An electrostatic motor or capacitor motor is a type of electric motor based on the attraction and repulsion of electric charge. Usually, electrostatic motors are the dual of conventional coil-based motors. They typically require a high voltage power supply, although very small motors employ lower voltages. Conventional electric motors instead employ magnetic attraction and repulsion, and require high current at low voltages. In the 1750s, the first electrostatic motors were developed by Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Gordon. Today the electrostatic motor finds frequent use in micro-mechanical (MEMS) systems where their drive voltages are below 100 volts, and where moving charged plates are far easier to fabricate than coils and iron cores. Also, the molecular machinery which runs living cells is often based on linear and rotary electrostatic motors.

The prime classifications of electrostatic motors by the USPTO are:

• Class 310 ELECTRICAL GENERATOR OR MOTOR STRUCTURE
  • 300 NON-DYNAMOELECTRIC
    • 308 Charge accumulating
    • 309 Electrostatic

[edit] Patents

• U.S. Patent 633,829 -- J. Gallegos -- "Static electric Machine"
• U.S. Patent 735,621 -- E. Thomson -- "Electrostatic motor"
• U.S. Patent 993,561 -- Harold B. Smith -- "Apparatus for transforming electrical energy into mechanical energy"
• U.S. Patent 1,693,806 -- W. G. Cady -- "Electromechanical System"
• U.S. Patent 1,974,483 —- T. T. Brown -- "Electrostatic motor" (1934-09-25)
• U.S. Patent 3,433,981 -- B. Bollee -- "Electrostatic Motor" (ed. Electrostatics from Atmospheric Electricity)
• U.S. Patent 3,436,630 -- B. Bollee -- "Electrostatic Motor"
• U.S. Patent 5,552,654 -- MITSUBISHI CHEM CORP -- "Electrostatic actuator"
• U.S. Patent 5,965,968 -- Robert, et al. -- "Electrostatic Motor"

[edit] See also

• Electrostatic generator

v • d • e Electric motors Broad Motor Categories Synchronous motor • AC motor • DC motor Conventional Electric Motors Induction • Brushed DC • Brushless DC • Stepper • Linear • Unipolar • Reluctance Novel Electric Motors Ball bearing • Homopolar • Piezoelectric • Ultrasonic • Electrostatic • Switched Reluctance Motor Controllers Adjustable-speed drive • Amplidyne • Direct torque control • Direct on line starter • Electronic speed control • Metadyne • Motor controller • Variable-frequency drive • Vector control • Ward Leonard control • Thyristor drive See also Barlow's Wheel • Nanomotor • Traction motor • Lynch motor • Mendocino motor • Repulsion motor • Inchworm motor • Booster (electric power) • Brush (electric) • Electrical generator • Alternator

[edit] External articles and further reading

• O. Jefimenko, "Electrostatic Motors", Electret Scientific Co., 1973
• de Queiroz, Antonio Carlos M., "An Electrostatic Linear Motor". 24 January 2002.
• C.L. Stong, "Electrostatic Motors Are Powered By Electric Field of the Earth", October 1974.
• William J. Beaty, "Simple Electrostatic Motor".
• "ElectrostaticMotor". tm.net.
• Fast and Flexible Electrostatic Motors at Univ. Tokyo"[1]".
• Heavy Lifting Electrostatic Motors at Univ. Tokyo"[2]".
• E. Sarajlic et al., MEMS electrostatic micromotors [3]

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