most​ ​important​ ​values​ ​for​ ​a​ ​motor.​ ​The​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​curve​ ​allows​ ​us​ ​to​ ​categorize​ ​the​ ​motor
as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​show​ ​where​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​is​ ​most​ ​efficient.

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3.0​ ​Procedures
3.1​ ​Voltage​ ​Levels​ ​Used
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​In​ ​this​ ​experiment,​ ​the​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​curves​ ​were​ ​created​ ​by​ ​holding​ ​the​ ​voltage​ ​constant.
Tests​ ​were​ ​done​ ​at​ ​6V,​ ​8V,​ ​10V,​ ​and​ ​12V.​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​us​ ​to​ ​see​ ​how,​ ​or​ ​if,​ ​the​ ​torque​ ​speed
curve​ ​changes​ ​at​ ​different​ ​voltage​ ​levels.​ ​Voltage​ ​was​ ​supplied​ ​by​ ​using​ ​a​ ​power​ ​supply​ ​at​ ​the
stations​ ​within​ ​the​ ​ITLL.
3.2​ ​Motors​ ​Used
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Three​ ​different​ ​motors​ ​were​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​experiment.​ ​One​ ​motor​ ​was​ ​checked​ ​out​ ​from​ ​Dan​ ​in
the​ ​ITLL​ ​while​ ​the​ ​other​ ​two​ ​were​ ​bought​ ​from​ ​SparkFun.​ ​The​ ​checked​ ​out​ ​motor​ ​had​ ​unknown
specs​ ​and​ ​is​ ​labeled​ ​Motor​ ​1​ ​throughout​ ​this​ ​report.​ ​Motor​ ​2​ ​and​ ​Motor​ ​3​ ​were​ ​bought​ ​and​ ​the
specifications​ ​were​ ​known​ ​and​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​the​ ​results​ ​from​ ​the​ ​experiment.​ ​Figure​ ​2​ ​shows
each​ ​motor​ ​used​ ​in​ ​this​ ​project.

Figure​ ​2:​ ​From​ ​left​ ​to​ ​right:​ ​Motor​ ​1,​ ​Motor​ ​2,​ ​Motor​ ​3
3.3​ ​Encoder
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​A​ ​rotary​ ​encoder​ ​was​ ​used​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​speed​ ​of​ ​the​ ​shaft​ ​in​ ​rotations​ ​per​ ​minute​ ​(RPM).
The​ ​encoder​ ​used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​experiment​ ​has​ ​a​ ​PPR​ ​(pulses​ ​per​ ​revolution)​ ​of​ ​1024.​ ​This​ ​means​ ​there
exist​ ​1024​ ​‘ticks’​ ​for​ ​only​ ​one​ ​revolution​ ​of​ ​the​ ​shaft.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​very​ ​precise​ ​and​ ​allows​ ​for
accurate​ ​measurements​ ​at​ ​low​ ​speeds.​ ​The​ ​maximum​ ​RPM​ ​the​ ​encoder​ ​can​ ​measure​ ​is​ ​6000
RPM.​ ​Because​ ​of​ ​this​ ​limitation,​ ​a​ ​gear​ ​box​ ​was​ ​made​ ​to​ ​slow​ ​down​ ​the​ ​shaft​ ​output​ ​of​ ​the
motor.
3.4​ ​Data​ ​Acquisition
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​In​ ​order​ ​to​ ​read​ ​data​ ​from​ ​the​ ​encoder,​ ​a​ ​data​ ​acquisition​ ​instrument​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used.​ ​In​ ​this
experiment​ ​the​ ​USB-6009​ ​National​ ​Instruments​ ​DAQ​ ​was​ ​used.​ ​These​ ​are​ ​the​ ​same​ ​DAQs​ ​given
to​ ​the​ ​group​ ​in​ ​previous​ ​lab​ ​experiments.​ ​The​ ​MATLAB​ ​data​ ​acquisition​ ​application​ ​was​ ​used​ ​to
record​ ​and​ ​save​ ​the​ ​data​ ​from​ ​the​ ​encoder.
3.5​ ​Gearbox
In​ ​order​ ​to​ ​slow​ ​down​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​without​ ​changing​ ​the​ ​voltage​ ​input,​ ​a​ ​gearbox​ ​was​ ​made
to​ ​slow​ ​the​ ​output​ ​shaft.​ ​The​ ​motor​ ​was​ ​coupled​ ​with​ ​the​ ​lego​ ​shaft​ ​which​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​a

