2.3 The Simulink Model
As noted previously, the simulation of the experimental prototype is implemented using Simulink [Dabney and Harman, 2004]. Simulink was chosen because of its close tie to Matlab [Chapman, 2002], its intuitive graphical nature, and its capability of being used as a controller language (with a Simulink compatible controller platform). The Simulink model of equation 13 is shown in Figure
Figure 9. The Simulink model of the experimental prototype
The top half of Figure 9 results in the equation for the
r-axis motion, while the bottom half results
in the equation for the q-axis motion. In both cases, the torque
equation is simplified by a single Simulink block. For example, the Tr is represented by the “motor
sliding gear block” with inputs Vr
and 
. The
Simulink diagram for the “motor sliding gear block” (i.e., equation 8) is
shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10. The Simulink model of the motor sliding gear
The equivalence of this block diagram with equation 8 can be seen on close inspection.
Similarly, the expressions for the coriolis force are simplified by individual Simulink blocks. For example, the r-axis coriolis force is modeled by “C-Force” in Figure 9. The details of this model are shown in Figure 11.
Figure 11. The Simulink model of the coriolis force block