Abstract: A method for removing one or more congeners from an alcoholic composition, including placing a quantity of an alcoholic composition in a pressure-controllable environment, decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment, removing one or more unwanted congeners from the alcoholic composition to yield a purified alcoholic composition, and removing the purified alcoholic composition from the pressure-controllable environment.

Abstract: An electric motor has a stator defining multiple stator poles with associated electrical windings, and a rotor having multiple rotor poles. The rotor has flux barriers between adjacent rotor poles, the flux barriers each having a material with an electrical conductivity higher than the rotor pole material. The flux barriers are electrically isolated from one another external to the ferromagnetic material. Eddy currents are induced in the flux barrier to cause destructive interference of an impending magnetic field, such that the flux barrier effectively acts to inhibit magnetic flux during motor operation, which in some cases will result in a repulsive force that will act to increase an induced motive force on the rotor poles.

Abstract: A method for removing one or more congeners from an alcoholic composition, including placing a quantity of an alcoholic composition in a pressure-controllable environment, decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment, removing one or more unwanted congeners from the alcoholic composition to yield a purified alcoholic composition, and removing the purified alcoholic composition from the pressure-controllable environment.

Abstract: A method of controlling an electric machine includes: energizing stator windings of a stator by a stator current, producing a stator magnetic field within the stator by the energized stator windings, modifying a corresponding rotor magnetic field within a ferromagnetic material within a rotor by the stator magnetic field, generating a force tangential to the rotor by a shift in the stator magnetic field, moving the rotor by the generated force tangential to the rotor, resisting a decay of a magnetic flux within the rotor by current within the rotor windings in response to the shift in the stator magnetic field, and achieving a target operational output of the electric machine. The stator magnetic field and the rotor maintain synchronicity with one another during operation of the electric machine.

Abstract: An electric motor has a stator defining multiple stator poles with associated electrical windings, and a rotor having multiple rotor poles. The rotor has flux barriers between adjacent rotor poles, the flux barriers each having a material with an electrical conductivity higher than the rotor pole material. The flux barriers are electrically isolated from one another external to the ferromagnetic material. Eddy currents are induced in the flux barrier to cause destructive interference of an impending magnetic field, such that the flux barrier effectively acts to inhibit magnetic flux during motor operation, which in some cases will result in a repulsive force that will act to increase an induced motive force on the rotor poles.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing food products. One aspect is a system for processing food products including a base member, a vessel member defining a vessel volume, an opening formed through the vessel member, a vessel lip surrounding the opening; a vessel lid connected to the vessel member to substantially seal the opening; a motor shaft, at least one mixing member connected to the motor shaft and within the vessel volume; a motor connected to the motor shaft; and grinding media within the vessel volume for grinding and mixing food products, where energizing the motor urges the motor shaft and the at least one mixing member to rotate within the vessel volume to agitate the grinding media; and where the grinding media includes first grinding media and second grinding media.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a stator and a rotor energizable by magnetic fields produced by the stator when receiving a stator current to produce relative motion between the rotor and the stator. A controller is configured to send the stator current through the stator at a current angle measured from the closest one of a pole of the rotor, determine a desired operational output of the electric machine, and determine a desired rotor motion corresponding to the desired operational output of the electric machine. The controller is further configured to calculate a vector control modulation applied to the stator that elicits the desired rotor motion, and adjust the current angle of the stator current based on the vector control modulation to cause the rotor to perform the desired rotor motion and achieve the desired operational output of the electric machine.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling and simulating a motor. An electronic motor controller determines present motor information and a motor control parameter set based on the present motor information and a rotating reference frame of the motor. The rotating reference frame has independent input channels that decouple an intended output response in a stator D-axis component and a rotor field (R) component of a direct-quadrature-null-rotor (DQNR) reference frame. The electronic motor controller further controls the motor based on the motor control parameter set.

Abstract: A reconfigurable electric motor (or machine) that may be reconfigured to improve performance given particular motor conditions. The motor is part of a motor system including a stator, a rotor, a microinverter network including a plurality of microinverters, and a motor controller including processing circuitry. The motor controller controls the plurality of microinverters to drive the motor in accordance with a first configuration of a plurality of motor configurations. The motor controller determines, based on determined motor conditions, to reconfigure the motor from the first configuration to a second configuration, where the first configuration has a first pole count that is different than a second pole count of the second configuration. The motor controller further controls the plurality of microinverters to drive the motor in accordance with the second configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling and simulating a motor. An electronic motor controller determines present motor information and a motor control parameter set based on the present motor information and a rotating reference frame of the motor. The rotating reference frame has independent input channels that decouple an intended output response in a stator D-axis component and a rotor field (R) component of a direct-quadrature-null-rotor (DQNR) reference frame. The electronic motor controller further controls the motor based on the motor control parameter set.

