What is the role of capacitors in fans and motors?

We all have seen the capacitors in our fans on our houses. Basically, the nature of the capacitor is which stores the charges inside it for a short period, As it is storing charges inside, it is not considered as a battery. There is a difference between capacitor and battery.

Battery 

 It is a charge storage device which stores an amount of charge inside it for a long time until it gets fully discharged.

Capacitor

It is also a charge storage device but it only stores a small amount of charge for a  small period until it gets fully discharged.

Reason for using capacitors on fans and motors

• The fans and motors that are using in our homes are induction type which works on the principle of electromagnetic induction.
• Inside the motor, it consists of stator, rotor, and auxiliary winding.
• With only stator and rotor, the induction motor will not rotate continuously.
• To achieve a continuous rotation of the induction motor it is necessary to add an auxiliary winding in between the stators in series with the capacitor, which gives a 90-degree angle difference(which is nothing but the polarity changing time)

the purpose of using a capacitor is divided into two types

• Starting capacitor.
• Running capacitor. 

All we seen that when the capacitor gets weakened or aged in the fans or motors and  the speed of the fans and motors will get reduced.

but did you ever think,

What happens when the capacitors are removed from the fans or motors?

If you remove the capacitors from the fans or motors, the motor will not tend to rotate, because the capacitor that we are using in our fans and motors are running capacitors which are necessary for an induction motor to rotate continuously it plays a major role in changing polarities at an angle difference of 90-degree.

From the above, it is clear why the capacitor is necessary for fans and motors that we are using in our day to day life.

Some of the loads which use a capacitor only for starting purpose some may use a capacitor for continuous rotation of the motor.

Most of the people may tell that the capacitors which are used our fans is only for starting purpose but the real fact is capacitors used in fans are  running capacitor which plays a major role in a continuous rotation of the motor.