Experimental investigation of a series wound DC motor for modeling purpose in electric vehicles and mechatronics systems

•A simulation model is presented for series DC motors in MATLAB environment.•The model applies characteristics depend on current intensity and rpm as input.•The set-up and procedure for measuring the above characteristics is described.•The reliability of the characteristics and model were proved by test measurements.•A heat energy recovery system applying TEG modules was developed and tested. In our previous publication a model for serial wound DC motors was presented and a simulation program was described that is based on this model and had been developed in MATLAB environment. The recent publication presents the latest, extended version of the program and deals with the measurement of the electromagnetic and dynamic characteristics (electric resistances, dynamic inductances, bearing resistance and brush friction torque) of the above motor. From the measured characteristics, the program simulates the operation of the motor, calculating its torque, rpm and current intensity, as a function of time. To check the accuracy of the measured characteristics, and also the proper operation of our program, locked rotor response test measurements were carried out on the motor and their results were compared with the simulated ones. Finally, a recently developed heat energy recovery system is presented, which can be used on electrical drives.