Illorin, John Patrick N.

Actual Types of Motors (Applications)

1. Linear Motors

A linear motor is a type of electric motor that had its stator “unrolled” so that instead of
producing a torque (rotation) it produces a linear force along its length.

Unlike traditional motors, a linear motor is supplied with a three-phase voltage, in which a three-
phase voltage has more frequent current changes that keeps the coil moving. It is the attraction
and repulsion between coils and permanent magnet track that creates a forward motion. The
magnets can either be permanent magnets or electromagnets.

The most common mode of operation is as a Lorentz-type actuator, in which the applied force is
linearly proportional to the current and the magnetic field.

A linear motor has sub categories namely, low acceleration and high acceleration linear motors.
A low acceleration linear motor is currently applied in maglev trains, whereas they can safely use
it for transportation purposes. A high acceleration motor, in contrary, is applied in a coilgun,
where it accelerates a bullet for a much higher force output.

Other applications of the linear motor, whether it be the low acceleration or high acceleration
motor, is still being studied. They are working on how to apply it to weapons as accelerators of
projectiles, or an accelerator for spacecrafts.
2. Stepper Motor

A stepper motor or step motor or stepping motor is a brushless DC electric motor that
divides full rotation into a number of equal steps. It can control the angular position of the motor
without a closed feedback control loop.

Stepper motors effectively have multiple "toothed" electromagnets arranged around a central
gear-shaped piece of iron. The electromagnets are energized by an external driver circuit or
a micro controller. To make the motor shaft turn, first, one electromagnet is given power, which
magnetically attracts the gear's teeth. When the gear's teeth are aligned to the first
electromagnet, they are slightly offset from the next electromagnet. This means that when the
next electromagnet is turned on and the first is turned off, the gear rotates slightly to align with
the next one. From there the process is repeated. Each of those rotations is called a "step", with
an integer number of steps making a full rotation. In that way, the motor can be turned by a
precise angle.
The circular arrangement of electromagnets is divided into groups, each group called a phase, and
there is an equal number of electromagnets per group. The number of groups is chosen by the
designer of the stepper motor. The electromagnets of each group are interleaved with the
electromagnets of other groups to form a uniform pattern of arrangement. For example, if the
stepper motor has two groups identified as A or B, and ten electromagnets in total, then the
grouping pattern would be ABABABABAB.
Electromagnets within the same group are all energized together. Because of this, stepper motors
with more phases typically have more wires (or leads) to control the motor.
3. Servomotors

Servomotors are not a specific type of motor, but the term “servomotor” is coined for motors that
are referred to usable motors used in a closed-loop control system.

As the definition says, it is contrary to the stepper motor which is a open-looped control system,
which makes servo motors a bit more complicatedly built compared to stepper motors.

Usually, a servomotor comes with a sensor that detects the position of the rotor, which is called
as the resolver, or the encoder.

An AC servomotor basically means and AC synchronous motor which its rotor field is excited with
permanent magnets so you get a very powerful and brushless motor, in a smaller size.

The very simplest servomotors use position-only sensing via a potentiometer and bang-bang
control of their motor; the motor always rotates at full speed (or is stopped). This type of
servomotor is not widely used in industrial motion control, but it forms the basis of the simple
and cheap servos used for radio-controlled models.
4. DC Motors

A DC motor is any of a class of rotary

electrical machines that converts direct
current electrical energy into mechanical
energy. The most common types rely on
the forces produced by magnetic fields.
Nearly all types of DC motors have some
internal mechanism, either
electromechanical or electronic, to
periodically change the direction of
current flow in part of the motor.
DC motors were the first type widely used,
since they could be powered from existing
direct-current lighting power distribution
systems. A DC motor's speed can be
controlled over a wide range, using either
a variable supply voltage or by changing
the strength of current in its field windings. Small DC motors are used in tools, toys, and
appliances. The universal motor can operate on direct current but is a lightweight brushed motor
used for portable power tools and appliances. Larger DC motors are used in propulsion of electric
vehicles, elevator and hoists, or in drives for steel rolling mills. The advent of power electronics
has made replacement of DC motors with AC motors possible in many applications.

Electric motors run by electromagnetism. However, there are also other types of motors that
utilize electrostatic forces or piezoelectric effect. In the case of a PMDC {Permanent Magnet DC)
motor, motion is produced by an electromagnet (armature) interacting with a fixed field magnet
(housing assembly).

In a brushed motor, electrical current flows through the motor terminals in the endcap assembly
that comes in contact with the commutator in the armature assembly through the carbon brushes
or brush leaves. The electrical current powers the coils generating a magnetic field causing the
armature to rotate as it interacts with the magnets encased in the housing assembly. Flemming’s
Left Hand Rule helps to determine the direction of the force, the current and the magnetic flux.

In a brushless motor, when electricity is applied across the motor termination, a current flows
through a fixed stator field and is interacting with a moving permanent magnet or a moving
induced magnetic field inside a rotor / armature. After the motion and force load have been met
by the available source current it returns back to the source exiting the motor.
5. AC Motors

An AC motor is an electric motor driven by an alternating current (AC). The AC motor commonly
consists of two basic parts, an outside stator having coils supplied with alternating current to
produce a rotating magnetic field, and an inside rotor attached to the output shaft producing a
second rotating magnetic field. The rotor magnetic field may be produced by permanent magnets,
reluctance saliency, or DC or AC electrical windings.
Less common, AC linear motors operate on similar principles as rotating motors but have their
stationary and moving parts arranged in a straight line configuration, producing linear motion
instead of rotation.

The two main types of AC motors are induction motors and synchronous motors. The induction
motor (or asynchronous motor) always relies on a small difference in speed between the stator
rotating magnetic field and the rotor shaft speed called slip to induce rotor current in the rotor
AC winding. As a result, the induction motor cannot produce torque near synchronous speed
where induction (or slip) is irrelevant or ceases to exist. In contrast, the synchronous motor does
not rely on slip-induction for operation and uses either permanent magnets, salient poles (having
projecting magnetic poles), or an independently excited rotor winding. The synchronous motor
produces its rated torque at exactly synchronous speed. The brushless wound-rotor doubly fed
synchronous motor system has an independently excited rotor winding that does not rely on the
principles of slip-induction of current. The brushless wound-rotor doubly fed motor is
a synchronous motor that can function exactly at the supply frequency or sub to super multiple
of the supply frequency.