What is Electric Motor? | Types of Electric Motors

Types of Electric Motors

Electric motors are very important in today’s life. In everyday life, we are using motors somewhere knowingly or unknowingly. There are many types of motors available in the market. But we choose the motor based on its application and voltage. Each motor has two important parts. One is the stator (field winding) and the other is the rotor (armature winding).

The main function of the stator winding is to create a fixed magnetic field in it while the rotor is placed inside it. Due to the magnetic field, the armature winding uses energy to generate enough torque to bend the motor shaft. In today’s article, we will see how many types of motors there are and much more about them.

What is Electric Motor?

A motor is nothing but an electro-mechanical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. In other words, the device that produces the power of rotation is called a motor. The working principle of an electric motor depends mainly on the interaction of the magnetic and electric fields.

Electric motors are divided into three types one is an AC motor the other is a DC motor and the third is a special type motor thus AC type motor takes alternating current as input current, while a DC motor takes direct current flow.

Types of Electric Motors:

The electric motor is divided into three main sections as follows:

Sr.No  Types of Electric Motors
#1. AC Motor
#2. DC Motor
#3. Special-Purpose Motors

Types Of electric motor

#1. AC Motors:

AC Motor

The type of AC motors are mainly included synchronous, asynchronous, and induction motors.

#1.1. Synchronous Motor:

The function of this motor mainly depends on 3 phases. The field current is generated by the stator inside this motor. Which rotates at a constant speed depending on the AC frequency. In this, the stator and rotor depend on the same speed as the current. There is no air gap of any kind between the stator current and the speed of the rotor. The accuracy of rotation in this motor is very high. That is why these motors are used extensively, especially in robotics and automation.

#1.2. Induction Motor:

A motor that runs at an unequal speed is known as an induction motor. Another name for this motor is the asynchronous motor. This motor is mainly used to convert electric energy into mechanical energy. This motor operates on the principle of electromagnetic induction. This motor is divided into two sections depending on the construction of the rotor. Such as squirrel cage & phase wound.

Suggested Read: Difference Between AC Motor And DC Motor

#2. DC Motor:

DC Motor

DC motors are classified into 5 main types as follows:

  • DC Shunt Motor.
  • Separately Excited Motor.
  • DC Series Motor.
  • PMDC Motor.
  • DC Compound Motor.

#2.1. DC Shunt Motor:

A motor whose field winding and armature winding are connected in parallel is known as a shunt motor. Another name for this motor is the shunt wound DC motor in which the type of winding is known as shunt winding. DC Shunt Motor operates only on DC.

#2.2. Separately Excited Motor:

The motor which is connected to the stator and rotor of the motor using a separate power supply is known as a Separately Excited Motor. So that the shunt of the motor can be controlled and the armature winding is strengthened to produce flux.

Suggested Read: What Is DC Generator | Types Of DC Generator

#2.3. DC Series Motor:

In DC Series Motor the rotor windings are connected in series. The working principle of this motor depends on the electromagnetic law. And according to this rule, whenever a magnetic field can be formed around the conductor, an external field is used to gain rotation speed. These motors are mainly used in starter motors used in elevators and cars.

#2.4. PMDC Motor:

The full name of PMDC Motor is “Permanent Magnet DC motor”. This is a type of DC motor in which the electric motor can be composed of a permanent magnet to make the magnetic field necessary for operation.

#2.5. DC Compound Motor:

The DC compound motor is a conical component of the DC series motor to the DC shunt motor. Both shunt and series fields are present inside this motor. In such a motor the stator and rotor can be connected to each other by combining series and shunt windings.

The series of windings are made of thick copper wire. So that the windings are reduced. Which gives way to a small resistance. To obtain a full I / p voltage, the shunt winding can be designed with multiple windings of copper wire.

Suggested Read: What Is a Motor Starter? | Types of Motor Starters | Advantage of Motor Starter

#3. Special-Purpose Motors:

Special Purpose Motor

Special Purpose Motors includes the following motors:

  • Stepper Motor.
  • Brushless DC Motors.
  • Hysteresis Motor.
  • Reluctance Motor.
  • Universal Motor.

#3.1. Stepper Motor:

Stepper Motor was invented for the purpose of progress. Has been done to offer a step-angle revolution. We all know that the perfect revolution angle for a normal rotor is 180 degrees. However, for a normal stepper motor, the full revolution angle is 10 degrees x 18 steps. Can be varied in countless steps.

This means that the rotor will move 18 times at a rate of 10 degrees for a complete rotation. This motor is used in plotters, circuit fabrication, and process control equipment.

#3.2. Brushless DC Motors:

Brushless DC Motors were invented for excellent performance in less space than a brushless motor. This motor is less compared to the AC motor model. A controller is embedded in the electric motor to facilitate the process in the absence of a commutator and slip ring.

#3.3. Hysteresis Motor:

The operation of the hysteresis motor is of a very unique type. The force required for the operation of this motor is obtained by hysteresis and eddy current. Whether the motor will operate on single-phase or three-phase depends on its construction.

This motor also offers very easy operation with constant speed like the asynchronous motor. This motor works very quietly without any kind of noise. That is why it is used in many complex applications such as sound players, audio recorders, etc.

#3.4. Reluctance Motor:

Reluctance Motor is a type of single-phase synchronous motor. The construction of this motor is similar to that of an induction motor. The design of the rotor is similar to that of a squirrel cage. And the motor includes the main winding and auxiliary winding inside the stator. Auxiliary windings are useful in starting the motor.

As they offer a level offer operation at a steady pace. These motors are commonly used in synchronization applications including signal generators, recorders, etc.

#3.5. Universal Motor:

Universal Motor is a special type of motor. It operates on a single-phase AC or DC supply. Universal motors are a series of wounds in which the field and armature windings are connected in series. And thus generates a high starting torque. This motor is mainly designed to run at speeds above 3500 RPM. They use an AC supply at low speed and the same voltage DC supply.

Most Commonly Asked Questions:

Most Commonly Asked Questions

How many types of electric motors are there?

There are at least a dozen types of motors on the market, but they are classified into two main types. One is an AC motor and the other is a DC motor. The way in which the windings in AC and DC motors interact with each other to generate mechanical force makes more difference in each of these classifications.

What is an example of an electric motor?

Electric cars have electric motors. The energy stored in the car battery is converted into the rotation of the wheels. The food processor works on exactly the same principle.

What are the 3 types of motor controls?

We have four basic motor controllers and drive types there are input power types in AC, DC, servo, and stepper each. Which modifies the function of the output as desired which matches the application.

What are the 3 types of DC motors?

There are 3 main types of DC motors available: – Series, shunt, and compound. These conditions relate to the type of connection of the field windings with respect to the armature circuit.

How many Types of Electric Motors are on the market?

  • AC Motor.
  • DC Motor.
  • Special Purpose Motor.

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Hey, I am Vishnu Patil and I'm an Electrical Engineer and Electrical maestro. I have more than 10 years of experience with electricals. Through ElectricalGang I want to spread my knowledge with everyone else.

1 thought on “What is Electric Motor? | Types of Electric Motors”

  1. I like that you talked about how electric motors are very important in today’s life. I was skimming through a catalog of industrial tools last night and was a bit surprised to see that there are many types of electrical motors.

    Reply

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