An 

AC motor is an electric motor driven by an alternating current. It commonly consists of two basic parts, an outside stationary stator having coils
supplied with alternating current to produce a rotating magnetic field, and an inside rotor attached to the output shaft that is given a torque by the
rotating field. Where speed stability is important, some AC motors (such as some Papst motors) have the stator on the inside and the rotor on the
outside to optimize inertia and cooling.

There are two main types of AC motors, depending on the type of rotor used. The first type is the induction motor, which only runs slightly slower or
faster than the supply frequency. The magnetic field on the rotor of this motor is created by an induced current. The second type is the synchronous
motor, which does not rely on induction and as a result, can rotate exactly at the supply frequency or a sub-multiple of the supply frequency. The
magnetic field on the rotor is either generated by current delivered through slip rings or by a permanent magnet. Other types of motors include eddy
current motors, and also AC/DC mechanically-commutated machines in which speed is dependent on voltage and winding connection.

History
In 1882 Nikola Tesla identified the rotating magnetic induction field principle[1][2] used in alternators and pioneered the use of this rotating and
inducting electromagnetic field force to generate torque in rotating machines. He exploited this principle in the design of a poly-phase induction motor
in 1883. In 1885, Galileo Ferraris independently researched the concept. In 1888, Ferraris published his research in a paper to the Royal Academy of
Sciences in Turin.

Introduction of Tesla's motor in 1888 initiated what is sometimes referred to as the Second Industrial Revolution, making possible both the efficient
generation and long distance distribution of electrical energy using the alternating current transmission system, also of Tesla's invention (1888).
[3]
 Before widespread use of Tesla's principle of poly-phase induction for rotating machines, all motors operated by continually passing a conductor
through a stationary magnetic field (as in homopolar motor).

Initially Tesla suggested that the commutators from a machine could be removed and the device could operate on a rotary field of electromagnetic
force. Professor Poeschel, his teacher, stated that would be akin to building a perpetual motion machine. This was because Tesla's teacher had only
understood one half of Tesla's ideas. Professor Poeschel had realized that the induced rotating magnetic field would start the rotor of the motor
spinning, but he did not see that the counter electromotive force generated would gradually bring the machine to a stop.[4] Tesla would later
obtain U.S. Patent 0,416,194, Electric Motor (December 1889), which resembles the motor seen in many of Tesla's photos. This classic alternating
current electro-magnetic motor was an induction motor.

Michail Osipovich Dolivo-Dobrovolsky later invented a three-phase "cage-rotor" in 1890. This type of motor is now used for the vast majority of
commercial applications.

Squirrel-cage rotors
Main article:  Squirrel-cage rotor

Most common AC motors use the squirrel cage rotor, which will be found in virtually all domestic and light industrial alternating current motors. The
squirrel cage refers to the rotating exercise cage for pet animals. The motor takes its name from the shape of its rotor "windings"- a ring at either end
of the rotor, with bars connecting the rings running the length of the rotor. It is typically cast aluminum or copper poured between the iron laminates of
the rotor, and usually only the end rings will be visible. The vast majority of the rotor currents will flow through the bars rather than the higher-
resistance and usually varnished laminates. Very low voltages at very high currents are typical in the bars and end rings; high efficiency motors will
often use cast copper to reduce the resistance in the rotor.

In operation, the squirrel cage motor may be viewed as a transformer with a rotating secondary. When the rotor is not rotating in sync with the
magnetic field, large rotor currents are induced; the large rotor currents magnetize the rotor and interact with the stator's magnetic fields to bring the
rotor almost into synchronization with the stator's field. An unloaded squirrel cage motor at rated no-load speed will consume electrical power only to
maintain rotor speed against friction and resistance losses. As the mechanical load increases, so will the electrical load - the electrical load is
inherently related to the mechanical load. This is similar to a transformer, where the primary's electrical load is related to the secondary's electrical
load.

