Control Electric Motor Velocity on a Budget

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Discussion Overview

The discussion focuses on methods to control the velocity of electric motors, exploring various motor types and control techniques. Participants consider factors such as simplicity, cost, and effectiveness in their suggestions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the simplest and cheapest method to control electric motor velocity and the type of motor suitable for this purpose.
  • Another participant suggests that a permanent magnet DC motor with brushes is a good choice and discusses the use of resistors and variable resistors for control, noting the limitations of resistors in terms of power efficiency.
  • A different participant proposes using a variable voltage power supply, emphasizing its capability to handle the motor's maximum current and voltage requirements.
  • Another suggestion includes using a frequency inverter, which may not be the cheapest option but is described as reliable and easy to use.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views on the best method to control motor velocity, with no consensus reached on a single approach.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying opinions on the trade-offs between simplicity, cost, and effectiveness of different methods, indicating that the choice may depend on specific application requirements.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in electric motor control, including hobbyists, engineers, and students in related fields.

burak
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Hello,
Can anyone tell me what is the simpliest and cheapest method to control of velocity of an electric motor?
or what kind of motor to use to reach such a control?
 
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Pick 2 of 3: Simple, cheap, effective

A permanent magnet DC motor with brushes is a good choice for motor type.

A resistor is simple and cheap but difficult to control because the power falls off exponentially as you increase the resistance. A variable resistor like a rheostat/potentiometer would allow you to control it over a range.

A switching circuit would be the most effective (especially with feedback) but this is not as simple nor cheap as a resistor. By using the concept of PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) and sending pulses of certain lengths to the motor the circuit can control the average amount of current in the coils and thus control the speed/power much more effectively.

Cliff
 
You could also try using a variable voltage power supply on the motor.

As long as it can handle the maximum necessary current at the highest voltage rating for the motor, it should work just fine.

Here's a bunch of useful circuits.

http://www.commlinx.com.au/power.htm
 
to control the speed of electric motor is a frequency inverter...it may not be the cheaper but it is more reliable and easy to use...
 

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