David L Kuhn

US Patent:

20140084875, Mar 27, 2014

Filed:

Sep 25, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/591601

Inventors:

Gregory J. Bender - San Jose CA, US
Steven H. Kuhn - San Jose CA, US
David N. Kuhn - Piedmont CA, US

International Classification:

H02J 15/00

US Classification:

320166

Abstract:

A set of electric motor drives for recapturing otherwise unused electrical energy from electric motors and methods of using same are disclosed that provide electrical energy in addition to mechanical energy by recapturing electrical energy that would be unused if conventional technologies were followed. Such recapturing motor drives can provide recaptured electrical energy to other loads, can transfer recaptured electrical energy to storage devices for future use, and/or can recirculate recaptured electrical energy back through a recapturing motor drive. By recapturing unused electrical energy, the recapturing motor drives generate significantly greater over-all energy output for any given electrical energy input drawn from any power source, thereby materially increasing the efficient and effective use of electrical energy drawn from the power source and dramatically reducing the relative consumption of electrical energy drawn from the power source. The present invention also lowers component count, thereby reducing design time and production costs.