Run a Hard Drive Brushless Motor Without Driver

Simple way to run a hard drive motor without driver

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[boblewis]

You CAN use motors made as part of the frame - I have several. You simply need to very carefully cut the frame around the motor (ideally with a band-saw) making sure NOT to damage the flex connector that will almost always be present for such motors. Once cut it can be used like any removable motor.

[zainaabdin]

By adding a capAcitor between ANY PAIR AND Supply the other two it will spin by itself associated with vibration my innovative friend

[TechBuild]

I guess the 4-wire brushless motor has an internal star configuration wiring. So, by connecting the common pin to a DC voltage source and energising the other three pins in a correct sequence can make the motor run, much like a unipolar stepper motor. By using a decade counter with a signal generator, such as a 555 timer the motor's speed can be varied.

[rhalfik]

1:48 "In this case we can't use the motor" I beg to differ. We can use the motor o-n-l-y in this case.

[richardkaz]

A start capacitor should work, you may need to play with some different values ranging from say ~20uF - 300uF and suitable AC voltage rating. Placing the capacitor between the floating phase wire and one of the other AC phase wires will result in a phase shift in the current and subsequent magnetic field shift in that winding. Resulting in a tendency for the rotor to favor to move in that direction and thus allowing the motor to start spinning up to near synchronous speed. Different the start capacitor capacitance will give different phase shift angles depending for a given winding impedance. This increased phase shift together with the increase is winding current due to the apparent change in the winding impedance due to the introduction of the capacitor impedance will result in better starting torque. Note though the starting torque will not be very high or as good as having a 3 phase VVVF driver. The added benefit of a PWM drive is good starting torque and variable speed in excess of that attainable at normal mains frequency.

[Debraj]

Single phase create oscillating magnetic field. You need minimum of 2 phase to have a self starting motor (for synchronous motors). Also, speed of motor will be fixed (synchronous motor + 50Hz).

[darthglobe]

Another amazing video. Excellent explanation and original thoughts. That's what i like the most in your videos.
First request : Please never shut down your channel. It is one of the few gems here on YouTube.
Second request : Always keep your videos like this: simple!! And to the point. With pros and cons of the things discussed out.
I really really appreciate your work.
Keep it up!!

-another tinkerer

[bolt]

The reson why u must give a push is because the alternating current only flows to 1 of the coils. If it was hooked up to a driver the driver would fire the coils n, s, n, s - and so on deleting that push from the beginning and have much more power and efficiency

[ELEVOPR]

I swear my Mother In-law has a few of these Motors in her mouth, Once she gets started, there is no stopping here :o/

[Tensquaremetreworkshop]

Use a brushless controller from a model aircraft and it will self start and you can select the speed by injecting a pulse between 1 & 2 mS (simple 555 circuit)

[TheWadetube]

Thank you for narrating your video. so many foreign videos don't.

[cachhomevideo]

Thanks for sharing now I know what I can do in my old harddisk

[two_number_nines]

actually motors that are a part of the frame are more usefull. if you tighten it with a vice near the shaft holding the bearing the thin aluminum cast will break and the rotor stator assembly come off in very compact form. after that you can pull out the shaft to rewind the motor if you want and in my case place 3 hall effect sensors. using this method i converted 20$ rc car into brushless rc car

[hyqhyp]

Could you use caps to convert the transformer into multiphase one, and then energize all the coils to run the motor at higher efficiency?

[prasadkarlekar]

You didn't give DC supply. Your supply was AC

[dragonrider]

Connect these to a low voltage 3-phase power source. This makes it a AC synchronous motor.

[williamnichols]

I've added a speed control using a sine frequency generator on my phone wgere you can adjust the frequency. I plugged my phone audio out into an amplifier which then, I connected to the motor. But after around 150 Hz, you start getting harmonic imbalances and the motor comes to a buzzing hault, because you are usung only one phase.

[ovalwingnut]

Very COoL... Beautiful little motors! Curious what the wattage draw is spinning and "not spinning". Thank you for the video.

[alchemy]

Should the supply be 12 VAC maximum? And I was wondering if these little motors are basically induction motor without magnet as a rotor but more like a squirrel cage rotor?

[AbdullahAlNaveen]

When he said Such as Sootch, But as Boot I felt like I'm gonna get the GREATEST KNOWLEDGE OF MY ENTIRE PATHETIC LIFE (Joke)