DC Motors

1. What is a DC motor and how it works?

A direct current motor (DC motor) is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. The input electrical energy in a DC motor is direct current, which is converted into mechanical rotation.

2. What are the 3 types of DC Motors?

Permanent Magnet DC Motors: The permanent magnet motor uses a permanent magnet to create field flux. This type of DC motor provides great starting torque and has good speed regulation

Series DC Motors: Series DC motors create a large amount of starting torque, but cannot regulate speed and can even be damaged by running with no load.

Shunt DC Motors: In shunt DC motors the field is connected in parallel (shunt) with the armature windings. These motors offer great speed regulation due to the fact that the shunt field can be excited separately from the armature windings

3. How does a DC motor work?

DC Motor contains a permanent magnet and a current coil placed in between. When the current flows through the coil, a magnetic force is generated by the current-carrying conductor thereby inducing a rotational force due to the magnetic interaction between the permanent and the conductor.

4. What is the difference between AC and DC motors?

5. Which is better - a DC motor or an AC motor?

In an AC motor, energy comes from magnetic fields generated through coils wrapped around the output shaft. AC motors consist of several parts, including a stator and rotor. AC motors are efficient, durable, quiet and flexible, making them a viable solution for many power generation needs.

The energy used by a DC motor comes from batteries or another generated power source that offers constant voltage. DC motors are made up of several parts, the most notable of which include bearings, shafts, and a gearbox or gears. DC motors offer better speed variation and control and produce more torque than AC motors.

AC motors are preferred for applications where an AC electrical signal is obtainable

6. Where is a DC motor used, as opposed to an AC motor?

DC motors are used in a wide range of applications, including electric wheelchairs, handheld sprayers and pumps, coffee machines, off-road equipment, and many more.

7. How to identify a DC motor?

DC motors are compact and will only have two terminals +ve and -ve, while AC motors will have three terminals R, Y, and B

8. What are the advantages of a DC motor?

DC motors are compact, easy to operate, and are very cheap compared to all the other types of motors

9. How to connect 4 DC motors?

DC motors can be directly connected to a +ve and -ve terminal in parallel provided the source can supply enough voltage and current to run the motors. To overcome this limitation, motor drivers are typically used to drive motors, to ensure ample supply of current and prevent damage

10. How to replace an AC motor with a DC motor?

A DC motor will need a DC source instead of an AC, so full wave bridge rectifier would have to be added between the AC source and DC motor to run the DC motor