Abstract: A stator for a multiphase electric motor includes a plurality of laminates stacked to form a cylindrical stator core having a plurality of longitudinal slots; a plurality of electrical conductors grouped into a plurality of discrete electrical circuits, each of the plurality of the electrical conductors forming a plurality of coils in the slots spaced about the stator core, and each of the coils having a pair of leads; a plurality of bus cables, each of the plurality of bus cables having a mechanical connection to the pluralities of coils at ends of the slots; and wherein one of the leads from each of the coils is electrically connected to one of the plurality of bus cables.

Abstract: A repaired rotor of a multi-phase electric motor includes a plurality of annular laminations stacked to form a cylindrical core about a central axis, each of the laminations having notches aligned to form axially extending slots about a periphery of the core; a plurality of electrical conductors extending through the slots; a pair of conductive end rings, each attached to a different end of the cylindrical core and electrically connected to the plurality of electrical conductors; and an outer end ring abutting and electrically connected to one of the pair of conductive end rings and electrically connected to adjacent ends of the plurality of electrical conductors, the outer end ring providing an uninterrupted electrically conductive path connecting the plurality of electrical conductors.

Abstract: A stator for a multiphase electric motor includes a plurality of laminates stacked to form a cylindrical stator core having a plurality of longitudinal slots; a plurality of electrical conductors grouped into a plurality of discrete electrical circuits, each of the plurality of the electrical conductors forming a plurality of coils in the slots spaced about the stator core, and each of the coils having a pair of leads; a plurality of bus cables, each of the plurality of bus cables having a mechanical connection to the pluralities of coils at ends of the slots; and wherein one of the leads from each of the coils is electrically connected to one of the plurality of bus cables.

Abstract: A repaired rotor of a multi-phase electric motor includes a plurality of annular laminations stacked to form a cylindrical core about a central axis, each of the laminations having notches aligned to form axially extending slots about a periphery of the core; a plurality of electrical conductors extending through the slots; a pair of conductive end rings, each attached to a different end of the cylindrical core and electrically connected to the plurality of electrical conductors; and an outer end ring abutting and electrically connected to one of the pair of conductive end rings and electrically connected to adjacent ends of the plurality of electrical conductors, the outer end ring providing an uninterrupted electrically conductive path connecting the plurality of electrical conductors.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a useful life of an insulation component of a braking resistor includes a sensor that can be embedded below an outer surface of the insulation component to measure a temperature of the insulation component; and a controller connected to receive a signal from the sensor indicative of the measured temperature of the insulation component, and programmed to compare the measured temperature of the insulation component to a predetermined threshold activation temperature for the insulation component, decrement from a predetermined useful life value for the insulation component a life depreciation value assigned to the measured temperature to determine a remaining life value of the insulation component if the measured temperature of the insulation component is greater than the threshold activation temperature, compare the remaining life value to an end-of-life value for the insulation component, and generate a warning signal if the remaining life value is at or below the end-of-life value.

Abstract: A system for monitoring items, in particular food products, includes a food storage cabinet having an interior with a plurality of food storage compartments; a plurality of food storage containers shaped to fit within the compartments, each of the containers having machine-readable indicia associated therewith indicative of an aspect of the food product therein; a plurality of sensors, each sensor associated with a different one of the food storage compartments to read the machine-readable indicia of the food storage container in the associated food storage compartment; and a display that receives and displays data from the first plurality of sensors indicative of the aspects of the food products in the food storage containers.

Abstract: A cooling fan vane assembly for a resistor grid may include a duct having a substantially round inlet opening, a substantially rectangular outlet opening, and a side wall extending between the inlet opening and the outlet opening shaped to transition from a substantially round shape to a substantially rectangular shape; the inlet opening including a plurality of radially extending turning vanes; and a frustoconical vane positioned in the duct adjacent a downstream side of the plurality of radially extending vanes.

Abstract: A braking grid cooling system may include a fan having a hub supporting a rotor and at least partially enclosing a stator, and a plurality of fan blades connected to and projecting radially from the hub; and a dynamic braking grid receiving the fan in a nested relation such that a combined height of the grid and the fan is less than a sum of a height of the grid and a height of the fan.

Abstract: A method of controlling operation of a multi-phase induction motor may include transmitting a low-speed operation signal by a master computer to a control signal board for low-speed operation of the motor; the control signal board receiving the low-speed operation signal, and in response to the low-speed operation signal, the control signal board sensing that the master computer is not simultaneously transmitting a high-speed operation signal, and in response to receiving the low-speed operation signal and not simultaneously receiving the high-speed operation signal, closing contactors in a power section to transmit power to the motor for low-speed operation, whereby the motor is connected to a source of multi-phase power and operates at low-speed; and the control signal board transmitting a first feedback signal to the master computer that the motor is connected to the source of multi-phase power and is running at low speed.

Abstract: A cooling fan vane assembly for a resistor grid may include a duct having a substantially round inlet opening, a substantially rectangular outlet opening, and a side wall extending between the inlet opening and the outlet opening shaped to transition from a substantially round shape to a substantially rectangular shape; the inlet opening including a plurality of radially extending turning vanes; and a frustoconical vane positioned in the duct adjacent a downstream side of the plurality of radially extending vanes.