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gearbox​ ​that​ ​geared​ ​down​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​81:1.​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​a​ ​motor​ ​spinning​ ​faster​ ​than​ ​6000
RPM​ ​to​ ​be​ ​read​ ​successfully​ ​by​ ​the​ ​encoder.
3.6​ ​Pulley​ ​System
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​To​ ​apply​ ​the​ ​torque​ ​to​ ​the​ ​shaft,​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​pulley​ ​system​ ​was​ ​used.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gear​ ​box,
a​ ​lego​ ​shaft​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​the​ ​encoder.​ ​On​ ​this​ ​shaft​ ​a​ ​circular​ ​lego​ ​piece​ ​was​ ​placed​ ​which​ ​was
able​ ​to​ ​wind​ ​up​ ​a​ ​cable​ ​that​ ​had​ ​a​ ​mass​ ​attached​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end.​ ​The​ ​radius​ ​of​ ​the​ ​circle​ ​was
measured​ ​and​ ​a​ ​weight​ ​was​ ​hung​ ​from​ ​it.​ ​This​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​way​ ​to​ ​apply​ ​a​ ​rotary​ ​torque​ ​to​ ​a​ ​shaft.
The​ ​gearbox​ ​helped​ ​slow​ ​down​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​which​ ​in​ ​turn​ ​allows​ ​enough​ ​cable​ ​to​ ​be​ ​wound​ ​up.
The​ ​data​ ​was​ ​captured​ ​over​ ​three​ ​seconds,​ ​so​ ​there​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​enough​ ​time​ ​for​ ​the​ ​data​ ​to​ ​be
captured​ ​and​ ​for​ ​the​ ​mass​ ​to​ ​not​ ​reach​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​cable.
3.7​ ​Testing​ ​Apparatus
​ ​ ​ ​ ​The​ ​above​ ​systems​ ​were​ ​combined​ ​into​ ​one​ ​testing​ ​apparatus.​ ​The​ ​motor​ ​was​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​a
lego​ ​shaft​ ​by​ ​a​ ​coupler.​ ​The​ ​shaft​ ​entered​ ​the​ ​gearbox,​ ​increasing​ ​the​ ​ratio​ ​to​ ​81:1.​ ​The​ ​output​ ​of
the​ ​gearbox​ ​was​ ​also​ ​a​ ​lego​ ​shaft​ ​where​ ​the​ ​pulley​ ​system​ ​was​ ​placed.​ ​The​ ​shaft​ ​continued​ ​and
was​ ​connected​ ​to​ ​the​ ​encoder​ ​shaft​ ​by​ ​another​ ​coupling.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​full​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​the​ ​apparatus
used​ ​in​ ​the​ ​experiment.​ ​Figure​ ​3​ ​shows​ ​a​ ​picture​ ​of​ ​the​ ​lego​ ​apparatus​ ​and​ ​all​ ​its​ ​parts.

Figure​ ​3:​ ​The​ ​lego​ ​testing​ ​apparatus.

