REDUNDANT PRIME MOVER SYSTEM

摘要

The present invention provides a redundant prime mover system to drive a machine having an engine (108) coupled to the machine, and a motor/generator (102) coupled to the machine and an electrical network connection (208); the engine (108) and the motor/generator (102) have three or four operating modes; the first operating mode drives the machine with the engine (108); the second operating mode drives the machine with the motor/generator (102); the third operating mode drives the machine and the motor/generator (102) with the engine (108) such that the motor/generator (108) generates electricity for delivery to the electrical network connection (208); alternatively, the third operating mode drives the machine with both the engine (108) and the motor/generator (102); this alternate operating mode can also be included as a fourth operating mode.