Reciprocating electric motor

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Egger-Elektromotor, circa 1880, at Technisches Museum Wien

A reciprocating electric motor is a motor in which the armature moves back and forth
rather than circularly. Early electric motors were sometimes of the reciprocating type,
such as those made by Daniel Davis in the 1840s.[1] Today, reciprocating electric motors
are rare but they do have some niche applications, e.g. in linear
compressors for cryogenics[2][3] and as educational toys.[4]

Contents

 1History
 2Design
 3Applications
o 3.1Linear compressors
o 3.2Pumps
o 3.3Electric shavers
o 3.4Toys
 4See also
 5References

History[edit]
Daniel Davis[5] was an early maker of reciprocating electric motors.[6]
As can be seen in these examples, early motors of this type often followed the general
layout of the steam engines of the day, simply replacing the piston-and-cylinder with an
electromagnetic solenoid.

 Page's reciprocating electric engine 1844
 


Grüel elektromotor, 1873

 


Bourbouce's electric engine, 1881

Design[edit]
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reciprocating electric motor with permanent magnet as armature. The coil is used here to repulse and attract
the armature.
reciprocating electric motor with an ferromagnetic armature. The coil is used here to attract the armature.

A reciprocating electric motor uses an alternating magnetic field to move

its armature back and forth, rather than circularly as in a conventional electric motor. A
single field coil may be placed at one end of the armature's possible movement, or a
field coil may be used at each end.
The armature may be a permanent magnet, in which case the coil or coils can exert
both repulsive and attractive force on the armature. If there are two coils, they will be
wound and connected so that their like poles face each other, so that when (for
example) the poles facing the armature are both negative, one pole will attract the
armature's south pole while the other will repel its north pole. When the armature
reaches the extreme of its movement, polarity to the coils is reversed.
The armature may instead be made of ferromagnetic material, as in an
electromagnetic solenoid. In this case the current in the coils will alternate between on
and off, rather than between polarities. A single-coil motor with a non-magnetic
armature would require a spring or some other "return" mechanism to move the
armature away from the coil upon completion of the "attract" cycle. An "interrupter"-
style electromechanical buzzer operates on this same principle. A dual-coil motor would
alternately energize the two coils. Where the motor is adapted to produce rotary motion,
the return mechanism consists of a crankshaft and flywheel.
This is an extremely simple motor, such that demonstration models may be easily
constructed for teaching purposes.[4] As a practical motor it has several disadvantages.
Magnetic field strength drops off rapidly with increasing distance. In the reciprocating
electric motor the distance between armature and field coil must necessarily increase
considerably over its minimum value; this reduces the motor's output power and starting
force. Vibration is also an issue.

Applications[edit]
Linear compressors[edit]
A design for a linear compressor of this type has been produced by the Cryogenic
Engineering Group at the University of Oxford.[7][8]
Pumps[edit]
See Plunger pump
Electric shavers[edit]
Some electric shavers use reciprocating motors.[9]
Toys[edit]
Educational toys can be built as DIY projects.[4] Some of them have even been patented
(for e.g. one in 1929,[10] another in 1963[11]).


Figure 1 of Patent US1721447 - Reciprocating electric motor that simulates a steam engine
 


Figure 1 of Patent US3105162