Electric Motor Manufacturers

About Electric Motors

Michael Faraday invented the electric motor, which is used to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy, in 1821. Electric current supplied from the power lines can only be used directly in heating, lighting and other applications. To use this power to run devices like pumps, automobiles, domestic appliances and machine tools, the electrical energy must be converted to mechanical energy, which rotates shafts and gear trains.

Electric motors are available in three basic types of horsepower (hp) ratings: small, medium and large. Small motors are made to produce fractional hp of 1/20 to 1 hp. Medium motors are available in the range of 1 to 100 hp and large motors are available in ratings of 100 to 50,000 hp. Power can also be expressed in kilowatts (1 kW = 1.33 hp; 1 hp = 746 W). Standard frequencies at which motors operate are 50 or 60 Hertz.

How Electric Motors work

The electric motor is based on the principle of electromagnetism and uses the Lorentz law. When current flows through a wire it produces a magnetic field. The right hand rule is used to describe the magnetic field. The right-hand rule is used to find the direction of the force. When the thumb points in the direction of the current and the fingers point in the direction of the external magnetic field, then the force experienced by the conductor is in the outward direction from the palm.

An electric motor has a rotating part called the rotor and a stationary part called the stator. Electromagnets called poles are wound on the frame called the armature. When current is passed, the rotor rotates due to the torque generated by the wires and the magnetic field. The rotation is transferred to a shaft which transfers its rotation energy to any device that is attached to it.

Types of Electric Motors

Major types of electric motors are DC motors (direct current), AC motors (alternating current) and Universal motors that can operate on either AC or DC current. Each category is an industry by itself and has many different sub-types.

Universal Motors

These motors can use both DC and AC current and are commonly used in vacuum cleaners, food mixers, blenders, small power tools and hair dryers and other appliances that operate at high speed but are not used continuously. They are a variant of the wound DC motor and special care is taken to cover the impedance and reluctance of AC motors. Thyristors or stepped speed control circuits are used for continuous speed control.

DC Motors

DC motors provide momentary power bursts of up to five times the rated torque. The speed can be brought down to zero smoothly and immediately raised in the opposite direction without any power interruption.

DC motors have an electromagnet with two poles, which serve as a rotating armature. A commutator or rotary switch is used to reverse the current direction twice in each cycle. This causes the poles of the electromagnet to push and pull against the external permanent magnets. When the poles of the armature pass through the poles of the permanent magnet, the commutator reverses the polarity of the armature. The inertia maintains the current direction at the instance when polarity is switched.

Major types of DC motors are:

• Brushless DC Motors: These motors are used to drive CD-ROM spindles, fans, office products like Xerox machines, lasers and also in expensive aircraft models. They have a permanent external rotor magnet; three phase driving coils and Hall Effect devices that sense rotor position. They are more efficient than AC motors, do not produce excessive heat and last longer since there is no commutator.
• Limited-Angle Torque Motors: These are special type of brushless DC motors and the torque is produced within 180 degrees of rotation. They are used in: direct laser mirrors, servo valves, open shutters used in heat-seeking sensors, position missile guidance radar antennas and power systems where the degree of rotation is small. The rotor carries field magnets and the stator carries the armature winding.
• PM DC Motors: These are small motors that produce about 50% greater torque than other comparably sized motors. Magnets are made of Samarium-cobalt and the torque ripple is greatly reduced.
• Coreless DC Motors: In these motors, there is no iron core, thus giving a low mass and higher acceleration and deceleration. The stator is made of a cylindrical permanent magnet that is placed in a housing made of mild steel. Rotors are wound in a honeycombed pattern to increase the torque. The commutator is made of gold, platinum and other precious metals. They are used to drive Capstan in magnetic tape drives and in high-performance servo-controlled systems.
• Linear DC Motors: These are used in Maglev super fast trains and produce a linear force and no a torque. It has a stator and a slider. The stator has a laminated steel frame with conductors wound in transverse slots. The slider has sets of magnets, commutators, a bearing surface and it makes a path of magnetic flux between the magnets.

AC Motors

The AC motor allows long-range distribution of alternating current. This motor played a very important role in the rapid growth of industrialization. An AC motor has two main parts, a fixed external stator and an internal rotor. The stator has coils through which AC current flows and it produces a rotating magnetic field. The rotor is attached to the output shaft and gets a torque by the rotating magnetic field.

Based on the type of rotor, there are two major types of motors, synchronous motors and induction motors. The synchronous motor rotates at the frequency of the input current or its fractions. The induction motor can turn at lower speeds than the input frequency and is also called a squirrel cage motor.