This is why a squirrel cage blower motor may cause household lights to dim upon starting, but does not dim the lights on startup when its fan belt
(and therefore mechanical load) is removed. Furthermore, a stalled squirrel cage motor (overloaded or with a jammed shaft) will consume current
limited only by circuit resistance as it attempts to start. Unless something else limits the current (or cuts it off completely) overheating and destruction
of the winding insulation is the likely outcome.
To prevent the currents induced in the squirrel cage from superimposing itself back onto the supply, the squirrel cage is generally constructed with a
prime number of bars, or at least a small multiple of a prime number (rarely more than 2). There is an optimum number of bars in any design, and
increasing the number of bars beyond that point merely serves to increase the losses of the motor particularly when starting.

Virtually every washing machine, dishwasher, standalone fan, record player, etc. uses some variant of a squirrel cage motor.

Calecon Effect
If the rotor of a squirrel cage motor runs at the true synchronous speed, the flux in the rotor at any given place on the rotor would not change, and no
current would be created in the squirrel cage. For this reason, ordinary squirrel-cage motors run at some tens of rpm slower than synchronous speed,
even at no load. Because the rotating field (or equivalent pulsating field) actually or effectively rotates faster than the rotor, it could be said to slip past
the surface of the rotor. The difference between synchronous speed and actual speed is called slip, and loading the motor increases the amount of
slip as the motor slows down slightly.

Two-phase AC servo motors

A typical two-phase AC servo-motor has a squirrel cage rotor and a field consisting of two windings:

1. a constant-voltage (AC) main winding.

2. a control-voltage (AC) winding in quadrature (i.e., 90 degrees phase shifted) with the main winding so as to produce a rotating magnetic field.
Reversing phase makes the motor reverse.

An AC servo amplifier, a linear power amplifier, feeds the control winding. The electrical resistance of the rotor is made high intentionally so that the
speed/torque curve is fairly linear. Two-phase servo motors are inherently high-speed, low-torque devices, heavily geared down to drive the load.

Single-phase AC induction motors

Three-phase motors produce a rotating magnetic field. However, when only single-phase power is available, the rotating magnetic field must be
produced using other means. Several methods are commonly used:
Shaded-pole motor

A common single-phase motor is the shaded-pole motor and is used in devices requiring low starting torque, such as electric fans or the drain pump
of washing machines and dishwashers or in other small household appliances. In this motor, small single-turn copper "shading coils" create the
moving magnetic field. Part of each pole is encircled by a copper coil or strap; the induced current in the strap opposes the change of flux through the
coil. This causes a time lag in the flux passing through the shading coil, so that the maximum field intensity moves across the pole face on each cycle.
This produces a low level rotating magnetic field which is large enough to turn both the rotor and its attached load. As the rotor picks up speed the
torque builds up to its full level as the principal magnetic field is rotating relative to the rotating rotor.

A reversible shaded-pole motor was made by Barber-Colman several decades ago. It had a single field coil, and two principal poles, each split
halfway to create two pairs of poles. Each of these four "half-poles" carried a coil, and the coils of diagonally-opposite half-poles were connected to a
pair of terminals. One terminal of each pair was common, so only three terminals were needed in all.

The motor would not start with the terminals open; connecting the common to one other made the motor run one way, and connecting common to the
other made it run the other way. These motors were used in industrial and scientific devices.

An unusual, adjustable-speed, low-torque shaded-pole motor could be found in traffic-light and advertising-lighting controllers. The pole faces were
parallel and relatively close to each other, with the disc centred between them, something like the disc in a watthour meter. Each pole face was split,
and had a shading coil on one part; the shading coils were on the parts that faced each other. Both shading coils were probably closer to the main
coil; they could have both been farther away, without affecting the operating principle, just the direction of rotation.

Applying AC to the coil created a field that progressed in the gap between the poles. The plane of the stator core was approximately tangential to an
imaginary circle on the disc, so the travelling magnetic field dragged the disc and made it rotate.

