Variable speed drive with secondary windings

A system, comprising:

• a variable speed drive coupled to a motor and configured to supply power to the motor, wherein the variable speed drive comprises:
• a primary winding of a step down transformer coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source;
• a first secondary winding of the step down transformer, wherein the first secondary winding is configured to supply power to the motor at a variable supplied voltage to operate the motor below a threshold voltage;
• and
• a second secondary winding of the step down transformer, wherein the second secondary winding is configured to supply power to the motor at a fixed supplied voltage to operate the motor at or above the threshold voltage;
• and
• a controller configured to selectively establish electrical communication between the motor and the first secondary winding and between the motor and the second secondary winding based on a measured voltage of the motor.

A method, comprising:

• monitoring a voltage demand of a motor, wherein a variable speed drive is coupled to the motor and configured to supply power to the motor;
• supplying a first power to the motor from a first secondary winding of the variable speed drive to operate the motor based on the voltage demand of the motor being below a threshold, wherein the first power comprises a variable voltage;
• and
• supplying a second power to the motor from a second secondary winding of the variable speed drive to operate the motor based on the voltage demand of the motor being at or above the threshold, wherein the second power comprises a constant voltage, and wherein the second secondary winding is integral with the variable speed drive.