HorizonHobby.com How-To: Understanding RC Motor Technology
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
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It's amazing to see how far electric motor technology has come over the years. From closed end bell 540-size Johnson or Mabuchi motors to open end bell hand-wound modified motors, and now brushless motors, it's amazing to see just how far motor technology has come. With all the different types of motors and technologies in use, things can get quite confusing. We're here to help demystify motor tech and provide the answers you'll need in understanding your electric motor system. In addition, we've also put together a comprehensive list of terms below to help you better understand the different technologies out there, how they work and what this all means to you.
Armature-The central component in a brushed motor. The commutator, stack and windings are all mounted to the armature.
Brushed Motor-An electric motor that utilizes brushes rubbing against a commutator to transfer electrical current to create rotation. Brushed motors are inexpensive to produce, but require frequent maintenance to ensure the motor will continue to perform at a high level.
Can-The main "body" of an electric motor. The can houses the magnets in a brushed motor and the stator in a brushless motor.
Closed End Bell Motor-A brushed motor that is not designed to be readily serviced. Closed end bell motors tend to have shorter life spans compared to open end bell motors due to the fact that the commutators and brushes cannot be easily cleaned or replaced.
Commutator (A.K.A. Comm)-A rotary electrical switch in brushed motors. The commutator is copper in color, mounted to the top of the armature and features three segments. The brushes ride against the commutator and transfer current to generate rotation.
End Bell-The top-most portion of a motor. On a brushed motor, the end bell houses the brushes, brush springs, a bearing or bushing and, often, some sort of capacitor.
Kv-A rating of performance for brushless motors. While Kv ratings are occasionally applied to sensored motors, sensorless brushless motors are almost always rated by Kv. The higher the Kv rating of a motor the faster it will be. Kv refers to the number of RPM a motor will produce for each volt of power input to it For example a 1,000Kv motor would produce roughly 7,400 RPM at 7.4 volts.
Open End Bell Motor-A brushed motor that has been designed in a way to allow you to service and clean the commutator, replace the brushes and the springs. Some open end bell motors, known as rebuildable, also allow you to completely remove the end bell, making it possible to completely remove armature from the can for easier maintenance or replacement.
Sensored Brushless Motor-A type of brushless motor that utilizes special sensors, called Hall Effect Sensor, to connect the motor to the Electronic Speed Controller. The purpose of this sensor wire is to allow the Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) to better monitor the position of the rotor in relation to the stator to provide smooth and consistent throttle response. Sensored motors are used for sanctioned racing and are rated in turns.
Sensorless Brushless Motors-A type of brushless motor that does not use any sort of Hall Effect Sensors to connect the motor to the Electronic Speed Controller (ESC). Due to the simpler construction and design, sensorless brushless motors are less expensive. Sensorless motors are generally rated in Kv. The higher the Kv rating, the faster the motor will be.
Stator-The "can" of a brushless motor. The stator is the part of a brushless motor that houses the windings.
Turn (A.K.A. Wind)-The number of times a length of wire is wrapped around a stack in a brushed motor or the stator in a brushless motor. The more turns a motor has, the more wire was used in its construction. Having more wire not only increases the rotating mass of a brushed motor's armature, but also increases the resistance, reduces efficiency and slows the motor down. The lower the turn of the motor (generally speaking) the faster it will be.
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Horizon as a company has been a pleasure to deal with. Bought Axial Jeep JLU in late Nov 2020 and it had a faulty servo on the DIG function. I live in Canada and Horizon warranty the servo on my word telling them. Shipped prepaid and arrived in less than two weeks. This video is very helpful when being bombarded with what's available to buy for aftermarket motors. So Thanks for making these videos.
I felt the need to put this out there, the reason for 3 wires vs 2 wires on BL vs B is more so due to the commutation. A brushless esc needs to have an electronic commutator inside rather than the physical of the brushed.
Very awesome - even 12 years later! I watched it all and took notes!
It is specific to each motor honestly. Most high-performance brushed motors aren't being produced any longer as most of these manufacturers have moved to brushless technology.
Thank you. I was always wondering why brushless motors needed a special ESC.
Sir, you explain like a Boss! Thank you!
Best video ever made on RUclips. THANK YOU!!!
How does one get that kind of shine on ones head? Love it.