The stator was mounted on a pivot so it could be positioned for the desired speed and then clamped in position. Keeping in mind that the effective
speed of the travelling magnetic field in the gap was constant, placing the poles nearer to the centre of the disc made it run relatively faster, and
toward the edge, slower.

It is possible that these motors are still in use in some older installations.
Split-phase induction motor

Another common single-phase AC motor is the split-phase induction motor,[5] commonly used in major appliances such as washing
machines and clothes dryers. Compared to the shaded pole motor, these motors can generally provide much greater starting torque by using a
special startup winding in conjunction with a centrifugal switch.
In the split-phase motor, the startup winding is designed with a higher resistance than the running winding. This creates an LR circuit which slightly
shifts the phase of the current in the startup winding. When the motor is starting, the startup winding is connected to the power source via a set of
spring-loaded contacts pressed upon by the stationary centrifugal switch. The starting winding is wound with fewer turns of smaller wire than the main
winding, so it has a lower inductance (L) and higher resistance (R). The lower L/R ratio creates a small phase shift, not more than about 30 degrees,
between the flux due to the main winding and the flux of the starting winding. The starting direction of rotation may be reversed simply by exchanging
the connections of the startup winding relative to the running winding.

The phase of the magnetic field in this startup winding is shifted from the phase of the mains power, allowing the creation of a moving magnetic field
which starts the motor. Once the motor reaches near design operating speed, the centrifugal switch activates, opening the contacts and
disconnecting the startup winding from the power source. The motor then operates solely on the running winding. The starting winding must be
disconnected since it would increase the losses in the motor.

Capacitor start motor

Schematic of a capacitor start motor.

A capacitor start motor is a split-phase induction motor with a starting capacitor inserted in series with the startup winding, creating an LC circuitwhich
is capable of a much greater phase shift (and so, a much greater starting torque). The capacitor naturally adds expense to such motors.

Resistance start motor

A resistance start motor is a split-phase induction motor with a starter inserted in series with the startup winding, creating capacitance. This added
starter provides assistance in the starting and initial direction of rotation.
Permanent-split capacitor motor

Another variation is the permanent-split capacitor (PSC) motor (also known as a capacitor start and run motor).[6] This motor operates similarly to the
capacitor-start motor described above, but there is no centrifugal starting switch,[6] and what correspond to the start windings (second windings) are
permanently connected to the power source (through a capacitor), along with the run windings.[6] PSC motors are frequently used in air handlers,
blowers, and fans (including ceiling fans) and other cases where a variable speed is desired.

A capacitor ranging from 3 to 25 microfarads is connected in series with the "start" windings and remains in the circuit during the run cycle.[6] The
"start" windings and run windings are identical in this motor,[6] and reverse motion can be achieved by reversing the wiring of the 2 windings,[6] with the
capacitor connected to the other windings as "start" windings. By changing taps on the running winding but keeping the load constant, the motor can
be made to run at different speeds. Also, provided all 6 winding connections are available separately, a 3 phase motor can be converted to a
capacitor start and run motor by commoning two of the windings and connecting the third via a capacitor to act as a start winding.

Wound rotors
An alternate design, called the wound rotor, is used when variable speed is required. In this case, the rotor has the same number of poles as the
stator and the windings are made of wire, connected to slip rings on the shaft. Carbon brushes connect the slip rings to an external controller such as
a variable resistor that allows changing the motor's slip rate. In certain high-power variable speed wound-rotor drives, the slip-frequency energy is
captured, rectified and returned to the power supply through an inverter. With bidirectionally controlled power, the wound-rotor becomes an active
participant in the energy conversion process with the wound-rotor doubly-fed configuration showing twice the power density.

Compared to squirrel cage rotors and without considering brushless wound-rotor doubly-fed technology, wound rotor motors are expensive and
require maintenance of the slip rings and brushes, but they were the standard form for variable speed control before the advent of compact power
electronic devices. Transistorized inverters with variable-frequency drive can now be used for speed control, and wound rotor motors are becoming
less common.

