Noise suppression caps for motors in the wet

[redboat219]

If you're running your DC brushed motors in the wet do you still need noise or spark suppressing capacitors?

Does the water "suppress" the noise?

[Ralph --- SSBN 598]

Bushed motor running int he wet?

Brushed motors have armatures with carbon contacts that arch during operation.
Introducing water will most likely cause shorting between armature sections.
Capacitors exposed to water will short over the capacitor and be negated.
Motor performance will be impaired or destroyed.

And then there is the windings which will be effected.
Windings life reduced.
Bearings damaged by rust.

Even brushless motors have issues of running in the wet.
Over time, the bearing will rust and even the shaft may rust.
And again the windings insulation will be degraded.

After being in the wet, the motors should be dried out completely.
May take weeks or months to properly dry out.

This is one of those things that . . . . "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

[cheapsub]

100% water cooling!
Noise is from the brush arcing, still needs it.
You can run the motor in the water, but doesn't last long. Electrolysis will eat up the brush connection.
I will do it for small sub with cheap can motor, just change the motor ever 2 to 3 run.
In the old days, the 500 motor for the rc cars, the brushes can be changed out.

For testing dunk a cheap motor in a cup of water with some salt, just to speed thing up. Run it till stop, open it up then find out what's up!
One of The brush is gone. And making H and O2.

[QuarterMaster]

I'm a big fan of running everything you can in the wet, IE, WP Servos, Speed Controllers etc. but NOT any exposed electrical component (IE, conductive materials/ferrous metals). touching the medium we play in.



Unless you run in pure H2o, you have other elements in the water.

Debris, biologics, chemicals, metal, salts etc.

That exposed stud your power is connected to is one thing, but the solder joints in ANY motor (brushed or brushless), will deteriorate, and fail after a 1600 mile drive to a show. Wires, including the magnet wire of the motor, through capillary action, corrode over time. All that juice flowing through as you power along finds the shortest path to GND, and electrons dissolve.

Also, any ferrous material in the water will be attracted to the motors magnets.

Ever run at Groton? This is a rare earth magnet I used to moor the boat with (that's a piece of quarts below!):


Your brushed or brushless motor will collect them, jamming it between those tight spaces.

Heck do what you want, prove me wrong, I'm all about innovation. Elon Musk Engineering by throwing at the wall and seeing what sticks.

But think before you do.