AC induction motor

What it is

Brushless, commutator-free motor based on the rotating magnetic field. It turned alternating current into reliable, cheap, maintenance-free motive power.

Ferraris published the rotating-field principle in 1888 (work from 1885); Tesla patented the practical motor and Westinghouse bought his patents.

What it led to

• Electrification of factories: each machine with its own motor
• End of line shafts and belt transmissions
• Motor-driven household appliances (washing machine, refrigerator, vacuum cleaner)

Built on

• Electromagnetic induction1831
• Electric generator and self-excited dynamo1832-1867
• Rotating magnetic field (Tesla's conception in Budapest)1882
• AC transformer and distribution1884–1886
• Rotating magnetic field and Ferraris motor1885-1888
• Transformer and alternating current

Made possible

• Electric elevator1880–1889
• Electric tram (streetcar)1881–1888
• Three-phase squirrel-cage motor (Dolivo-Dobrovolsky)1889
• Three-phase power transmission1891
• Low-frequency single-phase electrification (Seebach-Wettingen)1904-1909
• Electric washing machine1908
• Domestic electric refrigerator1913–1927
• Three-phase network

Links

Sources✓ verified 2026-09-25

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_motor