Several methods of starting a polyphase motor are used. Where the large inrush current and high starting torque can be permitted, the motor can be
started across the line, by applying full line voltage to the terminals (direct-on-line, DOL). Where it is necessary to limit the starting inrush current
(where the motor is large compared with the short-circuit capacity of the supply), reduced voltage starting using either series inductors,
an autotransformer, thyristors, or other devices are used. A technique sometimes used is (star-delta, YΔ) starting, where the motor coils are initially
connected in star for acceleration of the load, then switched to delta when the load is up to speed. This technique is more common in Europe than in
North America. Transistorized drives can directly vary the applied voltage as required by the starting characteristics of the motor and load.

This type of motor is becoming more common in traction applications such as locomotives, where it is known as the asynchronous traction motor.

The speed of the AC motor is determined primarily by the frequency of the AC supply and the number of poles in the stator winding, according to the
relation:

Ns = 120F / p

where

Ns = Synchronous speed, in revolutions per minute

F = AC power frequency
p = Number of poles per phase winding

Actual RPM for an induction motor will be less than this calculated synchronous speed by an amount known as slip, that
increases with the torque produced. With no load, the speed will be very close to synchronous. When loaded, standard motors
have between 2-3% slip, special motors may have up to 7% slip, and a class of motors known as torque motors are rated to
operate at 100% slip (0 RPM/full stall).

The slip of the AC motor is calculated by:

S = (Ns − Nr) / Ns

where

Nr = Rotational speed, in revolutions per minute.

S = Normalised Slip, 0 to 1.

As an example, a typical four-pole motor running on 60 Hz might have a nameplate rating of 1725 RPM at full
load, while its calculated speed is 1800 RPM.

The speed in this type of motor has traditionally been altered by having additional sets of coils or poles in the
motor that can be switched on and off to change the speed of magnetic field rotation. However, developments
in power electronics mean that the frequency of the power supply can also now be varied to provide a smoother
control of the motor speed.

Three-phase AC synchronous motors

If connections to the rotor coils of a three-phase motor are taken out on slip-rings and fed a separate field
current to create a continuous magnetic field (or if the rotor consists of a permanent magnet), the result is called
a synchronous motor because the rotor will rotate synchronously with the rotating magnetic field produced by
the polyphase electrical supply.

The synchronous motor can also be used as an alternator.

Nowadays, synchronous motors are frequently driven by transistorized variable-frequency drives. This greatly
eases the problem of starting the massive rotor of a large synchronous motor. They may also be started as
induction motors using a squirrel-cage winding that shares the common rotor: once the motor reaches
synchronous speed, no current is induced in the squirrel-cage winding so it has little effect on the synchronous
operation of the motor, aside from stabilizing the motor speed on load changes.

Synchronous motors are occasionally used as traction motors; the TGV may be the best-known example of
such use.

One use for this type of motor is its use in a power factor correction scheme. They are referred to
as synchronous condensers. This exploits a feature of the machine where it consumes power at a
leading power factor when its rotor is over excited. It thus appears to the supply to be a capacitor, and could
thus be used to correct the lagging power factor that is usually presented to the electric supply by inductive
loads. The excitation is adjusted until a near unity power factor is obtained (often automatically). Machines used
for this purpose are easily identified as they have no shaft extensions. Synchronous motors are valued in any
case because their power factor is much better than that of induction motors, making them preferred for very
high power applications.
Some of the largest AC motors are pumped-storage hydroelectricity generators that are operated as
synchronous motors to pump water to a reservoir at a higher elevation for later use to generate electricity using
the same machinery. Six 350-megawatt generators are installed in the Bath County Pumped Storage Station in
Virginia, USA. When pumping, each unit can produce 563,400 horsepower (420 megawatts).[7]

Universal motors and series wound motors

AC motors can also have brushes. The universal motor is widely used in small home appliances and power
tools.
Repulsion motor

