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Physics (/physics/) >  Current Electricity (/physics/current-electricity/) >  DC Motor (/physics/dc-motor/)

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DC Motor

A DC motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. In a DC motor,
the input electrical energy is the direct current which is transformed into the mechanical rotation. In this
session, let us know what is a DC motor, types of DC motor and their applications.

Table of Contents:

What is a DC Motor?
DC Motor Diagram
Different Parts of a DC Motor
Armature or Rotor
Field Coil or Stator
Commutator and Brushes
DC Motor Working
Types of DC Motor
Self Excited DC Motor
Separately Excited DC Motor
Brushed DC Motor vs Brushless DC Motor
Applications of DC Motor
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What is a DC Motor?
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A DC motor is de ned as a class of electrical motors that convert direct current electrical energy into
mechanical energy.
 From the above de nition, we can conclude that any electric motor that is operated using direct current or
DC is called a DC motor. We will understand the DC motor construction and how a DC motor converts the
supplied DC electrical energy into mechanical energy in the next few sections.

DC Motor Diagram

Different Parts of a DC Motor

A DC motor is composed of the following main parts::

Armature or Rotor
The armature of a DC motor is a cylinder of magnetic laminations that are insulated from one another. The
armature is perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. The armature is a rotating part that rotates on its axis
and is separated from the eld coil by an air gap.

Field Coil or Stator

A DC motor eld coil is a non-moving part on which winding is wound to produce a magnetic eld
(https://byjus.com/physics/magnetic- eld/). This electro-magnet has a cylindrical cavity between its
poles.

Commutator and Brushes

Commutator

The commutator of a DC motor is a cylindrical structure that is made of copper segments stacked
together but insulated from each other using mica. The primary function of a commutator is to supply
electrical current to the armature winding. Hi there! Got any questions?
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Brushes

The brushes of a DC motor are made with graphite and carbon structure. These brushes conduct electric
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current
from the external circuit to the rotating commutator. Hence, we come to understand that the
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commutator and the brush unit are concerned with transmitting the power from the static electrical
circuit to the mechanically rotating region or the rotor.
 DC Motor Working
In the previous section, we discussed the various components of a DC motor. Now, using this knowledge
let us understand the working of DC motors.

A magnetic eld arises in the air gap when the eld coil of the DC motor is energised. The created
magnetic eld is in the direction of the radii of the armature. The magnetic eld enters the armature from
the North pole side of the eld coil and “exits” the armature from the eld coil’s South pole side.

The conductors located on the other pole are subjected to a force of the same intensity but in the opposite
direction. These two opposing forces create a torque (https://byjus.com/physics/torque/) that causes the
motor armature to rotate.

Working principle of DC motor

When kept in a magnetic eld, a current-carrying conductor gains torque and develops a tendency to
move. In short, when electric elds and magnetic elds interact, a mechanical force arises. This is the
principle on which the DC motors work.

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Types of DC motor
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 DC motors have a wide range of applications ranging from electric shavers to automobiles. To cater to
this wide range of applications, they are classi ed into different types based on the eld winding
connections to the armature as:

Self Excited DC Motor

Separately Excited DC Motor

Now, let us discuss the various types of DC Motors in detail.

Self Excited DC Motor

In self-excited DC motors, the eld winding is connected either in series or parallel to the armature
winding. Based on this, the self-excited DC motor can further be classi ed as:

Shunt wound DC motor

Series wound DC motor
Compound wound DC motor

Shunt wound DC motor

In a shunt wound motor, the eld winding is connected parallel to the armature as shown in the gure.

Series wound DC motor

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 In a series wound DC motor, the eld winding is connected in series with the armature winding as shown
in the gure.

Compound wound DC motor

DC motors having both shunt and series eld winding is known as Compound DC motor, as shown in the
gure. The compound motor is further divided into:

Cumulative Compound Motor

Differential Compound Motor

In a cumulative compound motor, the magnetic ux produced by both the windings is in the same
direction. In a differential compound motor, the ux produced by the series eld windings is opposite to
the ux produced by the shunt eld winding. Hi there! Got any questions?
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Separately Excited DC Motor

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 In a separately excited DC motor, the eld coils are energised from an external source of DC supply as
shown in the gure.

Brushed DC Motor vs Brushless DC Motor

A brushless DC motor, also known as synchronous DC motor, unlike brushed DC motors, do not have a
commutator. The commutator in a brushless DC motor is replaced by an electronic servomechanism that
Hi there! Got any questions?
can detect and adjust the angle of the rotor. I can help you...

A brushed DC motor features a commutator that reverses the current every half cycle and creates single
direction torque. While brushed DC motors remain popular, many have been phased out for more e cient
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brushless models in recent years.
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 Applications of DC Motor
The applications of different types of DC motors are listed below:

Shunt DC Motors
Owing to the fairly constant speed and medium starting torque of shunt DC motors, they are used in the
following applications:

1. Centrifugal and reciprocating pumps

2. Lathe machines
3. Blowers and Fans
4. Drilling machines
5. Milling machines
6. Machine tools

Series DC Motors
Owing to the high starting torque and variable speed of series DC motors, they are used in the following
applications:

Conveyors
Hoists, Elevators
Cranes
Electric Locomotives

Cumulative Compound DC motors

Owing to the high starting torque of cumulative compound DC motors, they are used in the following
applications:

Shears
Heavy Planers
Rolling mills
Elevators

Frequently Asked Questions on DC Motor

Can a DC motor run on AC?
Yes, the DC series motor runs on single-phase AC supply. This is because the torque, which varies as the
product of the armature and eld current, is always positive. Thus, a positive average torque causes the
motor to rotate.

What is a Universal motor?

A universal motor is a special type of motor that can run on either DC or single-phase AC supply.

When is a DC motor preferred over an AC motor? Hi there! Got any questions?

I can helpconcerning
When precise control is needed, DC motors offer a wide range of possibilities you... speed
control. Due to this reason, industrial machinery that requires high precision works with DC motors.
DC motors offer excellent response characteristics when starting, stopping and reversing their spin
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 The energy stored in the batteries of electric vehicles is in the form of DC. Hence, DC motors are
compatible with electric vehicles.

When was the DC motor invented?

William Sturgeon invented the rst DC motor in 1886.

Why are DC ceiling fans better?

DC motor fans use 70% less energy than a standard AC fan.
DC motor fans are less noisy.
DC motor fans have more speed options than an AC motor fan.

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