I know a brushed motor is mechanical and brushless is electric. Brushless is more efficient and creates less heat. But how does each work and why is there an advantage of one over the other?
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A motor works by creating a rotating magnetic field, which pushes against stationary magnets to turn the motor.
The difference between brushed and brushless motors lies in how they create the rotating magnetic field. A brushed motor uses electrical contacts between the stationary part of the motor (stator) and rotating part (rotor). These contacts are called brushes, and are usually blocks of graphite which rub against copper contacts on the rotor. As the motor spins, the brushes touch different contacts, energizing different electromagnets and creating a rotating magnetic field.
A brushless motor does not use electrical contacts between the rotor and stator. Instead, a motor controller circuit turns on and off the coils, usually using computer control. This eliminates a source of noise and mechanical wear, but generally the motor controller costs quite a bit more than a simple brushed motor would.
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