Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Can I Use A Motor From a Fan For Electricity

roonyroo

Jul 13, 2012
13
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
13
Ive got a spare fan lying around, I was wondering could I use the motor inside as a small generator?

If so where would I put the multimeter nodes on the motor to check electricity generated if I turn the rotor?

Ive already tried testing the main wires & spun the rotor but nothing happens


thnx
 

donkey

Feb 26, 2011
1,301
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
1,301
disconnect the fan from whatever it is currently hooked up to there should be 2 or 3 wires. if its 3 hopefully 1 is black and another is red. hook your meter up to these. use a fan to blow on this fan.
now 2 things you should look for, first is does the fan you're using rotate the fan you are trying to make a generator out of? and second is there even the smallest movement in volts?
this will tell you if you can do what you're hoping to do
 

duke37

Jan 9, 2011
5,364
Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Messages
5,364
There are many kinds of motors. Some will generate, others will not. If a motor is to generate, it will need to contain a permanent magnet. This can be discoverd by holding a needle on a thread and see if it is pulled towards the motor. Also, most permanent magnet motors when turned will seem lumpy. This is known as cogging and is due to the rotor passing the magnet. A 12V motor for driving fans in a car would be a good example of this type.

Another common type of fan uses a shaded pole motor, this runs on AC and will not produce power. These motors are usually of open construction with the coil to one side, the pole pieces are 'shaded' with a copper ring around half of the pole piece. They spin very easily without cogging.
 
Top