The Common Types of Electric Motors
Image source http://www.elektrimmotors.com
The electric motor is an electrical device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Mechanical power can rotate an electric car's fans, mixers, conveyors, or tires. The electric motor is the workhorse of the power transmission industry.
All motors share specific characteristics. Thus, we can classify them based on particular features or standards.
Motors used in North America most often use NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) standards. They are commonly called NEMA motors. Virtually all the rest of the world uses the metric version called SI or International Standard, known as IEC standards. Often called IEC motors. NEMA uses horsepower and inches, while IEC uses millimeters and kilowatts
We classify two types of Electric Motors based on the power source:
- Direct Current or DC Motors
- Alternating Current or AC Motors
DC Motors
DC motors were the first form of motor widely used, as they could be powered by existing direct-current lighting power distribution systems. They are commonly fitted with permanent magnets in their static part, but some others contain electromagnets instead of permanent magnets in their stator. A DC motor's speed can be controlled over a wide range, using either a variable supply voltage or by changing the current strength in its field windings. Small DC motors are used in toys, tools, and appliances.
AC Motors
Alternating current means that the current, instead of flowing in one direction, moves back and forth and changes direction with a certain frequency in Hertz. Most countries use 50Hz (50 Hertz or 50 cycles per second) as the AC frequency. Only a handful use 60Hz. The standard in the United States is 60Hz AC electricity.
We classify two main types of AC Motors according to Phase:
- Single-phase
- Three-phase
Single-Phase Motor
A single-phase motor works by using a single-phase power supply. They contain two types of wiring: hot and neutral. Their power can reach up to 3Kw. They can be used mainly in houses, offices, stores, small non-industrial companies, and other appliances such as drills, air conditioners, and garage door opening and closing systems.
Three-Phase Motor
Three-phase motor works by using a three-phase power source. They are driven by three alternating currents of the same frequency, which peak at alternating moments. These can have a power of up to 300KW and speeds ranging between 900 and 3600 RPM. Because of its high efficiency and low cost, the three-phase AC motor is most commonly used in industrial applications.
We can also classify motors based on their enclosure types. We cover that in another article.
Read here: The Most Common Types Of Electric Motor Enclosures.
Uses of Electric Motors
Electricity is the most economical way of transferring energy to vast distances on wires. However, it is practically impossible to use electricity directly, such as pumping water, requires mechanical energy. In this case, we need to produce mechanical energy from electricity to perform mechanical work. For this reason, we use electric motors that take electricity at their input and give mechanical power at the output.
Check out some applications where electric motors are required:
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Electric Cars – These work on electricity mainly obtained from batteries in cars. They get mechanical power from electric motors instead of combustion engines.
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Industrial Use – There are various processes in all kinds of industries in which we require mechanical power from electric motors, such as mixing, lifting, pulling, etc.
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Electric Toys – Toys that perform some movements require electric motors.
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Household – We rely on many electrical appliances to live comfortably that require electric motors, such as air conditioners, electric fans, vacuum cleaners, water pumps, grinders, mixers, etc.
Check our post Types of Electric Motor Maintenance Strategies.
Feel free to Contact Us if you have any questions, need more information or if you are interested in purchasing electric motors.
HVH Industrial Solutions is an authorized distributor of the following electric motor manufacturers: Elektrim Motors, WEG, Toshiba Motors & Drives, Brook Crompton, Lafert North America, MGM Electric Motors, North American Electric, Techtop Electric Motors, Aurora Motors, Worldwide Electric, and Rossi. We work closely with their engineering teams to provide superior customer service and support.
Vladimir Harutyunyan
Vladimir Harutyunyan is the founder of HVH Industrial. He has masters degree in mechanical engineering and over 10 years of experience in mechanical power transmission field.
Feel free to connect with Vlad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladharut
Vladimir Harutyunyan
Vladimir Harutyunyan is the founder of HVH Industrial ...
Feel free to connect with Vlad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladharut
