What types of engine are in washing machines – which is better

The electric motor of the washing machine rotates its central part – the drum. The first motors to be mass-produced were belt-driven motors, driving the drum through a belt drive. This technology is still used to this day, but it has not canceled the evolution of washing machines.

Today, manufacturers have begun to use other types of motors. In total, today there are three main types of ED:

  • asynchronous;
  • collector;
  • brushless (direct drive).

Each of them has its pros and cons, which should be considered when choosing a washing machine.

What motors are used in the washing machine

Let’s consider each type of engine separately, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses so that you can make an informed choice when choosing equipment.

Asynchronous

Washing machines use both two-phase and three-phase motors. But since the 2000s, the first type has gone into oblivion, and today more compact motors for 3 phases and with the ability to regulate the speed of revolutions are used.

They are arranged in this way: their design provides for two parts – the stator (immovable) and the rotor (ensuring the rotation of the drum). Such a motor can rotate up to 2,8 thousand revolutions in 1 minute.

The weak side of the asynchronous type engine: the weakening of the torque, which causes the drum to wobble and lose power during rotation. But if your washing machine has an asynchronous type engine, then the following advantages await you:

  1. the design of the element and the entire machine is extremely simple;
  2. maintenance is relatively easy – it is enough to periodically change the lubricant or bearings;
  3. quiet work;
  4. low price.

The disadvantages of experts include the following points:

  • impressive dimensions of the part;
  • not too high coefficient of performance (COP);
  • complex electrical control.

In powerful SMAs of recent years, such motors are no longer used. They can be found only in simple models from a low price category.

Collector

8 out of 10 household appliances in their design provide just such ED. In washing machines, collector engines began to be used from the beginning of the 90s, and a decade later they almost completely replaced asynchronous two-phase counterparts. Their main plus is versatility and operation from direct and alternating current.

The design of the collector type engine is as follows:

  1. stator;
  2. collector rotor;
  3. tachogenerator (a device that controls the speed of rotation);
  4. aluminum body;
  5. at least a pair of brushes providing contact between the rotor and the motor.

Important! The brushes rub against the commutator, so they wear out over time and need to be replaced. You can notice the worn brushes by the sparks from under the bottom panel of the CMA.

Advantages:

  • modest size;
  • impressive starting moment;
  • no reference to frequency;
  • the possibility of smooth control of the number of revolutions;
  • universality;
  • scope in control from the electrical circuit;
  • high speed.

Cons:

  • modest service life;
  • quickly wearing elements – brushes;
  • noisy work.

The disadvantages also include the risk of an interturn circuit (breakthrough of the winding), which causes a loss of power or spark.

Direct drive

The so-called inverter motor is used by LG, whose experience was subsequently adopted by other brands. These electric motors entered the market in the mid-2000s and immediately fell in love with customers for a number of undeniable advantages. Today, direct-drive motors can be found in washing machines of such brands: Samsung, Hyer, Whirlpool, Hotpoint-Ariston, Bosch, AEG and others.

The possibility of using brushless technology made it possible to make the SM smaller and maintain the performance of other parts. As in the previous type of motor, the design of the inverter has a rotor and a stator, but the principle of operation is different. The main difference is in the drive. It is directly connected to the drum, so there is no belt drive in the washers.

Let’s note the advantages:

  1. intuitive design;
  2. convenient structural placement in the instrument case;
  3. modest dimensions of the electric motor itself;
  4. reduced level of SM vibrations;
  5. the highest efficiency of all three types;
  6. lack of parts requiring constant maintenance (brushes, belt);
  7. quiet work.

Among the shortcomings, experts single out only that the control scheme for such an engine is much more complicated than that of analogues. This is directly proportional to the price of such washers.

Now you know which engine in the washing machine is the most powerful and quiet. It remains to figure out only which one is better and what to choose.

What type of engine is best

Understanding what type of engine to buy a car with, first of all decide on the requirements for a future washing machine.

If you are ready for more noisy operation and constant maintenance of the machine, but want to save a lot, buy a CMA with a brushed motor. If the price does not matter to you, but the priority is power, noiselessness and durability, then it is better to give preference to a car with an inverter motor.

Attention! The manufacturer’s warranty on the brushless motor is at least 10 years! But this does not eliminate the risk that other parts of the machine will deteriorate much earlier than the warranty period for the engine expires.

We wish you a balanced and wise choice.

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