Wiktor Wise
The first electric machine, also known as the Faraday motor, was invented by British scientist Michael Faraday in 1821. This machine was the first device to turn electrical energy into mechanical motion. The development of the electric motor was made possible by the invention of the battery by Allessandro Volta in 1800, the generation of a magnetic field from an electric current by Hans Christian Oersted in 1820, and the electromagnet by William Sturgeon in 1825. The first commutator DC electric motor capable of turning machinery was invented by English scientist William Sturgeon in 1832. Following Sturgeon's work, a commutator-type direct-current electric motor was built and patented by Thomas Davenport in 1837. The first practical DC motor was invented by Frank Julian Sprague in 1886.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 August 1831 |
| Inventor | Michael Faraday |
| First appearance in a paper | 24 November 1831 |
| First patent | February 1837, Thomas Davenport |
| First practical application | 1835, Sibrandus Stratingh and Christopher Becker |
| First commercially successful DC motor | 1871, Zénobe Gramme |
| First important practical application | Telegraph |
| First experimental deployment of a magneto-electric machine | May 1857 |
| First place in the world where electricity was generated for power | South Foreland |
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What You'll Learn
- Michael Faraday invented the first electric motor in 1821
- The first commutator DC electric motor was invented by William Sturgeon in 1832
- The first patent for an electric motor was granted to Thomas Davenport in 1837
- The first practical DC motor was invented by Frank Julian Sprague in 1886
- Electric motors were first installed in 1892 in Chicago
Michael Faraday invented the first electric motor in 1821
The first electric machine appeared in 1821 when Michael Faraday invented the electric motor. Faraday was a self-taught British scientist, born in 1791 in Newington, Surrey, England. He was an English physicist, chemist, lecturer, and experimentalist, and made several contributions to the field of electromagnetism.
Faraday's electric motor featured a stiff wire in a container of mercury with a permanent bar magnet in the centre. When electricity was sent through the wire, a magnetic field was created around it. This magnetic field interacted with the field around the magnet, causing the wire to rotate around the magnet. Although Faraday's invention had no practical application at the time, it was the first step in the evolution of the electric motor, and other scientists quickly made improvements.
In 1822, a year after his discovery, Faraday created a model of his electric motor. This device, which transformed electrical energy into mechanical energy, was the first electric motor. In 1831, Faraday continued his experiments with a permanent magnet, discovering that he could produce a constant current by rotating a copper disk between the two poles. This was the first dynamo and the direct ancestor of truly useful electric motors.
Over the following decades, several inventors contributed to the development of electric motors, including German-Russian Moritz von Jacobi, who created the first useful rotating electric motor in 1834, and American inventors Thomas and Emily Davenport, who built a commutator-type direct-current electric motor and patented it in 1837.
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The first commutator DC electric motor was invented by William Sturgeon in 1832
The first commutator DC electric motor capable of turning machinery was invented by English scientist William Sturgeon in 1832. Sturgeon was an English electrical engineer and inventor who also made the first electromagnet in 1825.
The foundations for building electric motors were laid with the invention of the battery by Allessandro Volta in 1800, the generation of a magnetic field from an electric current by Hans Christian Oersted in 1820, and Sturgeon's invention of the electromagnet in 1825.
The first rotating device driven by electromagnetism was built by Englishman Peter Barlow in 1822, known as Barlow's Wheel. In 1824, French physicist François Arago formulated the existence of rotating magnetic fields, termed Arago's rotations. In 1827–1828, Jedlik built a device using similar principles to those in his electromagnetic self-rotors that was capable of useful work, and he built a model electric vehicle that same year.
Following Sturgeon's work on the commutator DC electric motor, a commutator-type direct-current electric motor was built by American inventors Thomas and Emily Davenport, for which they received a patent in 1837. The motors ran at up to 600 revolutions per minute and powered machine tools and a printing press. However, due to the high cost of primary battery power, these motors were commercially unsuccessful and bankrupted the Davenports.
Several inventors followed Sturgeon in the development of DC motors, but they all faced the same battery cost issues. It wasn't until the invention of the three-phase electric power system in the 1880s that modern electrical power transmission and advanced electric motors became possible.
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The first patent for an electric motor was granted to Thomas Davenport in 1837
The first patent for an electric motor was granted to Thomas Davenport, a Vermont blacksmith, on February 25, 1837, in the USA. This was the first patent for an electric machine and was known as US132 or US132A.
Davenport was a pioneer of electrical engineering and one of the first inventors to appreciate securitised intellectual property. He was also the first American to create a usable electric motor. However, he was not the first person to build an electric motor. In 1834, Moritz Jacobi presented a motor that was three times more powerful than Davenport's.