OUTSTANDING video! Very informative. I fly quads and am moving up to brushless motors so even tho you were talking about RC vehicles, it still translated well into how it would apply to quad multi-rotors. Many thanks for a great video.
Brushless motors do NOT run on AC, they are DC that is pulsed to different sets of coils. They basically replace the commutator. The basics are the same, Electricity runs through the coil's creating a magnetic field and repel or attract to the permanent magnet that is part of the rotor. The coils are labeled A,B,C and the electricity gets flowed from A-B, then B-C, then C-A and repeat in a circle . Sensored brushless motors have Hall Effect sensors (usually 3) that tell the Electronic speed controller (esc) what the orientation of the rotor is currently in so the ESC knows which set of coils to apply current to.
if you listened he said they basically work on AC, which is true. even though it is technically DC, a waveform that is basically a modified sine wave with a bunch of PWM is what an ESC sends a brushless motor.
Very well spoken!!! We need more info about RC from this guy here. 👏🏻
I understand what you are saying. With any "sealed endbell" motor there is the opportunity to "pop" the endbell off by applying enough pressure to the tabs to make them spread. This motor is not designed to have the timing adjusted once it has been assembled.
Kv-A rating of performance for brushless motors. While Kv ratings are occasionally applied to sensored motors, sensorless brushless motors are almost always rated by Kv. The higher the Kv rating of a motor the faster it will be. Kv refers to the number of RPM a motor will produce for each volt of power input to it For example a 1,000Kv motor would produce roughly 7,400 RPM at 7.4 volts.
Should have this info in the video!
Let us make this even more clear:
A brushed motor runs the current though the armature making it electromagnetic that interacts with the permanent magnets in the shell of the motor.
A brushless motor has a rotor with permanent magnets and runs the current in the shell making it electromagnetic that interacts with the rotor.
how about brushless motor outrunner!??
with a spinning shell/can??
brushless motor doesnt has brush and run on 3phace ac current
correct your scentence
You are an excellent teacher!!
All depends on if you want to go brushed or brushless. I've heard very good things about systems from Novak and Tekin in both brushed and brushless. The Timbuk2 from Novak is quite popular for an ESC along with their 21.5T or 18.5T motors.
Extremely well made, informative video. I definitely learned a lot as a new comer to the RC car hobby!
Your knowledge on this topic is awesome. Really appreciate you taking the late nights opening and playing with different motors. Takes a lot of patience, and a very cool wife if u know what I mean. I have to sneak my RC time in. And everyone knows that once u sit down and Start dissecting for hours without noticing
He got me pump about building my brushless motor in my 1/10 scale 💪🏿🔥🔥🔥👌🏿💯
It would be better, yes. It just gives you a larger margin for error in case something happens.
Thanks for the compliment!
I love these videos with this guy. 😎 i always think of him as an RC professor. Hes taught me ALOT as a young RC wannabe.
I'm a little late to see this comment but thank you for the kind words - Gary
Charlie is one of the best!
motors are a fun hobby in themselves. the sealed 540 motors can be safely opened and if you know what you're doing you can easily change the windings with bigger gauge laminated wire without soldering and have some cheap fun. if you can find small bearings with the right I.D/O.D diameters then you fit them on the front and end race. got 15t and 10t motors in sealed cans with a double 10t in the making all running off a tekin G9. mabuchi and johnson motors can easily be found next to nothing for rebuild or spare bushes. have fun :)
Depends on the size of the motor quite honestly. There are brushless motors for 1/5-scale vehicles that will blow away the power of those for 1/10-scales. Generally the fastest I've seen for 1/10-scale are the 2-4T motors. Crazy fast!
That was an excellent video, it really cleared up the whole Brushless motor technology for me.... Now, to learn about lithium batteries and esc for brushless. This is what I get for 3 years out of the hobby haha
Thanks I'm a big fan! Thanks for the help. Your one of the best rc channels!!!!!
I don't know that I've ever seen that rating for a motor. What manufacturer if you don't mind my asking?
Awesome review... Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for the great instructional intro to these motors !
Great work and easily understood
Very good video. Very informative. I learned alot since I took my team Losi buggy and my Traxus truck out of the closet after years of storage. I have watched alot of your videos and learned what's in and what's out. Thank You.
I think a better way to explain brushless vs brushed is that a brushed motor uses a mechanical switch to change polarity and a brushless motor uses a computer and solid state electronics to do it. It's like mechanical fuel injection vs electronic fuel injection, the real benefit comes from being able to adjust timings without physical changes to the motor and having less resistance from mechanical parts.
