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: A method and system of performing a pole switching operation in a multi-phase machine include operating the multi-phase machine in a first configuration with a first number of poles, where the first number of poles is based on a first number of phases in the first configuration and a number of stator slots allocated for each winding in the multi-phase machine. The method and system also include receiving a signal indicating the pole switching operation in the multi-phase machine. In response to receiving the signal, the method and system include operating the multi-phase machine in a second configuration with a second number of poles, where the second number of poles is based on a second number of phases in the second configuration and the number of stator slots allocated for each winding in the multi-phase machine.

Abstract: A drive device comprising at least one control unit (10) for operating a first drive unit (16) with a first operating frequency (fb1) from a first operating frequency interval and a second drive unit (18) with a second operating frequency (fb2) from a second operating frequency interval, which at least partly overlaps the first operating frequency interval. The control unit (10), in at least one operating state, operates the drive units at least occasionally simultaneously with different operating frequencies (fb1, fb2) and varies the first operating frequency (fb1) and/or the second operating frequency (fb2) within the respective operating frequency interval.

Abstract: One embodiment describes a switching device system, which includes a first single pole switching device that selectively connects and disconnects a first phase of electric power to a first winding of a three phase motor; a second single switching device that selectively connects and disconnects a second phase of electric power to a second winding of the three phase motor; in which the first and second single pole switching devices control temperature of the motor by, at a first time, connecting the first phase and the second phase electric power to the motor.

Abstract: A polyphase electric motor has a rotor, a stator with a plurality of slots, a plurality of main windings and a plurality of auxiliary windings installed in slots of the stator, and a main winding and an auxiliary winding that correspond to a selected phase of an alternating current power source. The auxiliary windings are connected to the motor terminals through a plurality of capacitors, and the auxiliary windings and corresponding capacitors are connected in parallel to the main windings. The main winding and the auxiliary winding of the selected phase are offset by about 60 to about 120 electrical degrees. A power of the plurality of main windings is at least 75% of a power of the polyphase electric motor at full load rating and the power of the plurality of main windings is motoring at 25% of the full load rating.

Abstract: An apparatus for transmission of electrical power includes an AC voltage source configured to produce AC voltage. A stator includes a primary winding arrangement electrically fed from the AC voltage source, the primary winding arrangement having at least two primary windings. A rotor includes a secondary winding arrangement inductively coupled to the primary winding arrangement of the stator, the rotor being rotatable in a rotation direction about a rotation axis. The rotation axis does not pass through the at least two primary windings, and the at least two primary windings each extend over a predetermined sector with respect to the rotation direction and are disposed offset with respect to one another with in the rotation direction.

Abstract: A multi-speed induction motor includes at least two stator windings (a low pole count winding and a high pole count winding) wound around a common stator core. A plurality of stator teeth extend radially inward from a stator yoke, thereby defining a plurality of slots open to its inner diameter. The high pole count winding is wound around the stator core first, such that the high pole count winding is located adjacent to the stator yoke. The low pole count winding is wound subsequently, such that it is radially interior to the high-pole count winding.

Abstract: A multiple-winding induction machine may be used to obtain a reduced-speed-variation electric drive when using a variable-frequency power distribution system. Each winding may have a different number of poles. The winding with the smallest number of poles may operate the machine at the lowest bus frequency, while the winding with the largest number of poles may operate the machine at the highest bus frequency. In one embodiment, a third winding, with a middle number of poles, may operate the machine at the middle frequency ranges. The speed of the induction machine is a function of the electrical frequency and the number of the winding poles. Therefore, the operating speed range can be reduced by switching from one winding to another. According to the present invention, windings with different numbers of poles can be designed to achieve different reductions in speed variation.

Abstract: An electronic circuit for starting a single phase induction motor, of the type containing a rotor and a stator with at least one running coil (B1) and one starting coil (B2), for operating jointly with an alternating current source (F), comprising: a trigger electronic switch; a trigger circuit (TR) of said trigger electronic switch; and a blocking circuit (BL) for controlling the trigger pulses of the trigger electronic switch, said blocking circuit (BL) sustaining its blocking state while there is voltage being induced to the coils of the motor (M) by rotation of the rotor, maintaining said blocking state for a certain time after said induced voltage has been substantially reduced.

Abstract: An electric motor for a motor vehicle or other machine. The motor includes a support member with electromagnets (coils) and a moving member with permanent magnets. The coils are divided into groups, each group having several sets of coils, each set having several coil units. Each coil has its own battery or other energy source. A drive circuit controls activation of the coils. At maximum power, all coils sets are energized together. At each lower power level, different groups of coil sets are operated, and a cycling circuit varies which of the groups are energized. In this way, energy drain on the batteries is evenly distributed, maximizing the operating time of the motor before recharging of the batteries is required. In one embodiment, the coils are turned on by SCRs, and transistors turn off the SCRs, providing a novel SCR turnoff circuit ideal for high voltage, low current applications.

Abstract: A single phase, three-speed induction motor having 4, 6, and 8-pole speed configurations. In one embodiment, the motor is constructed and arranged to be used in connection with a washing machine. The 8-pole speed winding shares a portion of the 4-pole speed winding, but not all of the 4-pole speed winding is used in the 8-pole configuration. In one embodiment, the 4-pole speed winding includes four winding portions and the 8-pole speed configuration uses two of the four winding portions without the need for additional switch contacts to reconfigure the motor for operating in the 4-pole mode or the 6-pole mode. In one embodiment, shared winding portions are wound on the stator core in a generally non-sinusoidal distribution and non-shared winding portions are wound on the stator core in a generally sinusoidal distribution.