Repulsion motors are wound-rotor single-phase AC motors that are similar to universal motors. In a repulsion
motor, the armature brushes are shorted together rather than connected in series with the field. By transformer
action, the stator induces currents in the rotor, which create torque by repulsion instead of attraction as in other
motors. Several types of repulsion motors have been manufactured, but the repulsion-start induction-run (RS-
IR) motor has been used most frequently. The RS-IR motor has a centrifugal switch that shorts all segments of
the commutator so that the motor operates as an induction motor once it has been accelerated to full speed.
Some of these motors also lift the brushes out of contact with the commutator once the commutator is shorted.
RS-IR motors have been used to provide high starting torque per ampere under conditions of cold operating
temperatures and poor sourcevoltage regulation. Few repulsion motors of any type are sold as of 2005.

Other types of motors

This section is empty. You can help

by adding to it.

AC Motor with sliding rotor

 Demag AC Motor with sliding rotors-Rvancopp

Conical rotor brake motor incorporates the brake as an integral part of the conical sliding rotor. When the motor
is at rest, a spring acts on the sliding rotor and forces the brake ring against the brake cap in the motor, holding
the rotor stationary. When the motor is energized, its magnetic field generates both an axial and a radial
component. The axial component overcomes the spring force, releasing the brake; while the radial component
causes the rotor to turn. There is no additional brake control required.

The high starting torque and low inertia of the conical rotor brake motor has proven to be ideal for the demands
of high cycle dynamic drives in applications since the motor was invented designed, and introduced over 50
years ago by a company named Demag Cranes & Components Corp. This type of motor configuration was first
introduced in the USA in 1963 by this company.

Single-speed or two speed motors that are designed for coupling to gear motor system gearboxes. Conical
rotor brake motors are also used to power micro speed drives.

Motors of this type can also be found on overhead crane and hoist (device)The micro speed unit combines two
motors and an intermediate gear reducer. These are used for applications where extreme mechanical
positioning accuracy and high cycling capability are needed. The micro speed unit combines a “main” conical
rotor brake motor for rapid speed and a “micro” conical rotor brake motor for slow or positioning speed. The
intermediate gearbox allows a range of ratios, and motors of different speeds can be combined to produce high
ratios between high and low speed.

Single-phase AC synchronous motors

Small single-phase AC motors can also be designed with magnetized rotors (or several variations on that idea;
see "Hysteresis synchronous motors" below).

If a conventional squirrel-cage rotor has flats ground on it to create salient poles and increase reluctance, it will
start conventionally, but will run synchronously, although it can provide only a modest torque at synchronous
speed. This is known as a reluctance motor.

Because inertia makes it difficult to instantly accelerate the rotor from stopped to synchronous speed, these
motors normally require some sort of special feature to get started. Some include a squirrel-cage structure to
bring the rotor close to synchronous speed. Various other designs use a small induction motor (which may
share the same field coils and rotor as the synchronous motor) or a very light rotor with a one-way mechanism
(to ensure that the rotor starts in the "forward" direction). In the latter instance, applying AC power creates
chaotic (or seemingly chaotic) jumping movement back and forth; such a motor will always start, but lacking the
anti-reversal mechanism, the direction it runs is unpredictable. The Hammond organ tone generator used a
non-self-starting synchronous motor (until comparatively recently), and had an auxiliary conventional shaded-
pole starting motor. A spring-loaded auxiliary manual starting switch connected power to this second motor for
a few seconds.
Hysteresis synchronous motors

These motors are relatively costly, and are used where exact speed (assuming an exact-frequency AC source)
as well as rotation with a very small amount of fast variations in speed (called 'flutter" in audio recordings) is
essential. Applications included tape recorder capstan drives (the motor shaft could be the capstan). Their
distinguishing feature is their rotor, which is a smooth cylinder of a magnetic alloy that stays magnetized, but
can be demagnetized fairly easily as well as re-magnetized with poles in a new location. Hysteresis refers to
how the magnetic flux in the metal lags behind the external magnetizing force; for instance, to demagnetize
such a material, one could apply a magnetizing field of opposite polarity to that which originally magnetized the
material.

