The Beginner's Guide to AC Motor
An AC motor is an electric motor that is driven by an alternating current (AC). As opposite to AC motors, a DC motor is an electric motor that runs on direct current (DC) electricity. An AC motor consists of two basic parts, an outside stationary stator having coils supplied with alternating current (AC) to produce a rotating magnetic field, and an inside rotor attached to the output shaft that is given a torque by the rotating field.
Depending on the type of rotor used, there are two types of alternating current (AC) motors.
The first type of AC motors is the synchronous motor, which rotates exactly at the supply frequency or a submultiple of the supply frequency. The magnetic field on the rotor is either generated by current delivered through slip rings or by a permanent magnet.
The second type is the induction motor. The induction motor runs slightly slower than the supply frequency. The magnetic field on the rotor of the induction motor is created by an induced current.
