How is electricity used for mechanical movement in electric engines?

Answer 1

Many years ago scientists investigating the properties of iron magnets discovered that when a copper wire was moved close to a magnet an electric current was induced in the wire.

This was all a bit useless because nobody had invented light bulbs, or fridges, or electric kettles and things, but it wasn't long before it became apparent that if the copper wire was wound in a coil the electric current generated became much greater, and if several magnets were mounted on a rotating spindle and spun rapidly past the copper coils a continuous electric current could be generated. This was the invention of the Dynamo or Electricity Generator, and its wasn't long before engineers and scientists discovered that electricity could be a really useful form of energy.

One of the first developments was to reverse the operation of the dynamo and instead of putting work into rotating the core of the dynamo to generate electricity they supplied electricity to the copper coils which generated a magnetic field and this field caused the rotor to spin, and this was the first electric motor.

Answer 2

By using electromagnets to move a magnet, is the shortest way of describing it.

Imagine a magnet set near an electromagnet. The electromagnet is turned off at the moment, and the magnet is sitting still (let's say it's sitting on a track).

Now, turn on the electromagnet. If the magnet and the electromagnet are oriented properly, the magnet will now move toward the electromagnet.

In a moment, the angles will change and the forces will change as well, dragging the magnet back until it's trapped over the electromagnet--so you turn the electromagnet off before that happens. Now there's nothing to stop the magnet, so it coasts right on by--toward the next electromagnet (I did tell you there was another electromagnet, didn't I? ;-) ) When the magnet gets to the right position, you turn the new electromagnet on--and then off. And so on.

What I've just described is called a "linear induction motor." If you put the electromagnets in a circle and put the magnet on a wheel, you have an electric motor.

I've oversimplified the heck out of this, and there are several other types of electric motors, but this gives you a general idea of how they work. Most electric motors do some variation on the "magnetic bucket brigade" trick I just described (though they also turn it inside out--putting the electromagnet on the wheel and the "permanent" magnets around the rim).

Answer 3

By utilizing the flow of electrons to generate magnetic fields which then interact with each other and / or other parts of the machine to produce forces which result in motion.

Doug

Answer 4

current flows thru a coil which generates a magnetic field. this rotates the armature which is connected to the gear systems.