An electromechanical model of Sandia's microengine is developed and applied to quantify critical performance tradeoffs. This is done by determining how forces impact the mechanical response of the engine to different electrical drive signals. To validate the theoretical results, model- based drive signals are used to operate actual engines, where controlled operation is achieved for the following cases: 1) spring forces are dominant, 2) frictional forces are dominant, 3) linear inertial forces are dominant, 4) viscous damping forces are dominant, and 5) inertial load forces are dominant. Significant improvements in engine performance are experimentally demonstrated in the following areas: positional control, start/stop endurance, constant speed endurance, friction load reduction,and rapid actuation of inertial loads.
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