A common differentiator is the phase of the motor. Single-phase motors use a single discrete waveform while two and three phase motors use two and three discrete polyphase waveforms that are spaced 180 and 120 degrees apart.

• Single-phase AC induction motors: In this type of motor, only one discrete waveform is used. It has a rotating magnetic field to create the starting torque. These are used in devices like fans, washing machines, clothes dryer and other small household appliances. Important types are shaded pole motors and split phase induction motors.
• Three-phase AC induction motors: These are used in high power applications. The phase difference between the three discrete waveforms of the input polyphase creates a rotating magnetic field. They are the workhorses of the industry and are used in heavy-duty electrical networks, locomotives and other applications. Using the principles of electromagnetic induction, current is induced in the conductors of the rotor by a rotating magnetic field. This creates a counterbalance field that makes the rotor turn in the direction of the magnetic field. The rotor rotates at a slower rate than the magnetic field. These motors will work even if one phase is disconnected.
• Single-phase AC synchronous motors: These motors rotate in a synchronous manner with the main current frequency. They have magnetized rotors and do not need an induced current. This prevents backward slippage against the main frequency which makes them very accurate. They are used in audio turntables, mechanical clocks, tape drives, telescope drive systems, strip chart recorders and other applications.
• Three-phase AC synchronous motors: These motors provide high and accurate performance and are used in traction motor applications and in TGV locomotives. Connections to the rotor coils are given on slip rings and a separate field current is given. This produces a continuous magnetic field that causes the rotor to rotate synchronously with the rotating magnetic field. These motors can also be used as alternators. To reduce starting problems, the motors are driven by transistorized variable frequency drives or with squirrel cage winding with a common rotor.
• Stepper motors: The design is similar to three-phase AC synchronous motors and is a hybrid of a DC motor with solenoid. They have an internal rotor with permanent magnets that is controlled by external magnets which are operated electronically. The motor does not rotate continuously but steps from one position to another when the windings are activated and deactivated in a sequence. This allows them to turn forwards or backwards. They are used in sophisticated positioning drives and in servo controlled systems.
  
• Definite and Special-Purpose Motors: These are used for special applications like powering instruments, gear motors, toothless motors, etc. They can be customized for a specific use and cost less than the standard motors with the same power rating.
• Motor Starters: These motors are used to start up large motors that require a very high starting torque. Major types are full-voltage single speed, reduced voltage single-speed, and multi speed motors. The starters may apply full or reduced voltage to motor windings. In addition, circuits like primary reactors, primary resistors, autotransformers, part winding and wye-delta starters can also be used.

Gear Motors

Gear motors have an integrated gear train and the motor output is used to drive the gears. There are two main types of gear motors, AC and DC gear motors. Other types of gear motors are: single, multiphase, servo, universal, induction and synchronous.

• AC Gear Motors: These types of motors run on alternating current. They have three windings in series for the stator, a rotor and an integral gearbox. A changing magnetic field makes the rotor rotate on the motor axis.
• DC Gear Motors: They come in two types, brushless and servo. It has a rotor, a stator with permanent magnets and a gearbox. The magnetic field is generated by permanent or electromagnets. They are used in applications with variable torque and speed.

Gear motors are selected by: the speed of the shaft, continuous torque, current, output power and other specifications. Other specifications include the gear ratio, types of gears and the maximum torque transferred at the output shaft.

Servo Motors

Servomotors are special types of geared motors. They are compact, provide more power and have finer controls. They use integral devices like encoders, tachometers for feedback and accurate position control and an integral gear train. They are used on accurate CNC machine systems. Major types of servomotors are AC and DC.

• DC Servo Motor: The output shaft can be positioned with a coded signal to the motor. With changes in the motor input, the angular output shaft position also changes. Permanent magnets have zero slip load and provide higher, constant and continuous torque at the output shaft.
• AC Servo Motor: AC servo motors are synchronous motors with permanent magnets. They have low torque to inertia ratios which gives them higher acceleration. They are available in single and three phases. Three phase motors give higher efficiency and a smoother drive.

Considerations for Motors

An unambiguous understanding of your requirements will greatly help you choose what kind of motor is best for the situation. Consider the following factors when choosing motors:

• Thoroughly understand the power requirements including all auxiliary devices and systems. Motors should not be run beyond their rated load, as they will burn out.
• Motors generate a lot of heat, so be sure to provide adequate cooling mechanisms.
• Providing a clean and dry area for the motor prevents breakdowns and also saves lives.
• Motor components like brushes, commutators, windings, etc. wear out over a period of time. This leads to reduced output and life expectancy. Motors have to be shut down at the first sign something is malfunctioning.