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How do electric motors drive most centrifuge rotors?
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centrifuge
Figure 1: Tubular centrifuge
In most centrifuges, the rotating element—known as a rotor, bowl, or drum—is driven about a fixed axis by an electric motor. While some high-speed machines utilize air or steam turbines, the electric motor remains the standard mechanism for providing the power necessary to overcome the frictional resistance of the bearings and maintain the required angular velocity.12