3.8​ ​Recording​ ​Process
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​With​ ​the​ ​testing​ ​apparatus​ ​fully​ ​functional,​ ​two​ ​values​ ​had​ ​to​ ​be​ ​recorded.​ ​Current​ ​and​ ​RPM.
The​ ​power​ ​supply​ ​supplied​ ​the​ ​constant​ ​voltage​ ​to​ ​the​ ​motor.​ ​For​ ​Motor​ ​1,​ ​the​ ​power​ ​supply​ ​was
also​ ​used​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​current.​ ​The​ ​power​ ​supply​ ​displayed​ ​the​ ​voltage​ ​and​ ​current​ ​input.​ ​For
Motors​ ​2​ ​and​ ​3​ ​a​ ​multimeter​ ​was​ ​used​ ​instead.​ ​The​ ​difference​ ​in​ ​current​ ​was​ ​less​ ​dramatic​ ​than
current​ ​from​ ​Motor​ ​1,​ ​so​ ​a​ ​more​ ​precise​ ​method​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​used.​ ​The​ ​multimeters​ ​stationed​ ​at
3
the​ ​computers​ ​in​ ​the​ ​ITLL​ ​were​ ​hooked​ ​up​ ​in​ ​series​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​exact​ ​current
running​ ​through​ ​the​ ​system.​ ​The​ ​RPM​ ​was​ ​measured​ ​with​ ​the​ ​encoder.​ ​Different​ ​torques​ ​were
applied​ ​by​ ​having​ ​different​ ​masses​ ​from​ ​the​ ​pulley​ ​system.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​test​ ​would​ ​start​ ​at​ ​the​ ​lowest
voltage​ ​level,​ ​6V,​ ​and​ ​no​ ​mass​ ​was​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​the​ ​system​ ​(ignoring​ ​the​ ​mass​ ​of​ ​the​ ​cable.)​ ​The
power​ ​supply​ ​was​ ​turned​ ​on​ ​and​ ​the​ ​data​ ​acquisition​ ​tool​ ​ran​ ​for​ ​3​ ​seconds.​ ​The​ ​current
displayed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​power​ ​supply​ ​or​ ​multimeter​ ​was​ ​also​ ​recorded​ ​at​ ​this​ ​time.​ ​Then​ ​mass​ ​was
added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​system​ ​in​ ​increments​ ​of​ ​100g​ ​until​ ​1000g​ ​was​ ​reached.​ ​The​ ​process​ ​was​ ​repeated
for​ ​each​ ​voltage​ ​level​ ​and​ ​each​ ​motor.

4.0​ ​Results​ ​and​ ​Analysis

4.1​ ​Encoder​ ​Data
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​As​ ​discussed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​procedures​ ​section,​ ​the​ ​encoder​ ​was​ ​used​ ​to​ ​measure​ ​the​ ​speed​ ​of​ ​the
shaft​ ​in​ ​rotations​ ​per​ ​minute​ ​(RPM).​ ​Figure​ ​4​ ​shows​ ​how​ ​the​ ​encoder​ ​takes​ ​data.​ ​When​ ​the​ ​shaft
of​ ​the​ ​encoder​ ​rotates,​ ​the​ ​encoder​ ​outputs​ ​a​ ​pulse.​ ​Depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​pulses​ ​per​ ​revolution​ ​(PPR)
of​ ​the​ ​encoder,​ ​more​ ​or​ ​less​ ​pulses​ ​will​ ​be​ ​created​ ​for​ ​one​ ​revolution.​ ​This​ ​information​ ​was​ ​used
in​ ​the​ ​MATLAB​ ​script​ ​created​ ​to​ ​count​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​pulses​ ​recorded.​ ​The​ ​script​ ​counted​ ​each
pulse​ ​over​ ​time​ ​which​ ​plots​ ​a​ ​graph​ ​shown​ ​as​ ​Figure​ ​5.

Figure​ ​4​ ​(left):​​ ​Encoder​ ​output​ ​pulses​ ​over​ ​time.

Figure​ ​5​ ​(right):​​ ​Amount​ ​of​ ​rotations​ ​over​ ​time

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​The​ ​slope​ ​of​ ​this​ ​line​ ​is​ ​the​ ​rotations​ ​per​ ​second.​ ​A​ ​simple​ ​conversion​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​get​ ​RPM.
The​ ​time​ ​axis​ ​window​ ​is​ ​very​ ​small​ ​in​ ​the​ ​graph.​ ​As​ ​stated​ ​before,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​PPR,​ ​the​ ​more
pulses​ ​exist.​ ​The​ ​axis​ ​is​ ​edited​ ​to​ ​be​ ​so​ ​small​ ​as​ ​to​ ​allow​ ​the​ ​viewer​ ​to​ ​visually​ ​see​ ​the​ ​pulses
over​ ​time.
4.2​ ​Torque,​ ​Speed,​ ​and​ ​Current