Abstract: A braking grid cooling system may include a fan having a hub supporting a rotor and at least partially enclosing a stator, and a plurality of fan blades connected to and projecting radially from the hub; and a dynamic braking grid receiving the fan in a nested relation such that a combined height of the grid and the fan is less than a sum of a height of the grid and a height of the fan.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a fan may include a housing having an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a support shaft fixed to and positioned within the housing, a motor having a stator fixed on the support shaft, and a rotor rotatably mounted on the support shaft, and an impeller attached to the rotor, whereby energization of the motor causes the rotor to rotate the impeller relative to the support shaft to move ambient air into the housing through the inlet opening and out the exhaust opening.

Abstract: A method of controlling operation of a multi-phase induction motor may include transmitting a low-speed operation signal by a master computer to a control signal board for low-speed operation of the motor; the control signal board receiving the low-speed operation signal, and in response to the low-speed operation signal, the control signal board sensing that the master computer is not simultaneously transmitting a high-speed operation signal, and in response to receiving the low-speed operation signal and not simultaneously receiving the high-speed operation signal, closing contactors in a power section to transmit power to the motor for low-speed operation, whereby the motor is connected to a source of multi-phase power and operates at low-speed; and the control signal board transmitting a first feedback signal to the master computer that the motor is connected to the source of multi-phase power and is running at low speed.

Abstract: A method for controlling operation of a multi-phase induction motor may include transmitting a high-speed operation signal by a master computer for high-speed operation of the motor; receiving the signal by a control signal board, and in response to the signal, the control signal board may sense that the master computer is not simultaneously transmitting a low-speed operation signal, and in response to receiving the high-speed operation signal and not simultaneously receiving the low-speed operation signal, closing delta-to-wye contactors and closing contactors in a power section to transmit power to the motor for high-speed operation, whereby the motor is connected to a source of multi-phase power and operates at high-speed; and the control signal board transmitting a first feedback signal to the master computer that the motor is connected to the source of multi-phase power and is running at high speed.

Abstract: A cooled fan motor may include a tankhead, an elongate housing attached to the tankhead and, having at least one longitudinally extending groove, a shaft rotatably attached to the housing, a hub attached to the shaft, the hub having at least one opening therethrough and shaped to form a gap with the tankhead, a rotor attached to the hub, and a stator mounted on the housing such that the groove in the housing forms an air passage between the housing and the stator connecting the gap and the opening; whereby air external to the motor is able to enter through the gap, flow along the air passage and exit the motor through the opening in the hub, thereby cooling an interior of the motor.

Abstract: A heavy-duty stator core and coil assembly that can accommodate severe input voltage spiking and harmonics may include a coat of varnish applied to the stator core and coil assembly by steps of dipping the stator core and coil assembly end-first along a longitudinal axis into a first tank of liquid epoxy resin having a relatively low viscosity, baking the coating, inverting the stator core and coil assembly and applying a second coat of varnish in the same manner, then dipping the core and coil assembly into a second tank having a liquid epoxy resin of a relatively high viscosity, then baking the second coat.

Abstract: A cooled fan motor may include an elongate housing adapted to be attached to a tankhead, the housing having at least one longitudinally extending groove, a shaft rotatably attached to the housing, a hub attached to the shaft, the hub having at least one opening therethrough and shaped to form a gap with a tankhead attached to the housing, a rotor attached to the hub, and a stator mounted on the housing such that the groove in the housing forms an air passage between the housing and the stator connecting the gap and the opening. Air external to the motor is able to enter through the gap between the hub and tankhead, flow along the air passage formed by the groove in the housing and exit the motor through the opening in the hub, thereby cooling an interior of the motor. In one aspect, the hub includes radially extending blades such that when the stator is energized, rotation of the hub and blades causes air to enter through the gap, flow along the air passage and exit the motor through the opening in the hub.

Abstract: Apparatus including a monolithic, motor/generator phase insulation article having a manufactured state and a ready-to-use state. The insulation article has longitudinally-spaced-apart first and second tabs and flexible, transversely-spaced-apart first and second legs each having a first end monolithically joined to the first tab and a second end monolithically joined to the second tab. The first and second tabs are disposed longitudinally closer together in the manufactured state than in the ready-to-use state. In the manufactured state the first and second legs each have a more serpentine shape, and in the ready-to-use state the first and second legs each have a less serpentine shape. A method for manufacturing the insulation article is also described which cuts a monolithic, substantially-rectangular sheet of motor/generator phase insulation to create the insulation article.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling operation of a multi-phase induction motor may include the steps of transmitting a signal by a master computer to actuate a first switch for high-speed or low speed operation of the motor, receiving the signal by a control signal board, and in response to the signal, the control signal board may determine that the motor is enabled for high-speed operation and disabled for low-speed operation, or enabled for low-speed operation and disabled for high-speed operation, as the case may be. In response to the motor state, the control signal board may close or open delta-to-wye contactors, then transmit a signal to a power section to close power contactors to connect the motor to a source of multi-phase power.

Abstract: Apparatus including a locomotive-radiator-cooling-fan tankhead assembly having a substantially-circular base plate and a substantially-circular outer ring. The base plate has a central longitudinal axis and a circumference. The outer ring is substantially coaxially aligned with the central longitudinal axis and is attached to the base plate proximate the circumference. The base plate has a substantially-planar first surface having a central recess substantially coaxially aligned with the central longitudinal axis and having circumferentially-separated, first and second peripheral recesses each radially spaced apart from the central recess and extending radially inward from proximate the circumference. The outer ring longitudinally extends beyond the first surface. The tankhead assembly is devoid of any gussets attached to the base plate and is devoid of any gussets attached to the outer ring.