Abstract: A motor includes a stator core, a rotor in rotational relationship with the stator core and a main winding on the core. In one form, the main winding includes a 4-pole configuration and an 8-pole configuration and the motor has a 4-pole auxiliary winding on the core. A switching circuit selectively simultaneously energizes a portion only of the 4-pole configuration of the main winding and the 4-pole auxiliary winding when starting the motor for energizing the main winding in the 8-pole configuration. In another form, the main winding includes a 2-pole configuration and an 4-pole configuration and the motor has a 2-pole auxiliary winding on the core. In this latter form, the switching circuit selectively simultaneously energizes a portion only of the 2-pole configuration of the main winding and the 2-pole auxiliary winding when starting the motor for energizing the main winding in the 4-pole configuration.

Abstract: A motor comprising a 2/4-pole permanent-split capacitor motor having a shared main winding and a shared auxiliary winding. The shared auxiliary winding comprises a 4-pole auxiliary winding phase shifted one slot less than a phase shift of 90 degrees with respect to the 4-pole main winding. A switching circuit selectively simultaneously energizes the shared main winding and the shared auxiliary winding in the 2-pole and 4-pole configurations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling an induction motor having at least high speed windings and reduced speed windings divides the reduced speed windings into first and second portions. The first and second portions of the reduced speed windings are electrically connected in series and a voltage is applied to the first and second portions of the reduced speed windings when it is desired to operate the induction motor at a reduced speed. The first and second portions of the reduced speed windings are electrically disconnected and a voltage is applied to the high speed windings when it is desired to operate the induction motor at a high speed. The induction motor has three sets of windings extending from a middle region, each set of windings having an inner winding toward the middle region and an outer winding away from the middle region.

Abstract: An improved regulator mechanism for a single-phase or three-phase, two-speed motor is disclosed. The regulator mechanism includes a first energizable contactor (having at least one contact) and a second energizable contactor (having five contacts) which cooperate to cycle the motor between inoperative and operative states and to configure the motor windings and power lines so as to provide first and second speed operation.

Abstract: Control equipment for motors having two windings and wherein both windings are temporarily connected in parallel to start the motor.

Abstract: A control device is provided for an alternating current motor operating in single phase and having first and second windings coupled so that they are shifted in phase with respect to each other. A control unit includes first and second switching elements located between a line connection and respective first and second windings of the motor. One of the switching elements is open and the other closed in a switching state of the control unit, depending on the running direction of the motor. At least one of the switching elements is open when the control unit is in a state of rest. A power supply unit is provided for providing electric energy to the control unit. When the control unit is in a state of rest, the power supply operates by drawing on a first potential difference between a line connection and winding connection associated with the switching element that is open in the state of rest.

Abstract: An improved regulator mechanism for a single-phase or three-phase, two-speed motor is disclosed. The regulator mechanism includes a first energizable contactor (having at least one contact) and a second energizable contactor (having five contacts) which cooperate to cycle the motor between inoperative and operative states and to configure the motor windings and power lines so as to provide first and second speed operation.

Abstract: A speed-changing device for electric ceiling fans includes a run coil for electrical connection to a motor of a ceiling fan, and a starting and speed changing coil, together with a starting capacitor, parallel-connected to the coil. The starting and speed-changing coil includes a set of medium-speed taps and a set of low-speed taps, forming three speed-changing coils, in which speed-changing connections can be switched without producing any noise from the motor, by maintaining the same current direction after switching.

Abstract: Power consumed by an ordinary a.c. induction motor is reduced by having two parallel sets of separately excited RUN windings. When the motor is lightly loaded, a.c. power feeds only one of the two RUN windings, thereby reducing the flux density in the motor stator and as a result reducing eddy current losses and copper losses. Whe the load increases, a.c. power is immediately fed to the other RUN winding thereby increasing the magnetic flux density and the motor power. The a.c. power fed to the second winding is variably controlled by a thyristor, and the amount of thyristor coupled power may be determined from sensing changes in the speed slip of the induction motor wrought by load changes. Through having the one RUN winding permanently connected with the power source, while the other RUN winding power is modulated by the phawe controlled gating action of the thyristor, less a.c.

Abstract: A stepping motor with toothed stator poles and two sets of oppositely magnetized rotor teeth has its stator poles energized by a driver which responds to input pulses to successively deenergize alternate poles and keep them deenergized and then successively reenergize the alternate poles in the opposite direction. Thereafter the driver successively deenergizes the poles intermediate the alternate poles and keeps them deenergized until all intermediate poles are deenergized and then successively reenergizes the intermediate poles in the other direction until all the intermediate poles are reenergized. This drives the rotor in fractional steps. For larger fractional steps, larger numbers of poles are deenergized in response to each pulse. For even larger fractions the deenergization process is eliminated.

Abstract: The efficiency of a multi-speed motor is optimized for the speed at which the motor is to be most frequently operated by first predetermining the expected most frequently used motor speed and then forming a start winding having a number of starting poles corresponding to the expected most frequently used motor speed from conductor material having a greater cross-sectional area than that of the conductor material employed in such a motor previously. The start winding is placed in selected slots of a stator core already containing a main winding so as to be in quadrature with the effect of the main winding when the main winding is connected in the most frequently used speed configuration.

Abstract: There is disclosed a squirrel-cage motor for a winch drive or other application and control means for operating the motor in hoist or lower directions at any one of a plurality of speeds in either direction. The motor and winch are provided with a load brake. In one embodiment, the stator comprises two stator windings having different numbers of poles to provide high speed (fewer poles) and low speed (more poles) windings. The control means comprises a direct current power source, an alternating current power source, means for connecting the sources to the stator windings so that different speed points and braking operations are achieved, and means for operating the load brake. Low speed results from simultaneously energizing the low speed winding and the high speed winding from the alternating current power source and the direct current power source, respectively. Intermediate speed results from energizing only the low speed winding from the alternating current power source.