THANK YOU. So many questions answered that I didn't even know I had. LOL
Anything besides a 27T brushed motor is considered "Modified". It refers to the racing class the motor is legal to race in. A 13-double is going to push the limits on that ESC but you should be ok.
good video for breaking down the basics
And tonight i have learned the difference between 550 and 540 thank you so much
In very simplistic terms, yes.
Awesome vid! Helped me understand electric motors a bit more. I'm a nitro guy, but i'm willing to try to understand the other side of rc. Lol, good job sir!
Thank you, this video was very helpful in knowing the difference between brush and brushless motors. Plus I couldn't remember if more or less turns on a brush motor made it faster or slower. Very good info for RC car motors.
Almost all electric motors are ac (stepper motors excluded) - in other words the current must somehow be switched in direction every half cycle if dc is applied. In the so-called dc motor this is achieved by the commutator, which reverses the current flow. A brushed ac supplied motor uses slip rings to get the current to the armature. Great channel, thanks
Thank you so very much for the tutorial . It helped a lot.
Yes and no. A 550 Motor is a slightly longer version of the 540 motor, capable of delivering more torque and power without suffering from power loss. 550 motors tend to be less susceptible to damage from heat, overgearing or other similar issues. Now there are 540 motors that can be used in 4WD SCTs that have the best of both worlds, less weight and exceptional torque.
Very detailed video, thank you for your knowledge!
Great! Thanks for all the help.
I sincerely appreciate the responses as some people wont even reply.
Thanks again.
Fantastic tutorial. Thanks
very good. thanks a lot! enjoyed all three of your videos
The fastest that we're going to have is the Formula Pro BB Modified 12T,Double by Team Orion USA (ORI22035). Unfortunately just about all high-performance motor developers have abandoned brushed technology for brushless.
Great video, it really helped me understand how the brushless systems work. Thumbs up.
It's an epoxy that the windings are dipped in. I don't know where to purchase this however, I am sorry.
Very informative video for someone like myself who just decided a few days ago to buy a car after about 1 day of research. I'm a beginner and I want my son to enjoy it with me but dont want a car going too fast but I also want to know how to upgrade when time comes.
Thank you Sir, Good presentation, Now I know what I didn't know before.
Thank you for sharing guys!!👍👍
Thank you, that will help me a lot when it comes time to up grade my old Slash to brushless.
Great video! Thank you so much!
thank you for your vide.,it is very informative.I use to race rc 10s with my dad back in the mid 80s I am thinking of getting back into the game.and thgis video is very helpful as far as info on dif motors..thank you again.very nice video.keep up the good work.
Hi um Anthony I have 3 brushless rc traxxas 110 th scale vehicles myself this video is very enteresting too 👀 watch. I learned alot from this.
excellent video ! thanks
This was so helpful . Thank you !!
Thanks for an excellent explanation ! This is what i was looking for.Thanks again.
27T Stock motors were not allowed to have bearings per ROAR Rules.
Very good video, very informative, thankyou for sharing!
Thanks bro, I needed this!
That is a very informative and nicely explained video. I attempted to do a video not to dissimilar to this a little while back and while I did have a lot of the basic right I wasnt able to go nearly as in depth as you guys did here mostly because I have very little experience with brushed motors.
Top video very useful
Cool thanks! also I bought a new summit from you guys! I also got a dhk shogun 1/8 scale I'm going to rebuild myself ! thanks guy
No argument there, however in terms of RC getting a working and reliable brushless system was a pretty big breakthrough and advancement. You can go back to the days after Nikola Tesla and see the groundwork laid there.
Do lower turn motors have better speed but less torque or something? Why would you opt for a higher turn motor? Sorry I'm way new to this stuff
WOW
Very nice talk
Great explanation, thanks!
i learnt alot more from this
Its not better as much as its just different. A smaller pinion will give you less top speed but better acceleration. A bigger pinion will give you more top speed but cost you acceleration. For running on a track going to a smaller pinion could make you "faster" as the motor may not have to work as hard to clear obstacles or to get out of a corner. For just running in a driveway, open lot or parking lot a bigger pinion will yield higher top speeds.
@MrCrazyrc123 Correct, it's an inverse relationship.
What does 390 motor or 550 motor mean?
