Many People Do Not Know The Difference Between AC and DC Electric Motors

When it comes to Electric motors, many people do not know the difference between AC and DC electric motors. In order to understand the difference, one must first be made aware of the fact that an electric motor is a machine that is used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. Our modern society depends upon these motors as we use them in our computer printers, machine tools, automobiles, vacuum cleaners, water pumping stations and much, much more. Electrical motors fall into two broad categories: Direct current and Alternating current motors. Direct current or DC motors are those that work for situations where speed must be controlled. Direct current motors were the first and earliest motors in use. However, they were found not to be so good to use when power was required for long periods of time. Early on, electric utility companies discovered that using DC motors to generate electricity did not work because the power was lost as the electricity was being transmitted. There are both brush and brushless direct current motors in use today. The brush DC motor uses rings to conduct the current and which form the magnetic drive that turns the rotor. A brushless direct current motor uses a switch to produce the magnetic drive that turns the rotor. Many common household appliances make use of direct current motors. Even though the majority of electric motor manufacturers are moving away from direct current motors, DC machines are still powering a lot of machinery in heavy industrial settings. DC motors are still being used to power surface mining excavators, mine hoists, massive metal rolling mills and many more types of industrial applications and direct current is expected to continue delivering the power in many types of production work for many years into the future. Alternating current or AC motors work well in many different types of situations. This type of motor was first made back in 1882 when a two phase induction motor was designed. There are two basic types of alternating current motors, depending upon the type of rotor employed. One is the synchronous motor and the second is the induction motor. With the first type, the motor rotates exactly at the supply frequency and with the induction AC motor, it runs slightly slower than the supply frequency. Alternating current motors are ideal for use with equipment that is difficult to start because this type of motor is tremendously powerful. The name 'alternating power' was assigned to this type of motor because AC motors alternate in power. In other words, the amount of power expended by an alternating motor is determined by the amount of power required to run the given machine or equipment. AC electric motors are used the world over in homes, Businesses and industrial settings. An alternating current motor can be a part of a fan or a pump or it can be connected to some other form of mechanical equipment such as a conveyor belt or a mixer. Some mechanical applications require just one AC motor while others may need several motors in order to operate. The torque capabilities of an AC motor are taken into consideration to determine whether it can meet the torque requirements of the application's load when deciding on what size of motor to use. Source: hicow.com