Motor vs Engine – Difference and Comparison

What is Motor?

In a general sense, a motor implies machinery that produces motion to make equipment work. Typically, a motor either converts electric power into electric energy or electrical energy into mechanical energy. There are two types of motors: AC motors and DC motors. The former uses alternating current, whereas the latter uses direct current to function. This is the era of electric motors, which are being transformed for greater performance.

Motors are used in all sorts of electric appliances. From electric fans to electric cars, a motor is the pivot of its whole functionality. Some of the componential parts of a motor are the stator, rotor, brushes, power source, and commutator. A motor produces rotational force with the help of an electromagnet and a coil backed by a power source that allows the current to flow.

Motors entail an array of advantages. They are ideal because they are of average size and are highly efficient in performance. The durability of motors is unchallenged because it does not involve a relatively complex design; if it is used in compliance with their working requirements, it can work for years without getting weary or teary. Most motors use electricity as a power source; therefore, they are not costly. The maintenance charges are also low and affordable.

What is Engine?

The term “engine” is applicable to nearly all metallic devices that are used to produce power. They are used to create mechanical results to make machinery move or work. An engine involves some thermodynamic processes to convert a form of energy into mechanical energy. Typically, engines use fossil fuels to produce energy. When fuel is used, combustion occurs, as a result of which energy is produced to sustain machinery.

Engines are classified on the basis of strokes, i.e., 2-stroke and 4-stroke. The aforesaid engines differ in design, workability, and performance. Then there are internal combustion engines (IC engines) and external combustion engines (EC engines). Different types of machinery use different engines as per the energy requirements and size.

Engines are used in electric appliances, vehicles, and large-scale industrial equipment. Since its invention, the engine has been widely used in machinery. The stronger the engine, the better the performance of a machine will be. Engines are the pivots of machinery. If a machine uses an engine to work, it cannot work without it. The whole workability of engines relies on producing energy to supply to the machinery in which they are used.

Difference Between Motor and Engine

  • The motor is confined to converting electric energy into mechanical energy, whereas an engine can deal with almost all sorts of energies.
  • The motor is more of a converting device that converts energy, whereas an engine is a mechanical device.
  • The engine is a power provider of equipment, whereas an engine is likened to a rotating device,
  • The motor consists of rotors and stators, whereas an engine is made up of pistons, cylinders, et cetera.
  • The motor is a recent invention, whereas engines have been in use for a long time since their invention.

Comparison Table Between Motor and Engine

Parameters of ComparisonMotorEngine
Energy ConversionElectric to MechanicalAll Kinds of Energies to Mechanical
NatureConverting DeviceMechanical Device
FunctionPower SupplyRotator/Mover
ComponentsRotors, StatorsPistons, Cylinders
HistoryNew InventionOld Invention

References

  1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/900501/
  2. https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/821576/