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​ ​ ​ ​ ​The​ ​current​ ​was​ ​measured​ ​from​ ​a​ ​multimeter​ ​and​ ​a​ ​weight​ ​was​ ​hung​ ​from​ ​the​ ​pulley,​ ​giving
us​ ​three​ ​data​ ​values.​ ​At​ ​each​ ​increment​ ​of​ ​mass,​ ​the​ ​current​ ​and​ ​speed​ ​were​ ​measured​ ​while
keeping​ ​a​ ​constant​ ​voltage.​ ​Figures​ ​6-8​ ​show​ ​the​ ​scatter​ ​plot​ ​of​ ​each​ ​point​ ​at​ ​each​ ​applied​ ​torque,
for​ ​each​ ​motor​ ​at​ ​10V.

Figures​ ​6-8:​​ ​Speed​ ​and​ ​Current​ ​plot​ ​comparison​ ​across​ ​all​ ​three​ ​motors.

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Using​ ​another​ ​MATLAB​ ​script​ ​allowed​ ​us​ ​to​ ​plot​ ​linear​ ​lines​ ​formed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​current​ ​and​ ​RPM
points.​ ​With​ ​no​ ​torque​ ​applied,​ ​the​ ​values​ ​of​ ​no​ ​load​ ​speed​ ​and​ ​no​ ​load​ ​current​ ​are​ ​measured.​ ​As
more​ ​torque​ ​is​ ​applied​ ​to​ ​the​ ​motor,​ ​the​ ​slower​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​will​ ​spin.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​that​ ​RPM
lowers​ ​in​ ​value​ ​as​ ​more​ ​weight​ ​was​ ​added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​pulley​ ​(a​ ​linear​ ​line​ ​with​ ​a​ ​negative​ ​slope.)​ ​It
can​ ​also​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​that​ ​as​ ​more​ ​voltage​ ​is​ ​applied,​ ​the​ ​faster​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​will​ ​spin​ ​overall.​ ​Figure​ ​9
shows​ ​the​ ​current​ ​and​ ​speed​ ​lines​ ​at​ ​each​ ​voltage​ ​level.

Figure​ ​9:​Torque​ ​Speed​ ​curve​ ​at​ ​varying​ ​voltage​ ​levels

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Eventually,​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​would​ ​stop​ ​spinning​ ​which​ ​is​ ​known​ ​as​ ​the​ ​stall​ ​torque.​ ​Current,
however,​ ​has​ ​an​ ​opposite​ ​relationship.​ ​As​ ​more​ ​torque​ ​is​ ​applied,​ ​the​ ​motor​ ​has​ ​to​ ​‘try’​ ​harder​ ​to
move​ ​the​ ​shaft.​ ​More​ ​power​ ​is​ ​needed​ ​so​ ​more​ ​current​ ​is​ ​supplied.​ ​We​ ​can​ ​see​ ​an​ ​increase​ ​in
current​ ​with​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​torque​ ​(a​ ​linear​ ​line​ ​with​ ​a​ ​positive​ ​slope.)​ ​At​ ​the​ ​point​ ​of​ ​stall​ ​torque,
the​ ​stall​ ​current​ ​is​ ​also​ ​known.​ ​Once​ ​these​ ​four​ ​values​ ​are​ ​known,​ ​they​ ​are​ ​inputs​ ​to​ ​the

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MATLAB​ ​script​ ​mentioned​ ​in​ ​the​ ​introduction/background​ ​information​ ​section.​ ​The​ ​Torque​ ​-
Speed​ ​curve​ ​of​ ​each​ ​motor​ ​at​ ​10V​ ​is​ ​shown​ ​below​ ​in​ ​Figures​ ​10-12.

