An electrostatic motor or capacitor motor is a type of electric motor based on the attraction and repulsion of electric charge. Usually, electrostatic motors are the dual of conventional coil-based motors. They typically require a high voltage power supply, although very small motors employ lower voltages. Conventional electric motors instead employ magnetic attraction and repulsion, and require high current at low voltages. In the 1750s, the first electrostatic motors were developed by Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Gordon. Today the electrostatic motor finds frequent use in micro-mechanical (MEMS) systems where their drive voltages are below 100 volts, and where moving charged plates are far easier to fabricate than coils and iron cores. Also, the molecular machinery which runs living cells is often based on linear and rotary electrostatic motors.
The prime classifications of electrostatic motors by the USPTO are:
- Class 310 ELECTRICAL GENERATOR OR MOTOR STRUCTURE
- 300 NON-DYNAMOELECTRIC
- 308 Charge accumulating
- 309 Electrostatic
- 300 NON-DYNAMOELECTRIC
Patents
- U.S. Patent 633,829 -- J. Gallegos -- "Static electric Machine"
- U.S. Patent 735,621 -- E. Thomson -- "Electrostatic motor"
- U.S. Patent 993,561 -- Harold B. Smith -- "Apparatus for transforming electrical energy into mechanical energy"
- U.S. Patent 1,693,806 -- W. G. Cady -- "Electromechanical System"
- U.S. Patent 1,974,483 —- T. T. Brown -- "Electrostatic motor" (1934-09-25)
- U.S. Patent 3,433,981 -- B. Bollee -- "Electrostatic Motor" (ed. Electrostatics from Atmospheric Electricity)
- U.S. Patent 3,436,630 -- B. Bollee -- "Electrostatic Motor"
- U.S. Patent 5,965,968 -- Robert, et al. -- "Electrostatic Motor"
See also
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| Broad Motor Categories | Synchronous motor • AC motor • DC motor |  |
| Conventional Electric Motors | Induction • Brushed DC • Brushless DC • Stepper • Linear • Unipolar • Reluctance | |
| Novel Electric Motors | Ball bearing • Homopolar • Piezoelectric • Ultrasonic • Electrostatic | |
| Motor Controllers | Adjustable-speed drive • Amplidyne • Direct Torque Control • Direct on line starter • Electronic speed control • Metadyne • Motor controller • Variable-frequency drive • Ward Leonard control |
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| See also | Barlow's Wheel • Nanomotor • Traction motor • Lynch motor • Mendocino motor • Repulsion motor • Inchworm motor • Booster (electric power) • Brush (electric) | |
External articles and further reading
- O. Jefimenko, "Electrostatic Motors", Electret Scientific Co., 1973
- de Queiroz, Antonio Carlos M., "An Electrostatic Linear Motor". 24 January 2002.
- C.L. Stong, "Electrostatic Motors Are Powered By Electric Field of the Earth", October 1974.
- William J. Beaty, "Simple Electrostatic Motor".
- "ElectrostaticMotor". tm.net.
