Parallel use of soft starters

A system for controlling an AC motor according to any preceding claim further comprising:

• one or more additional electrical connection paths, each additional electrical connection path for connecting an electrical input of the AC motor to an additional phase of alternating current from the electric power supply;
• wherein
• each of the motor controllers is also located on each of the additional electrical connection paths between the electric power supply and the AC motor and is also operable to regulate current of each respective additional phase passing through the respective motor controller, and each of the motor controllers is connected in parallel, relative to the other controllers, to each respective additional electrical connection path;
• and
• the at least one processor is further configured to control the plurality of motor controllers to repeatedly change which of the controllers current of each of the additional phases passes through, such that at any given time current of each of the respective additional phases over the respective additional connection paths only passes through one of the motor controllers.

A method for controlling an AC motor comprising:

• controlling two or more motor controllers,
• each of the motor controllers being located on an electrical connection path between the AC motor and a power supply configured to supply a first phase of alternating current over the electrical connection path and being operable to regulate current of a first phase passing through each respective motor controller, and each of the motor controllers being connected in parallel, relative to the other motor controllers, to the electrical connection path;
• wherein controlling the two or more motor controllers comprises:
• repeatedly changing which of the motor controllers current of the first phase passes through such that at any given time current of the first phase over the electrical connection path only passes through one motor controller.