Brushed DC electric motor

A brushed DC electric motor is an internally commutated electric motor designed to run from a direct current power source and using an electric brush for contact. Brushed motors were the first commercially important application of electric power to driving mechanical energy, and DC distribution systems were used for more than 100 years to operate motors in commercial and industrial buildings. Their speed can be varied by changing the operating voltage or the strength of the magnetic field, and depending on how the field is connected to the supply their speed and torque characteristics can give steady speed or speed inversely proportional to the mechanical load. They continue to be used for electrical propulsion, cranes, paper machines and steel rolling mills. Because the brushes wear down and need replacement, brushless DC motors using power electronics have displaced brushed motors from many applications.