Figures​ ​10-12:​​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​Curve​ ​comparison​ ​between​ ​each​ ​motor

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​It​ ​can​ ​be​ ​seen​ ​that​ ​Motor​ ​1​ ​spun​ ​slower​ ​than​ ​Motors​ ​2​ ​and​ ​3.​ ​However,​ ​Motor​ ​1​ ​was​ ​a​ ​truly
arbitrary​ ​motor;​ ​the​ ​specs​ ​were​ ​unknown.​ ​Motors​ ​2​ ​and​ ​3​ ​had​ ​internal​ ​gear​ ​boxes,​ ​which​ ​were
accounted​ ​for,​ ​and​ ​may​ ​have​ ​resulted​ ​in​ ​faster​ ​speeds.​ ​Motor​ ​1​ ​may​ ​have​ ​had​ ​an​ ​internal​ ​gear
box,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​cannot​ ​be​ ​certain.​ ​Table​ ​1​ ​compares​ ​the​ ​four​ ​values​ ​of​ ​interest.

Motor,​ ​10V No​ ​Load​ ​Speed No​ ​Load​ ​Current Stall​ ​Current Stall​ ​Torque

Motor​ ​1 4434.4​ ​RPM 195.83​ ​mA 731​ ​mA 0.633​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​2 185,540​ ​RPM 50.95​ ​mA 1691.6​ ​mA 1.23​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​3 18,110​ ​RPM 37​ ​mA 496.27​ ​mA 0.408​ ​Nm

Table​ ​1:​ ​Each​ ​motor’s​ ​specifications​ ​from​ ​the​ ​experiment​ ​at​ ​10V.

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Motor​ ​2​ ​is​ ​shown​ ​the​ ​have​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​stall​ ​torque.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​somewhat​ ​surprising​ ​as​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the
smallest​ ​motor​ ​in​ ​size.​ ​Motor​ ​2​ ​spins​ ​much​ ​faster​ ​than​ ​expected.​ ​It​ ​had​ ​an​ ​internal​ ​gear​ ​box​ ​of
100:1​ ​times​ ​a​ ​gear​ ​box​ ​made​ ​of​ ​legos​ ​of​ ​3:1.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​what​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​led​ ​to​ ​the​ ​RPM​ ​being​ ​so
high.​ ​Different​ ​specs​ ​were​ ​seen​ ​at​ ​different​ ​voltages​ ​and​ ​these​ ​tables​ ​can​ ​be​ ​found​ ​in​ ​the
Appendix​ ​section.

5.0​ ​Statistical​ ​Analysis

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​It​ ​is​ ​known​ ​that​ ​DC​ ​motor​ ​speed-torque​ ​curves​ ​and​ ​current-torque​ ​curves​ ​are​ ​linear.​ ​ ​Because
of​ ​this,​ ​linear​ ​regression​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​to​ ​approximate​ ​a​ ​line​ ​of​ ​best​ ​fit.​ ​ ​However,​ ​measured​ ​data
will​ ​never​ ​exactly​ ​follow​ ​this​ ​linear​ ​approximation,​ ​so​ ​the​ ​coefficient​ ​of​ ​determination​ ​(r​2​)​ ​needs
to​ ​be​ ​calculated​ ​to​ ​validate​ ​our​ ​measurements.​ ​ ​Tables​ ​2​ ​and​ ​3​ ​list​ ​the​ ​values​ ​of​ ​r2​​ ​ ​for​ ​the
speed-torque​ ​and​ ​current-torque​ ​curves​ ​respectively.

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 Speed-Torque 6​ ​V 8​ ​V 10​ ​V 12​ ​V

