Top 5 Industry Applications of Brushless Motors

Brushless Motor

Brushless motors

Brushless motors have become part of our daily lives. They are found in many of the gadgets we interact with everyday from mobile phones to drones. Compared to its brushed counterpart, a brushless motor has been confirmed to be more efficient, quitter, lighter and more durable. It is for these reasons and more that brushless motors have gained such wide adoption. Besides being available in home electronics gadgets, brushless motors are also available in industrial applications. Discussed, below are some of the popular industrial applications of brushless motors.

Industrial applications of brushless motors

1.Aerospace and defense

Did you know that brushless motors are qualified as the prime movers for Apollo’s life support blowers? BLDC motors are also being used to circulate oxygen in Lunar Portable Life Support System. Brushless motors can survive extreme environmental conditions hence meet critical mission performance requirements. They are also maintenance free hence are ideal for space exploration, flight, and satellites.

2.Marine

In the past undersea drones were very expensive and very large. They also required highly skilled operators. Brushless motors have seen the prices of these drones reduce tremendously and, in the process, advancing marine research and underwater mapping even in areas divers cannot reach. BLDC motors with IP rating of 66 and higher can be used to operate underwater hence can be used to power boats, jet skis, tank cleaners, and automatic fish feeders among others.

3.Medical

Brushless motors do not have commutators hence do not spark like brushed motors making them ideal for the medical industry where sparking is dangerous. They are also much quitter and can offer up to 10,000- hour making them helpful for sleep apnea equipment and dental drills. Brushless motors allow medical experts to focus on procedures rather than their tools

4.Robotics

Lack of brushes enables a brushless motor produces less noise and to handle more peak current and move faster. This way, a brushless motor can do the same job as a brushed motor with increased speed while lasting longer. Brushless motors’ reduced risk of sparking and speed makes them very suitable for today’s era of automation. It enables engineers and scientists to build better machines. They are increasingly being used for rovers, battle bots, service robots and prosthetic limps.

5.Transportation

Electric cars are growingly becoming very popular. Both electric cars and hybrid vehicles rely on brushes for smooth running. Electric bicycles and Segway are also driven by brushless motors. In most cases, the motor is built into the wheel hub while the stator is fixed to the axle and the magnets are attached to the wheel where it rotates with the wheel. Going forward, we expect to see more hoverboards and boards being powered by brushless motors.