BRUSHED MOTORS VS BRUSHLESS MOTORS

Brushless motors have become the industry standard in multirotor applications, and for good reason. Compared to their brushed counterparts, brushless motors are more powerful, more efficient and more significantly longer-lasting.

The multirotor industry has moved away from brushed motors for several reasons. Brushed motors, which utilize sacrificial contact brushes for operation, offer the benefit of very simple control and cheap electronics. On the other hand, they tend to require frequent maintenance and eventually wear-out, as the brushes must be cleaned and replaced for optimal operation, and are not favorable in situations requiring high torque. As speed increases so do brush friction and wear speed – significantly reducing overall efficiency, and wasting more energy as heat than generating the desired output, torque. Other limitations of brushed motors include:

 

Inadequate heat dissipation caused by rotor design limitations

Low-speed range due to limitations imposed by the brushes

Electromagnetic interference (EMF noise) generated by brush arcing

Brushless motors solve the limitations of brushed motors, providing much higher output power, smaller size and weight, better heat dissipation and efficiency, wider operating speed ranges, and very low electrical noise operation.

 

When it comes to torque and power, brushless motors can’t be beat. While brushed motors have difficulties maintaining torque at varying speeds, brushless motors thrive and continue to improve with newer motor-control algorithms. Additionally, brushless motors have no electrical contacts designed for wear, providing the greatest advantage in reliability and required maintenance.