A Fort Wayne, Ind. company made a technology donation on Nov. 27 that will put Tri-State University electrical and computer engineering students on the cutting edge in the field of motors.

Representatives of Regal-Beloit, formerly GE Commercial Motors in Fort Wayne, visited the TSU campus to learn more about the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and donate a variable speed motor demonstration unit. The unit will provide TSU students access to top-of-the-line technology in this field.

The group also shared that TSU graduates, including Bill Archer, developed variable speed motor technology at GE Commercial Motors in the early 1990s, setting the pace in what has now burgeoned into a $2.5 billion industry. Archer will deliver an address at TSU during Engineering Week in February, 2008.

According to Sean Carroll, associate professor in the EE and CE department, the device connects a motor to a heating, cooling, and ventilation blower that indicates how much power the motor uses. Making an adjustment will show how much power the motor will need for a project.

“It helps the customer understand what their motors do,” Carroll said. “It shows how this motor does a job they know they need.” Documenting power consumption is important for earning government approval on power efficiency, which shows the customer the company’s concern for the use of resources we all share. The device will see use with this year’s senior design projects, he said.