Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, the principle behind the electric motor, in 1831. Yet, despite being technologically advanced at the time, electric motors have changed very little since. Bulky, old-fashioned components and lots of moving parts prone to failure. Dyson engineers wanted to change all that.
Conventional A/C motors use big, fragile fans, copper windings and brushes that wear out easily, making them inefficient and unreliable. And as the carbon brushes wear down, they emit carbon particles, which is bad for the environment.
The Dyson digital motor uses digital pulse technology, spinning 100,000 times a minute (five times faster than a racing car engine). It's incredibly efficient too - due, in part, to high tolerances. For example, the impeller spins at 600mph with only 0.3mm clearance between the blade tip and the impeller housing. And no carbon brushes means no carbon emissions.
Microprocessors control motor timing and speed, adjusting up to 3,000 times a second. The capacitors supply power to the circuit board and take the pressure of high-frequency currents away from the battery.
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