Davenport's patent was largely inconsequential in practice. The high manufacturing costs of batteries meant that steam engines were much cheaper and more profitable at the time. He was unable to secure enough financial support and eventually returned to Vermont, planning to write a book about his vision for the electric motor.
Davenport's patent application described a brush-and-commutator scheme, which is still used in electric motors today. Current flows through electromagnets mounted on a wheel, causing them to move towards fixed permanent magnets, rotating the wheel through a half turn. As the wheel turns, its motion breaks the circuit powering the magnets and connects a new circuit with opposite polarity, reversing the polarity of the electromagnets and pushing the wheel through another half turn.
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The first practical DC motor was invented by Frank Julian Sprague in 1886
The history of the electric motor dates back to the early 19th century, with pioneers like Alessandro Volta, Hans Christian Oersted, and William Sturgeon laying the groundwork. However, the first practical DC motor, a pivotal milestone in this journey, was invented by Frank Julian Sprague in 1886.
Sprague's invention was a non-sparking motor capable of maintaining a relatively constant speed under variable loads. This innovation addressed the challenges posed by battery costs and the absence of an electricity distribution system, which had hindered earlier attempts at creating commercially viable electric motors. Sprague's motor gained immediate popularity and received Edison's endorsement as the only practical electric motor available at the time.
Beyond the motor itself, Sprague's contributions to electric distribution and control systems were significant. His work with Thomas Edison improved power distribution, enabling the return of electricity from motors to the electric grid. Sprague's inventions also facilitated electric distribution to trolleys via overhead wires and trolley poles, and he devised control systems for electric operations. These advancements played a crucial role in the development of electric railways and electric elevators, earning Sprague the title of "father of electric traction."
Sprague's inventions had a profound impact on urban development. They increased the feasible size of cities by improving transportation and allowed for a greater concentration of businesses in commercial sections through the use of electric elevators in skyscrapers. His inventions were adopted worldwide, with his engines even being used in Sydney Harbour, Australia.
The success of Sprague's motor and related inventions sparked an explosion of interest in electric motors for industrial applications. Electric motors revolutionized industries by providing each machine with its own power source, enhancing control, and improving power transmission efficiency. Sprague's work built upon the foundations laid by earlier inventors, including William Sturgeon, Thomas Davenport, Emily Davenport, Moritz von Jacobi, Antonio Pacinotti, Werner Siemens, and Friedrich von Hefner-Alteneck, among others.
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Electric motors were first installed in 1892 in Chicago
The history of electric motors can be traced back to the 1740s, when Scottish monk Andrew Gordon and American experimenter Benjamin Franklin described simple electrostatic devices in their experiments. However, it wasn't until the 1820s and 30s that significant advancements were made, with the work of Hans Christian Ørsted, Michael Faraday, and English scientist William Sturgeon laying the foundation for the development of electric motors. In 1837, American inventor Thomas Davenport, along with his wife Emily, built and patented a commutator-type direct-current electric motor, marking a crucial step forward.
Despite these early innovations, the first practical electric motors didn't emerge until several decades later. In 1887, Michael Dolivo-Dobrowolsky built the first highly successful three-phase cage induction motor, and Frank Julian Sprague invented the first practical DC motor, which maintained a relatively constant speed under variable loads. Sprague's inventions led to a surge in interest and adoption of electric motors for industry, and in 1892, he developed the first electric elevator and control system.
It was also in 1892 that Sprague's electric motors were first installed in Chicago by the South Side Elevated Railroad, becoming known as the "L". This marked a pivotal moment in the history of electric motors, as it demonstrated their applicability in public transportation systems. Sprague's inventions allowed power from electric motors to be returned to the electric grid and provided control systems for electric operations, revolutionizing industrial processes.
The development of electric motors continued to evolve, with George Westinghouse acquiring rights to Tesla's patents in 1887 and achieving the first practical induction motor in 1892. The invention and refinement of electric motors by pioneers like Westinghouse, Sprague, and Tesla played a crucial role in their widespread adoption and the transformation of industries.
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Frequently asked questions
The first primitive electric motor was invented by Michael Faraday in 1821.
Faraday's motor featured a stiff wire in a container of mercury with a permanent bar magnet in the centre.
When electricity was sent through the wire, a magnetic field was created around it. This field caused the wire to rotate around the magnet.
In 1835, an electric motor was used to power a small model car built by Dutchmen Sibrandus Stratingh and Christopher Becker.