Motor​ ​1 0.9307 0.8311 0.8400 0.6126

Motor​ ​2 0.9990 0.9991 0.9978 0.9921

Motor​ ​3 0.9999 0.9999 0.9998 0.9999

Table​ ​2:​​ ​r2​​ ​ ​values​ ​for​ ​the​ ​speed-torque​ ​approximations

Current-Torqu 6​ ​V 8​ ​V 10​ ​V 12​ ​V

e

Motor​ ​1 0.9472 0.8816 0.7986 0.2848

Motor​ ​2 0.9946 0.9964 0.9950 0.9957

Motor​ ​3 0.9956 0.9979 0.9961 0.9977

Table​ ​3:​​ ​r2​​ ​ ​values​ ​for​ ​the​ ​current-torque​ ​approximations

By​ ​taking​ ​the​ ​mean​ ​and​ ​standard​ ​deviation​ ​from​ ​the​ ​columns​ ​of​ ​data,​ ​the​ ​spread​ ​of​ ​data​ ​can​ ​be
approximated​ ​for​ ​the​ ​measurements,​ ​given​ ​a​ ​specific​ ​voltage.​ ​ ​Figure​ ​13​ ​displays​ ​this​ ​data​ ​in​ ​the
form​ ​of​ ​a​ ​bar​ ​graph​ ​with​ ​error​ ​bars.​ ​ ​As​ ​we​ ​can​ ​see,​ ​the​ ​variation​ ​in​ ​the​ ​data​ ​increases​ ​as​ ​voltage
increases.​ ​ ​This​ ​is​ ​likely​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​the​ ​system​ ​that​ ​was​ ​built​ ​and​ ​used​ ​for​ ​testing​ ​data
would​ ​vibrate​ ​more​ ​violently​ ​as​ ​voltage​ ​increased.

Figure​ ​13:​​ ​Variance​ ​in​ ​measurements​ ​with​ ​respect​ ​to​ ​voltage

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 The​ ​mean​ ​and​ ​standard​ ​deviation​ ​can​ ​also​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​across​ ​the​ ​rows.​ ​ ​This​ ​would​ ​show​ ​how​ ​the
measured​ ​data​ ​varies​ ​with​ ​respect​ ​to​ ​each​ ​motor.​ ​ ​As​ ​shown​ ​in​ ​Figure​ ​14,​ ​the​ ​data​ ​varies​ ​much
more​ ​with​ ​motor​ ​1​ ​than​ ​motors​ ​2​ ​or​ ​3.​ ​ ​This​ ​is​ ​likely​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​more​ ​Lego​ ​gears​ ​were
used​ ​to​ ​gear​ ​down​ ​motor​ ​1​ ​than​ ​the​ ​other​ ​motors.

Figure​ ​14:​​ ​Variance​ ​in​ ​measurements​ ​with​ ​respect​ ​to​ ​motor

Overall,​ ​the​ ​measurements​ ​taken​ ​from​ ​motors​ ​2​ ​and​ ​3​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​fairly​ ​precise,​ ​while​ ​motor​ ​1
was​ ​far​ ​less​ ​reliable.​ ​ ​This,​ ​however,​ ​does​ ​not​ ​mean​ ​that​ ​the​ ​data​ ​is​ ​accurate,​ ​as​ ​it​ ​only​ ​displays
the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​the​ ​data​ ​taken​ ​fits​ ​a​ ​line​ ​well.​ ​ ​In​ ​order​ ​to​ ​record​ ​more​ ​accurate​ ​data,​ ​a​ ​system​ ​made
of​ ​properly​ ​machined​ ​gears,​ ​shafts,​ ​and​ ​couplings​ ​should​ ​be​ ​used,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​efficiency​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Lego
gearbox​ ​is​ ​probably​ ​pretty​ ​low.

6.0​ ​Conclusion
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​In​ ​this​ ​project,​ ​the​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​curves​ ​were​ ​created​ ​using​ ​three​ ​different​ ​motors,​ ​each​ ​at
four​ ​different​ ​voltage​ ​levels:​ ​ ​6V,​ ​8V,​ ​10V,​ ​and​ ​12V.​ ​ ​Each​ ​motor​ ​was​ ​hooked​ ​up​ ​to​ ​a​ ​gearbox
and​ ​pulley​ ​system​ ​to​ ​pull​ ​up​ ​incrementally​ ​increasing​ ​masses​ ​until​ ​each​ ​motor​ ​reached​ ​its​ ​stall
point​ ​or​ ​until​ ​the​ ​maximum​ ​mass​ ​available​ ​(1kg)​ ​was​ ​reached.​ ​ ​An​ ​encoder​ ​was​ ​used​ ​to​ ​measure
how​ ​fast​ ​each​ ​motor​ ​spun​ ​in​ ​RPM​ ​while​ ​they​ ​pulled​ ​up​ ​the​ ​masses.​ ​ ​A​ ​DAQ​ ​USB-6009​ ​and
MATLAB​ ​data​ ​acquisition​ ​application​ ​were​ ​used​ ​to​ ​record​ ​and​ ​save​ ​the​ ​data​ ​collected​ ​from​ ​the
encoder.​ ​ ​Current​ ​was​ ​measured​ ​using​ ​a​ ​multimeter​ ​each​ ​time​ ​a​ ​mass​ ​was​ ​hoisted​ ​up.​ ​ ​The​ ​data
for​ ​both​ ​motor​ ​speed​ ​and​ ​current​ ​were​ ​then​ ​fitted,​ ​using​ ​linear​ ​regression,​ ​to​ ​obtain​ ​the
approximate​ ​speed​ ​and​ ​current​ ​lines​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Torque​ ​-​ ​Speed​ ​curves.​ ​ ​From​ ​there,​ ​the​ ​power​ ​and
efficiency​ ​curves​ ​were​ ​plotted​ ​using​ ​their​ ​respective​ ​equations.​ ​ ​At​ ​10V,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​been​ ​shown​ ​that
Motor​ ​2​ ​had​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​no​ ​load​ ​speed,​ ​stall​ ​current,​ ​and​ ​stall​ ​torque​ ​of​ ​185,540​ ​RPM,​ ​1631.6

