Universal Motor

These motors are similar to a brushed DC motor in that it uses a rotor with brushes and a commutator. However, the stator uses windings instead of permanent magnets. The basic principle is still the same. A series wound motor has the stator windings in series with the rotor. A shunt wound motor has the stator windings in parallel with the rotor winding. The more common series wound motor is also called a universal motor. It is universal in the sense that it will run equally well from an ac or dc voltage source. Reversing the polarity of both stator and rotor cancel each other and so the motor rotates in the same direction regardless of polarity. Applications include power tools, washing machines, clothes dryers, vacuum cleaners, fans, food processors.