Electrostatic motor

An electrostatic motor is an electrical machine for converting by means of electric fields, electrical energy into mechanical work. In electrostatic motors, the force exerted by an electric field to a charge, is converted into a movement. The electrostatic motor is a special type of electric motor. Its use is limited to experimental applications because of the relatively high voltage and poor efficiency. For macroscopic applications, the required voltage is several kilovolts. It is interesting that the motor can not develop full torque at standstill, no current flowing. This results in applications in nanotechnology, since the motor can be manufactured with a 2-dimensional structure. The electrostatic drive concept is one of the main driving principles of micro- actuators.