8
mA,​ ​and​ ​1.23​ ​Nm​ ​respectively,​ ​and​ ​Motor​ ​3​ ​had​ ​the​ ​lowest​ ​no​ ​load​ ​current​ ​of​ ​37​ ​mA.​ ​ ​A​ ​similar
trend​ ​has​ ​been​ ​observed​ ​the​ ​other​ ​voltages​ ​as​ ​seen​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Appendix.

7.0​ ​Appendix
7.1​ ​Spec​ ​Tables

Motor,​ ​6V No​ ​Load​ ​Speed No​ ​Load​ ​Current Stall​ ​Current Stall​ ​Torque

Motor​ ​1 2509​ ​RPM 150.91​ ​mA 521.36​ ​mA 0.394​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​2 185,630​ ​RPM 45.89​ ​mA 1685​ ​mA 1.231​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​3 18,111​ ​RPM 25.36​ ​mA 502.33​ ​mA 0.408​ ​Nm

Table​ ​4:​ ​Each​ ​motor’s​ ​specifications​ ​from​ ​the​ ​experiment​ ​at​ ​6V.

Motor,​ ​8V No​ ​Load​ ​Speed No​ ​Load​ ​Current Stall​ ​Current Stall​ ​Torque

Motor​ ​1 3406​ ​RPM 166​ ​mA ​ ​777.68​ ​mA 0.532​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​2 185,640​ ​RPM 50.7​ ​mA 1542​ ​mA 1.17​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​3 18,113​ ​RPM 31.72​ ​mA 499.71​ ​mA 0.409​ ​Nm

Table​ ​5:​ ​Each​ ​motor’s​ ​specifications​ ​from​ ​the​ ​experiment​ ​at​ ​8V.

Motor,​ ​10V No​ ​Load​ ​Speed No​ ​Load​ ​Current Stall​ ​Current Stall​ ​Torque

Motor​ ​1 4434.4​ ​RPM 195.83​ ​mA 731​ ​mA 0.633​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​2 185,540​ ​RPM 50.95​ ​mA 1691.6​ ​mA 1.23​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​3 18,110​ ​RPM 37​ ​mA 496.27​ ​mA 0.408​ ​Nm

Table​ ​6:​ ​Each​ ​motor’s​ ​specifications​ ​from​ ​the​ ​experiment​ ​at​ ​10V.

Motor,​ ​12V No​ ​Load​ ​Speed No​ ​Load​ ​Current Stall​ ​Current Stall​ ​Torque

Motor​ ​1 5336​ ​RPM 244.36​ ​mA 502.06​ ​mA 0.712​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​2 185,620​ ​RPM 60.41​ ​mA 1662.8​ ​mA 1.16​ ​Nm

Motor​ ​3 18,112​ ​RPM 36.5​ ​mA 501.93​ ​mA 0.407​ ​Nm

Table​ ​7:​ ​Each​ ​motor’s​ ​specifications​ ​from​ ​the​ ​experiment​ ​at​ ​12V.