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An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor’s magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate force in the form of torque applied on the motor’s shaft.
An electrical motor is mainly classified into three types:
AC Motors
DC Motors
Special Motors
The AC electric motor converts AC (Alternating Current) electrical energy into mechanical energy. These electric motors are powered using a single-phase or three-phase alternating current. The basic working principle of AC motor is the rotating magnetic field (RMF) generated by the stator winding when an alternating current is passed through it. The rotor (having its own magnetic field) follows the RMF & starts rotation.
The DC motor is another main type of electrical motor that only runs on DC or Direct Current. There are no phases in direct current that is why DC electric motors only uses 2 wires to run. They are the first motors to be invented. It is easier to control its speed by only varying the supply voltage. It offers simple starting, stopping, accelerating & reversing mechanisms. The installation cost of DC motor is very cheap but they do require maintenance whose cost increases significantly with increasing the size & power of the motor.
The basic working principle of DC motors is the Fleming’s left hand rule. A current carrying conductor inside a magnetic field experience a force of thrust mutually perpendicular to each other.
There are several types of special electric motors that are the modified versions of other motor designed for special purposes. Some of these electric motors are given below.
Servo Motors
Servo motor is a special type of motor used for pushing/Pulling or lifting or rotating an object at some specific angle.
Direct drive motor or also known as torque motor is another type of motor that produces high torque at low speed even when it is stalling. The payload is directly connected to the rotor thus eliminating the use of gearbox, belts, speed reducers etc. It is a brushless permanent magnet synchronous motor with no commutators & brushes. Since there is no mechanical wear & tear, it reliable & has a long lifetime.
The linear motor has an unrolled stator & rotor that offers a linear force instead of rotational force. If you slice any motor & lay it flat on a surface, you will get a linear motor.
The armature windings are designed in a linear fashion which carries 3 phase current to generate a magnetic field. the magnetic field does not rotate instead moves in a straight line. The magnetic field interacts with the magnetic field generated by the flat permanent magnet lying below it. The interaction between them generates a linear force upon each other thus the armature moves forward or backward.
A stepper motor or a stepping motor is a brushless DC motor whose full rotation is divided into a number of equal steps. Such motor rotates in steps (fixed degrees) instead of rotating continuously. Such stepping movement offers great precision which is utilized is robotics.
The stepper motor operates on pulses. Each pulse moves the motor by one step. The precision of the motor depends on the number of steps per revolution. The steps size is determined during its design. However, the speed of the motor can be controlled by applying the pulse train of variable frequency. The controller inside the servo motor moves forward or backward the rotor by one step upon each pulse.
It is used for its accurate & precise positioning. It offers full torque at standstill. It has less maintenance requirement due to brushless design. Thus they are very reliable & has long lifetime.
The Universal motor is a special type of motor that can run on AC as well DC power supply. it is a brushed series wound motor where the field windings is connected in series with the armature windings. They offer maximum starting torque with a high operating speed.
Since the windings are connected in series, the direction of the current through both windings remains the same even if the current direction reverses multiple times in a second. Although, the motor may run slower on AC due to the reactance of the windings.
Early incarnations of the electric motor first appeared in the 1740s through the work of Scottish Benedictine monk and scientist, Andrew Gordon. Other scientists such as Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry continued to develop early electric motors, experimenting with electromagnetic fields and discovering how to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.
1834 – The first electric motor is made
History was made when Thomas Davenport of Vermont invented the first official battery-powered electric motor in 1834. This was the first electric motor that had enough power to perform a task and his invention was used to power a small-scale printing press.
1886 – The invention of the DC motor
William Sturgeon invented the first DC motor that could provide enough power to drive machinery but it wasn’t until 1886 that the first practical DC motor that could run at constant speed under variable weight, was produced. Frank Julian Sprague was its inventor and it was this motor that provided the catalyst for the wider adoption of electric motors in industrial applications.
Late 1880s – Motors are used for commercial use
Despite Davenport’s great discovery many years previously, electric motors were not widely used on a commercial level for another 50 years. Scientists and engineers continued to develop various types of electric motors with the objective of making them suitable for use in commercial settings. Before long, electric motors began being used throughout industry, in factories and in the home.
1888 – The AC induction motor is patented
In 1887, Nikola Tesla invented an AC induction motor that he successfully patented a year later. It wasn’t suitable for road vehicles but it was later adapted by Westinghouse engineers. In 1892 the first practical induction motor was designed, followed by a rotating bar winding rotor, making the unit suitable for use in automotive applications.
1891 – The development of three-phase motors
In this year, General Electric started developing three-phase induction motors. In order to utilise the bar-winding rotor design, GE and Westinghouse signed a cross-licensing agreement in 1896.
2000s – Use of motors today
In the 21st century, AC and DC electric motors are now widely used in industries across the globe and are an integral part of many applications.
HVAC
It is the technology for providing thermal comfort in any indoor environment such as in an office, home, or vehicle, etc.
HVAC works by providing fresh air from the outdoors. The outdoor air is air-conditioned in order to cool or heat the different areas of a building or vehicle. The conditioned air is blown into the ducts using a blower motor.
Industrial Automation
Using motors we can eliminate the use of labor or human beings. We can perform the heavy tasks with high speed and without any interruption. There is no need for involving any labor. Most of the industries run on automated machinery to work non-stop. They are also required to meet the demands of the modern world.
They are extremely efficient and having automatic control offers high production value. In short, Industrial automation is nothing without electric motors.
Benefit in Climate Change
The electrical motor does not need fuel or any other maintenance required for any engine. The use of electrical motors inside vehicles and trains allows us to use green energy or reusable energy and reduce the emission of dangerous gasses that affects public health and the ecosystem.
