1 4 HP Motor
Since fractional horsepower motors can be defined either as having a power output of less than one HP or by having a particular frame size, all 1/4 HP motors fall under the category of fractional horsepower motors and must adhere to those standards, although they are more often suggestions than demands. Although they do not output much power, 1/4 HP motors are still often utilized in diverse industries including: HVAC, for the quiet running of fans, air conditioners and blowers, residential, for small household appliances such as automatic can openers, mixers and blenders; industrial manufacturing, for smaller processing equipment such as pumps and air compressors; and construction, for use in power tools such as grinders, power drills, nail guns and power screwdrivers.
Since ¼ HP refers to the power output rather than the power input, it is necessary to determine how the motor itself is powered. Since most are electric motors, ¼ motors can be powered by either an alternating current (AC) or a direct current (DC), and may be either induction or synchronous motors. The difference between AC and DC is that AC the flow of the electric charge will, at times, reverse direction while in DC the movement of the charge will only move in one, singular direction. In terms of induction or synchronous, the key difference is the induction motors require slip in order to produce torque, whereas in synchronous motors zero slip is required, under normal operating conditions, in order to produce torque. AC induction motors is one of the most popular kinds of ¼ HP motors because they offer a simple design and reliable power generation. Besides the aforementioned differences, the various types of ¼ HP motors all share many similar design components. The key essential parts that most ¼ HP motors share are an enclosure, a rotor, an axle, a coil and one or two magnets. In addition, ¼ HP may have include brushes used to direct the current flow, or they may be brushless and require an external power source for the same function.
