What Are DC Electric Motors in Lubbock, TX?

A DC motor is a type of motor that converts direct current (DC) electrical energy into mechanical energy. The types of DC motors people most commonly use rely on magnetic forces for their operation. Just about all DC motors, however, have mechanisms built into them (electronic or electromechanical) that change the direction of the current flow at regular intervals.

DC motors were one of the first widely used types of motors because they were able to be run off of existing DC power distribution systems. The speed of these types of motors can be managed with a variable supply voltage or simply by changing the strength of current in all of its various field windings.

Today, you can find miniature DC motors in Lubbock, TX in all different types of tools, appliances and toys, and larger DC motors in electric cars, elevators, lifts and steel rolling mills. As electronics have proliferated and evolved over the last several decades, replacing DC motors with AC motors has started to happen on a more widespread basis in a variety of applications.

There are many different subtypes of DC motors you might come across. Here are a few examples.

Brushed DC motors

A brushed DC motor generators its torque from the DC power that gets supplied to the motor through internal commutation and a series of stationary magnets and rotating electromagnets. Brushed DC systems are advantageous for their low initial cost of investment, the ease of control of the motor’s speed and their general reliability. However, they are not without their drawbacks, which include a shorter lifespan in high-intensity applications and a need for more frequent maintenance.

These types of DC motors are typically made out of carbon or graphite and have some copper dispersed throughout to enhance conductivity. A brush holder has a spring that keeps pressure on the brush as it shortens over time.

Brushless DC motors

Brushless DC motors have at least one magnet placed permanently in the rotor with electromagnets on the motor’s housing. The motor controller in this system converts DC to AC. These motors generally have simpler mechanical designs than brushed motors because there is no transfer of power from outside the motor to inside the spinning rotor.

Advantages of brushless motors include a longer lifespan and less of a need for maintenance, plus efficient operation. However, they cost more at the outset and are not quite as easy to control with regard to their speed.

Homopolar motors

A homopolar motor features a magnetic field stretched out along the axis of rotation and an electric current that is not fully parallel to that field. There is no polarity change in this type of motor, hence the name.

Ball-bearing motors

Ball-bearing motors feature two ball bearing-type bearings, usually featuring inner races attached to a conductive shaft and outer races connected to a high-current power supply with low voltage.

For more information about DC power and some common DC electric motors in Lubbock, TX, contact M.B. McKee Company, Inc. today.

Categorised in: DC Electric Motors

This post was written by Writer