Can a washing machine motor (I guess it to be an asynchronous motor) work as a generator?
Alternating currents normally flow in both the stator and the rotor of an induction motor. Once those currents are established, the motor can work as an induction generator, but it is difficult to get it the motor into operation as a generator. The easiest way is to use a three phase motor connected to an inverter and charged batteries. Once the induction generator is operating, it can supply power and charge the batteries, but the batteries must be initially charged by another source. There is a way to use capacitors to get either a single phase or three phase induction motor started as an induction generator. It is not necessarily completely reliable or easy to do. Here are a couple of links that provide additional information. http://www.qsl.net/ns8o/Induction_Genera… http://www.mpoweruk.com/generators.
