Do motors have some voltage drop across them

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the voltage drop across a DC motor, specifically noting a 6-volt drop observed during testing. Participants confirm that this drop is primarily due to the back electromotive force (back EMF) generated as the motor rotates within a magnetic field. The back EMF is proportional to the motor's speed and the strength of the magnets used. Additionally, the load on the motor affects the voltage drop, as increased load reduces the motor's speed and, consequently, the back EMF.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of DC motor operation and principles
  • Familiarity with back electromotive force (back EMF)
  • Knowledge of magnetic fields and their interaction with coils
  • Basic concepts of electromagnetic induction
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of load on DC motor performance
  • Learn about the differences between ferrite and rare Earth magnet motors
  • Investigate the relationship between motor speed and back EMF
  • Explore techniques for optimizing motor efficiency
USEFUL FOR

Electrical engineers, hobbyists working with DC motors, and anyone interested in understanding motor performance and efficiency in practical applications.

Grim Arrow
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Homework Statement

Homework Equations


Hello, i have been thinking, what couses a dc motor to have let's say 6volts drop across him. I was thinking that since it is just a coil it should have a verry little voltage drop, but afted testing on breadboard i figured out that it have near 6 volts.

The Attempt at a Solution


So i assume that since it is rotating continuesly in a magnetic stator, that stator field inducec counter emf into the coil and in order to pass, the motor voltage have to overcome that counter emf. Is that right?
 
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Grim Arrow said:

Homework Statement

Homework Equations


Hello, i have been thinking, what couses a dc motor to have let's say 6volts drop across him. I was thinking that since it is just a coil it should have a verry little voltage drop, but afted testing on breadboard i figured out that it have near 6 volts.

The Attempt at a Solution


So i assume that since it is rotating continuesly in a magnetic stator, that stator field inducec counter emf into the coil and in order to pass, the motor voltage have to overcome that counter emf. Is that right?
Isn't the voltage drop across the motor going to be related to the load the motor is driving?
 
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Grim Arrow said:
So i assume that since it is rotating continuesly in a magnetic stator, that stator field inducec counter emf into the coil and in order to pass, the motor voltage have to overcome that counter emf. Is that right?

Pretty close. Many DC permanent magnet motors also work as generators. When used as a motor they generate a "back EMF" much as you describe. The back emf is proportional to the speed that the motor is running at. So with no load they tend to accelerate until the back emf is roughly equal to the supply voltage and then maintain that speed until a load is applied.

This leads to some interesting effects... For example the back emf is also proportional to the strength of the magnets. So all things being equal.. cheap ferrite magnet motors tend to run faster than motors that use high power rare Earth magnets. In practice it's not that simple. For most applications you want a motor that turns at a particular rpm. That means a ferrite magnet motor needs more turns (to generate the same back emf) than a rare Earth magnet motor. Having fewer turns means you can use thicker wire with lower resistance and less resistive loss (less heat). This makes rare Earth magnet motors more efficient than ferrite magnet motors.
 
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CWatters said:
Pretty close. Many DC permanent magnet motors also work as generators. When used as a motor they generate a "back EMF" much as you describe. The back emf is proportional to the speed that the motor is running at. So with no load they tend to accelerate until the back emf is roughly equal to the supply voltage and then maintain that speed until a load is applied.

This leads to some interesting effects... For example the back emf is also proportional to the strength of the magnets. So all things being equal.. cheap ferrite magnet motors tend to run faster than motors that use high power rare Earth magnets. In practice it's not that simple. For most applications you want a motor that turns at a particular rpm. That means a ferrite magnet motor needs more turns (to generate the same back emf) than a rare Earth magnet motor. Having fewer turns means you can use thicker wire with lower resistance and less resistive loss (less heat). This makes rare Earth magnet motors more efficient than ferrite magnet motors.
Thank you, CWatters!
 
Grim Arrow said:

Homework Statement

Homework Equations


Hello, i have been thinking, what couses a dc motor to have let's say 6volts drop across him. I was thinking that since it is just a coil it should have a verry little voltage drop, but afted testing on breadboard i figured out that it have near 6 volts.

The Attempt at a Solution


So i assume that since it is rotating continuesly in a magnetic stator, that stator field inducec counter emf into the coil and in order to pass, the motor voltage have to overcome that counter emf. Is that right?
That's correct. And, incidentally, every motor is also a generator. But if the load stalls the motor there is no back emf and the drop across the windings would be zero except for winding resistance which of course is always present.
 
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rude man said:
That's correct. And, incidentally, every motor is also a generator. But if the load stalls the motor there is no back emf and the drop across the windings would be zero except for winding resistance which of course is always present.
Thank you for the answer Rude man
 
SteamKing said:
Isn't the voltage drop across the motor going to be related to the load the motor is driving?
Yes it is related. If you hold the load is increased the rotation per minute is decreased and now the coil rotates in the stator magnetic field slower. And from what i consider to be truth: from the formula of em induction E= ^f/^t x n; V it seems that when u decrease the rate of rotation that ^f/^t becomes smaller and so is the induced emf. And if u stop the motor from rotating u aint going to get back emf and the only resistance will be that of the coil wire
 

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