These motors have a stator like those of capacitor-run squirrel-cage induction motors. On startup, when slip
decreases sufficiently, the rotor becomes magnetized by the stator's field, and the poles stay in place. The
motor then runs at synchronous speed as if the rotor were a permanent magnet. When stopped and re-started,
the poles are likely to form at different locations.

For a given design, torque at synchronous speed is only relatively modest, and the motor can run at below
synchronous speed.

Electronically commutated motors

Such motors have an external rotor with a cup-shaped housing and a radially magnetized permanent magnet
connected in the cup-shaped housing. An interior stator is positioned in the cup-shaped housing. The interior
stator has a laminated core having grooves. Windings are provided within the grooves. The windings have first
end turns proximal to a bottom of the cup-shaped housing and second end turns positioned distal to the bottom.
The first and second end turns electrically connect the windings to one another. The permanent magnet has an
end face rom the bottom of the cup-shaped housing. At least one galvano-magnetic rotor position sensor is
arranged opposite the end face of the permanent magnet so as to be located within a magnetic leakage of the
permanent magnet and within a magnetic leakage of the interior stator. The at least one rotor position sensor is
designed to control current within at least a portion of the windings. A magnetic leakage flux concentrator is
arranged at the interior stator at the second end turns at a side of the second end turns facing away from the
laminated core and positioned at least within an angular area of the interior stator in which the at (?-someone
got distracted)

ECM motors are increasingly being found in forced-air furnaces and HVAC systems to save on electricity costs
as modern HVAC systems are running their fans for longer periods of time (duty cycle).[8] The cost of using
ECM motors in HVAC systems is higher, but the major benefit is the motor efficiency is much higher that other
motor types at reduced speeds and partial loads.
Watthour-meter motors
These are essentially two-phase induction motors with permanent magnets that retard rotor speed, so that their
speed is accurately proportional to the power passing through the meter. The rotor is an aluminium-alloy disc,
and currents induced into it react with the field from the stator.

The stator is composed of three coils that are arranged facing the disc surface, with the magnetic circuit
completed by a C-shaped core of permeable iron. One phase of the motor is produced by a coil with many
turns located above the disc surface. This upper coil has a relatively high inductance, and is connected in
parallel with the load. The magnetic field produced in this coil lags the applied (line/mains) voltage by almost 90
degrees. The other phase of the motor is produced by a pair of coils with very few turns of heavy-gauge wire,
and hence quite-low inductance. These coils, located on the underside of the disc surface, are wired in series
with the load, and produce magnetic fields in-phase with the load current.

Because the two lower coils are wound anti-parallel, and are each located equidistant from the upper coil, an
azimuthally traveling magnetic flux is created across the disc surface. This traveling flux exerts an average
torque on the disc proportional to the product of the power factor; RMS current, and voltage. It follows that the
rotation of the magnetically-braked disc is in effect an analogue integration the real RMS power delivered to the
load. The mechanical dial on the meter then simply reads off a numerical value proportional to the total number
of revolutions of the disc, and thus the total energy delivered to the load.

Slow-speed synchronous timing motors

Representative are low-torque synchronous motors with a multi-pole hollow cylindrical magnet (internal poles)
surrounding the stator structure. An aluminum cup supports the magnet. The stator has one coil, coaxial with
the shaft. At each end of the coil are a pair of circular plates with rectangular teeth on their edges, formed so
they are parallel with the shaft. They are the stator poles. One of the pair of discs distributes the coil's flux
directly, while the other receives flux that has passed through a common shading coil. The poles are rather
narrow, and between the poles leading from one end of the coil are an identical set leading from the other end.
In all, this creates a repeating sequence of four poles, unshaded alternating with shaded, that creates a
circumferential traveling field to which the rotor's magnetic poles rapidly synchronize. Some stepping motors
have a similar structure.