Agriculture
Different types of electric motors are used in agriculture to eliminate human involvement and increase productivity. They are used in every mechanical structure used in farming and agriculture.
Different kinds of machines are used nowadays to cultivate, plough soil, planting, irrigation, applying fertilizers and harvesting etc.
They are also used for cutting and packing these vegetables and fruits to meet the high demands of the market.
Compressor
An Air compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of the gas by reducing its volume. An electric motor is used to pump the gas inside increasing its pressure which is then released through an outlet to do work.
Compressors are used for cleaning by releasing compressed air. It is also used for filling gas cylinders and tires. The pressurized gas can be used for cleaning objects at the micro level. It is also used in nail guns.
The painting also requires pressurized air so that the paint can firmly stick to the surface. Therefore, an air compressor is also used for painting.
The dairy farms that have hundreds of cows, goats and sheep require hundreds of labor as it is such a labor-intensive job. Air compressors can be modified to create vacuum suction in the milking machine which draws milk from the cow. It increases productivity by allowing workers to work using less labor.
Blower
A blower is an equipment that increases the speed of the air or gas. It is powered by an electrical motor that pulls in the air from one side and pushes it with high speed on the other side. It is used in the exhaust system or ventilation, dust cleaning or vacuum cleaning.
Fans
Fans powered by electric motors are used for circulating air inside a room. It is also used for drying things or people. It is also used for exhausting dangerous fumes or cooling electronic components. Also, a fan plays a major role in HVAC.
Refrigeration & Air-conditioning
Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration means cooling of space. It basically works by compressing the refrigerant using a compressor that is powered by an electric motor. it is used for preserving food by maintaining the temperature below normal. It is also used to make ice from water.
Pump
A pump is used for the flow of fluid. it does not generate pressure. A pump pushes out the air creating a vacuum which is then filled up by the fluid. They are powered by electric motors which increase efficiency and save time.
Pumps are mostly used for pulling water (well pumps & submersible motors) to the surface but they are also used in industries especially in oil and gas. They are used in chemical processing industries where more smart electric pumps are used.
Crusher
Crusher is a machine that is used to reduce large rocks into small rocks, sand or gravel. An electric motor is used to generate crushing power by splitting the rocks into smaller chunks.
Crusher is mostly used for providing material for construction purposes and in mining operations. It also provides powdered material for further processing.
Lathe Machine
A lathe is a machine that is used in the metalworking industry. It rotates a workpiece about its axis of rotation. It is used for cutting, sanding, drilling and shaping any workpiece into your desired shape. It is used for designing components that are symmetrical about an axis.
Drill
A drilling machine is a power tool used for making holes. It utilizes an electric motor that is either powered by a battery or using the mains. Different types and power of drills are used for drilling holes such as in plastic, wood, metal and concrete, etc.
Power Tools
Power tools are portable hand equipment that is powered by a battery attached to them. They are designed for a variety of applications. Such as grinders, drills, sanders, etc. They save time and reduce effort. Most of the power tools used electric motors.
Rolling Mill
Rolling mills are heavy tools that have steel rollers. Electric machines are used to rotate these rollers. It is used for changing the shape or thickness of any metal or a sheet of metal. It is also used to increase the hardness of the material.
Paper Mill
Papermill makes paper, paperboards and other fiberboard using various kinds of machinery. There are rolling machines cutting and pressing machines powered by electrical motors.
Conveyor
A conveyor is a mechanical system of rollers or belts that is used to transport or move product or material with minimal effort. It eliminates the use of labor and also used for feeding material from one machine into another. A conveyor system also increases the productivity of the industry.
Washing Machine
As the name implies, it is used for washing clothes. There is an electrical machine that rotates the clothing inside the machine. It effortlessly cleans the clothes without using your hands.
Elevator
The elevator has a powerful motor that rotates the shaft pulling the cables connected with the elevator.
Escalator
An electric motor drives a chain of stairs that circulates.
Computer Disk Drives
The disk drives in a computer such as CD-ROM or the hard disk have a spindle that rotates at very high speed with proper control. BLDC motors are used for such applications that offer high speed with control and a long lifespan. Also, they are less noisy.
Printer and Photocopiers
They have multiple electric motors that work in sync to print a single document. BLDC motor is mostly used in these machines.
Positioning
Servo motor and stepper motor are two different types of electric motor that are used for precise positioning in control systems. It is mostly used in the robotics and packaging industry.
Heavy Equipment
Heavy equipment or machinery refers to the heavy-duty vehicles used for construction such as excavator, bulldozer, grader and compactor, etc. They utilize a hydraulic motor to move gears, piston offering low speed and high torque.
Hoist
A hoist is a device used for lifting or lowering or carrying heavy objects with ease using a chain or wire rope. It is powered by an electrical motor which is used for pulling or letting the wire rope surrounding its shaft (connected with drum).
It is a pulley system used for manually lifting a very heavy object with ease.
Winches
A winch is used for pulling or letting go or adjusting the tension along a heavy wire rope or cable. It has a spool connected with the shaft of a motor to easily pull heavy wires. They were mostly used in ships for pulling the anchor and they are used for pulling heavy objects horizontally.
Robots
The movement of any part of the robot is achieved by using motors. Multiple motors work in a series to perform a complex task.
A universal motor (runs on both AC and DC) is used in appliances such as blenders, vacuum cleaners, and hair dryers. They are also used in power tools such as drills-sanders and grinders etc. where high speed and lightweight are desirable.
An electrical motor has so many uses that it is very difficult to name each and every one of them. Simply put, everything that is powered by electricity and moves has an electrical motor inside it. In simple words, an electric motor is the backbone of running industries and economies due to the vast applications of electric motors involved in it.
source:wikipedia , parvalux , electricaltechnology ,
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