synchronous motor

synchronous motor, alternating-current electric motor designed to run at a speed that is directly proportional to the frequency of the electric power source. Typically, a synchronous motor has a stator with a winding similar to that of an induction motor. Its rotor produces a constant magnetic field, either from a direct current in its windings or by use of permanent magnets. The rotor’s magnetic field tends to align with the rotating field produced by the three-phase alternating currents in the stator. When operated on a fixed frequency supply, a synchronous motor operates at a constant speed, but it usually requires additional rotor windings to allow it to start as an induction motor. Large synchronous motors with power ratings of several megawatts are used in some industrial processes to take advantage of their high efficiency and the ability to control the supply power factor. Small synchronous motors are used in applications in which constant speed is crucial, such as in electric clocks, timers, phonographs, and tape recorders. See also electric motor.