Patent ID: 7969044

Claim:
A power distribution system for supplying power to a variable speed motor for rotating a shaft, comprising: a variable speed prime mover adapted to generate an A/C output having a variable frequency corresponding to the speed of the prime mover, the speed of the prime mover being equal to or greater than a predetermined speed limit; a power switch; a power distribution bus connected to the A/C output of the prime mover and connected, via the power switch, to the variable speed motor such that the speed of the motor is varied relative to the frequency of the A/C output, the power switch being adapted to disconnect the variable speed motor from the bus when the speed of the prime mover being used to drive the variable speed motor is equal to or within a predetermined range of the predetermined speed limit; and a variable frequency drive operatively connected to the A/C output of the prime mover via the power distribution bus and operatively configured to provide an alternate A/C output to the motor after the variable speed motor is disconnected from the power distribution bus.