Hi all,
I'm fairly new to learning anything other than basic DC or AC electric motors or generators with brushes. In fact I just read today about 3 phase power, what it is and how it works and I'm still a little confused.
Anyway, I've been trying to find a good site to explain a 3 phase AC motor and it's construction, how do you set up the windings, how can there be no brushes, etc. Does 3 phase power travel through 2 lines still or does it use 3 or 4, one for each phase?
That aside, my main question, I read something describing how smooth the torque delivery is from 3 phase AC motors, I also read about variable frequency drives and how the intermediate power is DC. I'm looking at building a motor for use in an electric car, so smoothness is very important to me, then I read about brushless DC motors and how they are often used in electric cars.
I was wondering what the key differences are between brushless DC motors and 3 phase AC motors and how 3 phase AC motors are designed and constructed in general. Are brushless DC motors and smooth with their torque delivery as 3 phase AC? On either one, could I say have 20 windings and every other winding powered at the same time (for increased torque)?
Specifically talking about multiple windings and 3 phase AC motors, could I suddenly use all windings for generation of electricity from the built up rotational inertia? Like to slow the vehicle and to charge at the same time. In a direct drive system with a simple DC motor there would be no way to add resistance and charge more when trying to slow down a vehicle, would having multiple windings or 3 phase AC allow me to do this and control how much resistance is acting against the continued motion of a rotor and also generate electricity at the same time?
These question are probably too broad and I probably just have to read more, but I can't seem to find any reasources targetting my particular questions.
Thanks!