Abstract: A reconfigurable electric motor (or machine) that may be reconfigured to improve performance given particular motor conditions. The motor is part of a motor system including a stator, a rotor, a microinverter network including a plurality of microinverters, and a motor controller including processing circuitry. The motor controller controls the plurality of microinverters to drive the motor in accordance with a first configuration of a plurality of motor configurations. The motor controller determines, based on determined motor conditions, to reconfigure the motor from the first configuration to a second configuration, where the first configuration has a first pole count that is different than a second pole count of the second configuration. The motor controller further controls the plurality of microinverters to drive the motor in accordance with the second configuration.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preparing and dispensing food contents, typically molten chocolate. In one aspect, a method for treating chocolate includes placing a quantity of chocolate defining a chocolate surface in a vacuum chamber, heating the quantity of chocolate to a temperature sufficient to substantially liquefy the quantity of chocolate, decreasing the pressure of the vacuum chamber to a predetermined pressure, wherein the chocolate surface is subjected to a partial vacuum and wherein substantially all trapped gases are outgassed from the quantity of chocolate, holding the pressure of the vacuum chamber at the predetermined pressure for a predetermined period of time, and increasing the pressure of the vacuum chamber to room pressure. The chocolate comprises cacao, cacao butter, and sugar. During treatment, the temperature of the chocolate is maintained sufficiently high to maintain the chocolate as a liquid.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling and simulating a motor. An electronic motor controller determines present motor information and a motor control parameter set based on the present motor information and a rotating reference frame of the motor. The rotating reference frame has independent input channels that decouple an intended output response in a stator D-axis component and a rotor field (R) component of a direct-quadrature-null-rotor (DQNR) reference frame. The electronic motor controller further controls the motor based on the motor control parameter set.

Abstract: A reconfigurable electric motor (or machine) that may be reconfigured to improve performance given particular motor conditions. The motor is part of a motor system including a stator, a rotor, a microinverter network including a plurality of microinverters, and a motor controller including processing circuitry. The motor controller controls the plurality of microinverters to drive the motor in accordance with a first configuration of a plurality of motor configurations. The motor controller determines, based on determined motor conditions, to reconfigure the motor from the first configuration to a second configuration, where the first configuration has a first pole count that is different than a second pole count of the second configuration. The motor controller further controls the plurality of microinverters to drive the motor in accordance with the second configuration.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a stator and a rotor energizable by magnetic fields produced by the stator when receiving a stator current to produce relative motion between the rotor and the stator. A controller is configured to send the stator current through the stator at a current angle measured from the closest one of a pole of the rotor, determine a desired operational output of the electric machine, and determine a desired rotor motion corresponding to the desired operational output of the electric machine. The controller is further configured to calculate a vector control modulation applied to the stator that elicits the desired rotor motion, and adjust the current angle of the stator current based on the vector control modulation to cause the rotor to perform the desired rotor motion and achieve the desired operational output of the electric machine.

Abstract: A stator defines multiple stator poles with associated electrical windings. A rotor includes multiple rotor poles. The rotor is movable with respect to the stator and defines, together with the stator, a nominal gap between the stator poles and the rotor poles. The rotor poles includes a magnetically permeable pole material. The rotor also includes a series of frequency programmable flux channels (FPFCs). Each FPFC includes a conductive loop surrounding an associated rotor pole. The stator and the rotor are arranged such that the electrical windings in the stator induce an excitement current within at least one of the FPFCs during start-up.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a stator defining multiple stator poles with associated stator windings configured to receive a stator current. The electric machine also includes a rotor defining multiple fixed rotor poles with associated rotor windings, wherein the rotor defines a field energizable by magnetic fields produced by the stator windings when receiving the stator current to produce relative motion between the rotor and the stator and wherein the rotor is maintained in synchronicity with the magnetic fields produced by the stator during operation of the electric machine. The electric machine also includes a rectification system configured control against an alternating current being induced in the rotor poles as the field is energized by magnetic fields produced by the stator windings when receiving the stator current.

Abstract: A stator defines multiple stator poles with associated stator windings. A rotor defines multiple rotor poles with associated rotor windings configured to be energized substantially by the stator. The rotor defines a rotor field energizable by magnetic fields produced by the stator windings to produce relative force between the rotor and the stator. An active rectifier is conductively coupled to one or more first rotor windings. The active rectifier is configured to control a direction of current flow through the one or more first rotor windings responsive to a signal received wirelessly from the stator by one or more second rotor windings.

Abstract: A stator defines multiple stator poles with associated stator windings. A rotor defines multiple fixed rotor poles with associated teeth with a ferromagnetic material. The fixed rotor poles have associated rotor windings configured to be energized substantially by the stator. Each of the rotor windings is associated with the tooth. Each of the rotor windings includes an alternating current (AC) coil (or auxiliary coil) configured to carry an AC current induced by an AC current flowing in the stator. A direct current (DC) coil (or primary coil) defines a rotor field energizable by magnetic fields produced by the stator windings to produce relative forces between the rotor and the stator. The DC coil is at least partially powered or controlled by the AC coil.