Electric Motor Working Principle

An Electric Motor is a machine which converts electrical energy to mechanical. The major working principle of electric motors is known as Ampere’s law and Faraday’s law. Electric motor consists of two essential elements; the Stator. A magnetic material electrical conductor which generates magnetic fields. Second the Rotor which interacts with the fields generated by the stator. The rotor comprises the moving component of the motor, having a rotating shaft to connect to the machine being driven and some means of maintaining an electrical contact between the rotor and the motor housing (typically, carbon brushes pushed against slip rings). In operation, the electrical current supplied to the motor is used to generate magnetic fields in both the rotor and the stator. These fields push against each other with the result that the rotor experiences a torque and consequently rotates.

Electrical motors fall into two broad categories, depending on the type of electrical power applied-direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) motors. The first DC electrical motor was demonstrated by Michael Faraday in England in 1821. With the availability of AC electrical power in 1890’s the AC motors were introduced. Electric motors are extremely important to modern-day life, being used in many different places, e.g., vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, computer printers, fax machines, video cassette recorders, machine tools, printing presses, automobiles, subway systems, sewage treatment plants and water pumping stations.