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About Electric Motors
Electric motors supply the speed and torque in a drive
system. Electric motors change electric energy into movement using magnetism
with most using only one type of current. This is not true for universal
motors, which operate using either alternating current or direct current.
Using the combination of electric energy and magnetic current means no
fuel is needed to run the motor, as found with many engines. Electric
motors are used in many applications and many industries instead of fuel
engines because they are cleaner and less expensive to run. Electric
motors are also a good alternative to fuel engines in many cases because
they release no exhaust or emission, which solves a health hazard.
The telecommunications, food, medical and manufacturing industries all
use electric motors for various purposes. Electric motor manufacturers
produce electric motors for fans, clocks, power locks and windows, electric
can openers and electric toys. Automobiles are an example of a machine
that utilizes several electric motors for proper function. The starter
motor gets the gas engine moving. Electric motors are used to move the
wiper blades and windows as well.
Electric motor manufacturers use enclosure, rotor, axle, coil and field
magnet as the main components for electric motors. Not all electric motors
contain brushes, which help conduct current. When electric motors are
brushless, an external power supply is used to get the current transferred.
Because of their lack of brushes, brushless electric motors are actually
more expensive. They tend to last longer due to lack of sparking issues
commonly associated with the existence of brushes.
The two main types of electric motors are AC and DC. While these are
very wide categories, the basic difference between the two is the direction
the current flows through the engine itself. They both use magnets to
create the motion necessary for power generation. The magnets react with
the current, which flows through specific points of the motor and causes
rotation. This rotational movement is the source of power which is transferred
into the equipment in need of the power. Examples of specific AC and
DC motor types are servo, induction and gear motors. The size range and
power capacity can differ tremendously depending on what specific types
of electric motors are used.
Since the uses for electric motors grow everyday, electric motor manufacturers
create a wide variety of choices and types of electric motors. Weight,
size, power source, torque and cost are all variables that are unique
to the type of electric motor desired. In many cases custom electric
motors can be designed to specification. When selecting electric motors,
take into consideration the size of the space where the electric motors
will have to fit, the requirements for power input and motion output,
the desired speed of the motion to be produced, the type of current to
be used and the overall cost limits. Most manufacturers of electric motors
have a wide range of capabilities to meet your needs.
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Types of Electric Motors
- generate their magnetic field by an electromagnet
powered by the same AC voltage as the motor coil. It is dispersed in
single or three-phase forms with the ability for direction changes of
its current cycles.
- have built mechanical brushes that automatically commutate
coils on the rotor as the motor rotates. Brush-type motors are
more cost effective than brushless.
- allow commutation of the coils on the stator by
using an outside power drive without brushes.
- have adjustable speed and torque applications.
In a DC electric motor, there would be adjustable speed and torque along
with a rotor and a permanent magnetic field stator.
- are motors that convert electric energy into motion
using magnetism. Electric motors contrast engines because engines use
fuel and electric motors do not.
- consist
of a gear head and motor. Together they can reduce the speed of
the motor to the preferred RPM's. (http://www.speed-reducers.org)
-
use electric current to generate rotation in the coils instead of delivering
the rotation directly. They acquire their torque from currents produced
in loops by a changing magnetic field in the field coils.
-
have motor magnets embedded into the rotor assembly. This design allows
them to align with the rotating magnetic field of the stator.
-
have shafts that do not rotate freely; the shafts move to a definite
angular location. They are often used for motion control in robots,
hard disc drives, etc.
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are essentially electric motors without commutators. All of the commutation
handled externally by the motor controller can be stepped at audio frequencies,
allowing them to spin quite quickly and be started and stopped precisely
at controlled orientations.
-
can operate at a constant speed up to full load. They have a series
of three windings in the stator section with a rotating area; there
is no slip.
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