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3 | An Introduction to Electric Motors Electric motors are an essential part of our everyday lives. Although usually hidden from view, they perform countless tasks that make our lives easier, enhance our comfort, and make us more productive. At home, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, microwaves, hairdryers, and many other appliances rely on motors. Motors are just as prevalent in the commercial world and industry, where they are key components in pumps, fans, elevators, and air compressors. They allow us to complete many jobs, from brute force tasks such as pushing huge volumes of liquid through pipes to delicately ensuring the tiniest electronic component is precisely placed on a circuit board. In the ongoing transition to a more sustainable economy, motors are again at the heart of that change, powering electric vehicles with high-efficiency heat pumps and enabling renewable power generators to operate at the highest efficiency possible. Almost every electrical machine or device with mechanical movement uses a motor to accomplish its task. Motors are available in a wide variety of sizes; for example, one of the world's largest and most powerful motors is the 105MW two- pole electric motor that Siemens has developed for a Chinese energy storage project. At the opposite end of the spectrum, one of the smallest motors in the world is a 1nm device that scientists manufactured from a single molecule of butyl methyl sulfide. Being an integral part of many applications means an enormous market for electric motors. According to MarketsandMarkets Research, it was worth US$134 billion in 2022, and that figure is expected to rise to US$186 billion in 2027, providing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8 percent. 1 There are billions of motors in operation worldwide. Finding an overall figure for the current number of electric motors is difficult. Still, the EU estimates that there are eight billion motors installed in its economic area alone. 2 These motors use a staggering amount of electricity. They are estimated to consume up to 46 percent of the total electricity generated globally and almost 70 percent of the electricity used in industrial applications. 3 As such, there is a strong desire to reduce the amount of electricity motors use by making their operation more efficient. Increased efficiency can be achieved in the fabrication of the motor itself through more precise manufacturing techniques and Image Source: "znosorogua / stock.adobe.com"