Wassap, Wassap, Engineering Lovers around the World. I'm Gianzão and I ride this electric unicycle here. It has a different little engine.
And today you will learn what a Brushless motor is. Hey Engineering Lovers, today we're going to talk about a slightly different electric motor, known as a brushless motor or brushless motor. It was a topic requested by one of our members and several people also requested it in our video talking about direct current and alternating current motors.
But before I tell you about brushless motors, take the opportunity to subscribe if you are not already subscribed, leave your like, and activate the notification bell and if you find our content interesting, consider becoming a member to help us continue producing content here on the platform and be remembered in our videos. You might be wondering why I have a drone and a computer cooler in my hand, and in fact, I'm here to show you that the types of motors used in this type of item use exactly the brushless motor. It is a type of electric motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical movement, just like several other types of electric motors, but it differs from conventional motors in that they do not have brushes and commutators.
For example, if we open a conventional direct current motor, we will see these contacts that touch the main axis that we call brushes and also a device called a commutator, which is where these brushes touch to generate the movement of the motors. When this type of motor is turned on, the brushes make contact with the commutator, and it is responsible for reversing the electrical direction of the motor coils, and this is what makes the motor rotate. However, this contact ends up generating friction and wear over time, and eventually the motor will stop working, having to change the brushes or commutator because of this wear.
But when we look at brushless motors, they simply don't have brushes and commutators, and the system that allows the motor to rotate is done electronically. Come on, in a brushless motor, the stator, which is this little piece here, contains the coil windings , which are fixed and do not move. The rotor, in turn, contains permanent magnets and is the part that rotates.
When electrical energy is applied to the stator, it controls the magnetic field of the stator coils, and thus, it controls the rotation of the rotor according to the magnetic field. To understand better, imagine that you have a brushless motor with 3 coils and a stator with a fixed magnet with north and south polarity. The motor's electronic board controls the magnetic field of the stators, so if we connect two coils with opposite magnetic fields, the rotor magnet will be attracted by one of the coils while it will be repelled by the other.
When the rotor's magnetic field is almost aligned with one of the magnetic fields, the electronic system turns off the coil's magnetic field, and creates a magnetic field in the other coil. This causes the motor to rotate constantly, because as it approaches one magnetic field, it repels the other, and what makes the motor rotate is exactly this change in polarity of the coils. The main advantage of brushless motors is the precise and dynamic electronic control they offer.
This precise control allows the optimization of engine efficiency, reduction of vibrations and noise, as well as enabling the implementation of features such as variable speed control and smooth engine reversal. Due to the elimination of brushes and mechanical commutators, brushless motors are generally more efficient and durable than their brushed counterparts. The absence of moving parts subject to mechanical wear results in longer service life and lower energy losses due to friction.
Brushless motors are widely used in a variety of applications, from drones like this one, computer coolers, computer hard drives and even more robust applications, such as electric car engines and industrial systems. But does every brushless motor have an electronic control? Yes, in general, brushless motors are designed to be used with electronic control.
This is because the efficient and accurate operation of these motors depends on control electronic system to determine the proper power sequence for the stator windings. But the way they are connected may be different. In computer cooler motors, for example, the input connection is usually made only by two contacts, one positive and the other negative for direct current.
The electronic motor control is located inside this motor plate, and it is this plate that controls the magnetic field of the coils. To control the speed of these motors, you control the input voltage to the motor. However, in other types of brushless motors, like the ones we see in drones, for example, they are usually connected by 3 wires.
This is because this type of motor does not have electronic control inside it, just the connection of the coils and to use them, we use what we call ESC's or Electronic speed controllers or as many people call them, motor drivers. These controllers are powered by direct current and they interpret control signals such as the position of the rotor and adjust the power delivered to the coils. It is these controllers that maintain synchronization and optimize engine performance.
To control the rotation speed of the motors, instead of controlling the input voltage, the ESC changes the programming of the coils. The main reason for relying on this electronic control is the nature of the operation of brushless motors. The absence of mechanical brushes and commutators means there is no direct way to reverse the direction of electrical current in the motor coils, as there is in traditional DC motors.
Therefore, electronic control becomes essential to coordinate the precise delivery of power to the stator windings, ensuring smooth and efficient movement of the brushless motor. But how does this controller work? The operation of a brushless motor can be understood through several steps, involving the principles of electromagnetism and precise electronic control.
Inside the controller, there is a system with several sensors that decide the power supply sequence for the stator coils. In other words, it tells you which coils will be turned on, what their polarity is and which ones will be turned off. The electronic controller energizes the stator coils in a specific sequence, generating a magnetic field that interacts with the magnets in the rotor.
In this diagram, for example, we can see a brushless motor being powered. In this graph, we can see a sequence of stages. As the motor has 3 contacts, we have 3 diagrams.
Each diagram shows a graph where up, the contact is fed with the positive, in the middle it is turned off, and down it is fed with the negative of the power supply. This way, each contact has a connection stage. When the first contact is off, the second is powered by positive and the third is connected to negative.
Then, the first contact will be connected to the negative, the second contact will continue to be connected to the positive and the third contact will be disconnected and so on. It is this sequence of stages that controls the rotation of the engine so that it makes one complete turn of the rotor, that is, it goes from 0 to 360 degrees. The precise energization sequence is crucial to maintaining smooth rotary motion.
The electronic control continuously adjusts the feeding sequence to track the rotor position in real time, optimizing the efficiency and smoothness of the movement. And what are the advantages of this type of engine? Well, the absence of brushes reduces energy losses due to friction, making brushless motors more efficient.
The lack of moving parts subject to mechanical wear contributes greatly to a longer service life. This electronic control allows fine adjustments to speed and direction, providing a quick and smooth response. And for those who have already worked with conventional electric motors , you know that eliminating brushes reduces the need for regular maintenance, making brushless motors more practical in long-term applications.
And what are the most common applications of brushless motors? Electric cars, electric bicycles, and even electric scooters and other vehicles Electrics often use this type of motor due to its efficiency and ability to provide instantaneous torque. Brushless motors are widely used in drones due to their lightness, efficiency and quick response capabilities.
They provide the thrust necessary for vertical and horizontal propulsion. Some power tools like cordless drills, and even some cordless vacuum cleaners, may have brushless motors to provide improved efficiency and durability. And as I already said, computer coolers and refrigeration systems that require precise and efficient rotations often use this type of engine.
But more than that. Some modern household appliances, such as washing machines and dryers, can use brushless motors for better energy efficiency and less mechanical wear. In industrial, educational or household robots, brushless motors are common due to their ability to provide precise and efficient movement.
Industrial machines such as pumps, compressors and manufacturing equipment are switching to brushless motors to ensure efficient and reliable operation. So, did you know about these applications of brushless motors? Is there any equipment that uses this type of engine?
I don't know about you, but I 'm dying to ride an electric unicycle around. Leave it here in the comments and I want to know. Next door there are two video options that you might like and that are worth checking out to continue learning a little more.
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