3D Printed Brushless Motor
What Is Brushless Motor?
Brushless motors are advanced motors that don't use the traditional mechanical parts found in older motors, making them more reliable and long-lasting.
They operate quietly and efficiently, making them perfect for everything from household appliances to electric cars.
These motors are favored for their low maintenance needs and their ability to precisely control how fast and with how much force they operate.
How It Works?
Stator and Coils: The motor has a stator (a stationary part) with coils of wire. When electricity flows through these coils, it creates a magnetic field.
Rotor and Magnets: Inside the stator is the rotor (the part that moves), which has permanent magnets attached to it.
Magnetic Interaction: The magnetic fields created by the electrified coils in the stator interact with the magnets on the rotor, causing the rotor to spin.
Rotation: An electric controller changes which coils the electricity flows through, it keeps the rotor spinning by constantly pushing and pulling on the magnets with the magnetic fields.
First motor build
As it can be seen, the first motor I built has been through quite a journey.
Shortly after getting my first 3D printer, I stumbled upon this project online. I spent countless hours watching videos and trying to understand how everything works.
Eventually, I decided to order all the necessary parts and 3D print the components directly from the project page.
After a month and a half, I successfully managed to get the motor spinning!
Inspired by this achievement, I decided to design my own version,
a simpler one that requires less time, features less complex parts, and is easier to modify to meet my specific needs.
My design
The design process of my brushless motor required consideration of numerous factors, including the winding configuration, wire gauge, placement of magnets to maximize the electric fields, type of magnets, and the number and size of both magnets and coils.
Each selected combination could result in either higher torque or higher speed.
Given that a brushless motor can reach speeds up to 60,000 RPM, I ensured that both the structure and the materials used were robust enough to withstand these intense forces.
While designing the motor, I was mainly inspired by the motors used in drones and RC cars.
The motor is controlled by an Arduino Uno and an electronic speed controller (QUICRUN 10BL60), which required extensive C++ coding to create a user-friendly environment that makes testing and operation easier.
After more than 20 iterations, encountering numerous errors (and even upgrading to a more advanced 3D printer) it all led to this design.
What's next?
1. FOC
Description: Field-Oriented Control (FOC) is an advanced technique for controlling brushless motors. It optimizes motor performance by regulating the magnetic field for precise torque and speed control.
FOC uses a small magnet attached to the motor shaft to determine the motor's position based on the orientation of the magnetic field.
Why Use It: FOC improves efficiency, reduces noise, and provides smoother operation, making it ideal for applications needing precise control.
2. Planetary Gear
Description: A planetary gear system features outer gears (planet gears) rotating around a central gear (sun gear), offering multiple gear ratios in a compact design.
Unlike other gear systems, it maintains the same axis, ensuring better alignment and balance.
Why Use It: Planetary gears deliver high torque output and efficiency in a small space, perfect for applications like automotive transmissions and machinery.
3. Testing Equipment
Description: Add testing equipment in order to measures torque, speed, and other parameters to evaluate motor performance under various configurations.