@@CM-1723 It's the "can size" of the motor. 390 is typically found in 1/18th scale models. 540 in 2wd 1/10th models. 550 in 4wd 1/10th models.
@@horizonhobby I thought it might of been the size . I've got a 6v 390 13000RPM in my kids ride on vespa and it's really slow . Would a 12v 390 30000RPM be faster ? Or would a 12v 550 30000RPM be faster .
Thanks for the great vid! Learnt heaps!!!
nice instuctional video". i have one question out of curiosity because i think i mest my motor up yeterday. i was crawling with my 20t motor doing rock climbing and i guess since the coils on this motor are thicker that maybe thats why its over heating?? i got the motor so hot it was smoking from burming the label off of the motor, i than let it cool down and when i tried to play with it it still worked but the power was almost reduced by 3/4, so im guessing is this due to the magents loosing magnetism because the motor got the magents so hot?? cuz ive heated up a magnet when i was a little kid and remember the heat made the magnet weaker so was just wonderin if thats most likely the cause of the motor acting this way, please let me know what you think.
Tremendo detalles el funcionamiento según las vuelta y sus potencial RPM
that really answered a lot of my questions
Will a higher turn number work better for larger tires in terms of overheating? I’m still running the original 20t in my ECX Amp MT and stock tires on 2s expecting it to fail, but it seems to not overheat like my 12T Arrma brushed on 2s does.
Thanks a lot for the all the info , Great vid !
Thanks for the info! This is great.
Thanks. Too informative. This video should have been 10 minutes long.
Yes it is.
Thank you so much for the info!
Helped me for my motor needs
Reducing the timing will reduce the RPM and increase the torque of the motor
Thanks for the explanation, very clear!!!
Very informative
very helpful
thank you I was wondering weather the "closed end bell" had to be treated the same as an "open end bell" and now I know thank you
great video. now comes the next question. how do you choose which gear ratio is correct? esc temp, motor temp? i run a slash on oval. Last season I was so under geared my motor was barely warm after races. well i changed a few things. looks like 120-170 is about the temp range im goung to run in.
I've built my own bldc motor and am trying to figure out what bldc speed controller would be appropriate.
First thing, the motor is axial flux. The rotor has 12 poles (6 pole pairs). The stator has three coils wound with 16 gauge wire. The winding are a falharbor type winding with 4 turns (roughly 76 inches of wire in total per coil) adapted to an axial flux design. The stator has a slotless iron backing made from coiled steel banding to reduce the magnetic reluctance.
Most radial flux bldc designs use 3 coils and two poles. I wonder if 12 pole 4 falharbor serpentine like turns would be roughly equlivent to 24 turns or something else on some of the more standard motors.
I tried to run it on a cheap bldc controller. The bldc controllers lowest setting drew .6 amp from a 13.4v lead acid battery. That's about 8 watts. At that lowest setting the controller supplied 1.49vac, and if we assumed 100% efficent transfer of 8 watts 100% meant the coils were pulling 5.37 amps. When the motor was turned by a by a drill at 211 rpms, it generated 0.126vac. During testing the cheap chinese controller blew a couple mosfets. But ill try to answer any other questions.
I might redo the stator with 5 turns on each coil. But there is not much hope for more turns..
thanks for the help. I am running a brushed system now and was wondering what i should use.
Thank you, sir
THANK YOU for video.. now I know what type of motor I need to replace for my car..
maybe I missed it but I didn't see anything in this video about using brushed motors for RC crawling. Censored brushless motors do have use in crawling but top competitors still use brushed for lower end torque and slow speed control.
Thanks a lot! I've learned a lot about motors now :)
Went from nitro to electric and was clueless thank you so much
hi... great video. Do you know how those copper "springs" holding the carbon brushes are called? I need to replace one and all carbon/brushes I see are a variation of a coil/wire and the carbon itself. Never the tiny copper arms pushing the carbons.Thanks!
Thanks for the info! I needed to know how fast in terms of mph speed w 20 turn and under to say a 10 turn brushed motor and 3400kv -7500kv bless in turns of mph? For example getting 40mph you’d need or equals to a 15turn motor etc... thanks!
You need the gear ratio to calculate the speed.
Well done.
Is that a mini? I think so but not 100%
So if a modified speed controller can be made to convert the dc battery to 3 phase A/c, would that benefit the hobby and make the motors more efficient. Thus giving more flight time?