Patent ID: 7375483

Claim:
Apparatus for dissipating regenerated power, comprising: a) an inverter comprising a plurality (N) of terminals, for the synthesis of N different phases of alternating current (AC) waveform of variable harmonic content, where N is greater than three; b) an AC motor, operable as both a motor and as a generator of regenerative power, comprising N electrical phases connected to said inverter terminals in a first mesh connection, said first mesh characterized in that: each motor phase is electrically connected to a first inverter terminal and a second inverter terminal L inverter terminals distant from the first inverter terminal in order of electrical phase angle, where L is the skip number, and the phase angle difference between the pair of inverter terminals to which each motor phase is connected is identical for each motor phase; c) a regenerated power sink comprising at least three elements and connected to said inverter in a second mesh connection wherein said second mesh connection differs in number of phases or step value from said first mesh connection; d) a detector for detecting said regenerated power; e) a controller; for adjusting the phase angles of said AC waveform to comprise harmonic content that creates a voltage difference across both mesh connections when regenerative power is detected; and to comprise harmonic content that creates a voltage difference across the motor mesh connection and a substantially zero voltage difference across the regenerative power sink mesh connection when regenerative power is not detected.