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Carbon Brush

Can someone please explain to me what a carbon brush is, and what it could be used for, but in realy ficko (sic) layman's terms?!

Is it a brush in any ordinary sense of the word? Am searching online but cannot get my head round it. I have to do some research into a company that makes them.

Any help appreciated as always, thanks in advance!

VenalWinfrey Thurs 09/10/08 11:32

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eltelioni
Thurs 09/10/08
12:12

Brushes are used to make an electrical connection between stationary and moving components e.g. to get power to the rotor coils in an electric motor. This can explain it much better than I can:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brush_(electric)

brachiopod
Thurs 09/10/08
21:40

Very common in DC rotary motors - being as the motor rotates, it is impossible to have the current feed wires fixed to the connectors (such as through a soldered joint)

The carbomn brushes are made of graphite (a conductor) that are hard wired at one end, and spring (or otherwise) loaded to contact the rotary part of the motor.

This means that the contact is always maintained - and, one other advantage, is that graphite has a low co-efficient of friction, which means the armature (motor part) is not worn down. Graphite, being quite soft, will wear down however, but that means that the (relatively) easy-to-replace "brushes" need to be replaced and not the motor itself.

brachiopod
Thurs 09/10/08
21:42

carbomn ??!!!! Sorry - a cold-laden 'pod larva asleep on my lap - so one-fingered-typing throughout !!!!

Jugglering
Thurs 09/10/08
21:45

Brachio - cold laden or not... that was a brilliant explanation !

brachiopod
Thurs 09/10/08
22:25

At the risk of sounding a completely irresponsible parent - the pod larva was cold-laden, the pod was cider laden!

;o)

Still, carbon brushes, eh? - replaced enough on my model trains around harruummph years ago!!

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