Posts Tagged ‘three phase motor’
High Voltage
Like many people from my generation, I was first introduced to the concepts of alternating current and direct current from the moniker of the iconic rock band AC/DC. It wasn’t until I reached my physics class in high school, however, that I learned the importance of these two electrical charges.
As you can probably ascertain, direct current is a charge that never changes it direction. Due to its consistency and low wattage, direct current is commonly found in low-voltage devices, especially those that are powered by batteries, which have constant positive and negative sides. Alternating current, on the other hand, reverses direction periodically and creates much more energy; it is utilized in everything from household and business electricity to an AC motor
Three Phase Motor Basics
When selecting a motor, there are a few major decisions to make, and one of the biggest is whether to choose a one or a three phase motor. The three-phase models feature three hot leads, which means that there is less time between peaks in the current. Each leg that is carrying power is at a peak for one third of the time while the other two rotate through.
This cycle allows the motor to run more smoothly than one-phase units. It also creates a magnetic field that rotates in a specific direction, allowing for a more simplistic motor design. Generally three phase motors are more compact and cheaper than their one-phase counterparts as well.