Patents Assigned to Exro Technologies Inc.
  • Patent number: 11967913
    Abstract: Disclosed is a series mode modulation configuration and a parallel voltage equivalent modulation configuration. In the series mode modulation configuration a unipolar modulation is utilized. Unipolar modulation utilizes a zero vector and produces a voltage across the load with a frequency factor of 2×. In the parallel voltage equivalent mode modulation configuration there are two H bridges driving two coils with identical current. The H bridges can advantageously be operated out of phase with one another (e.g., 180 out of phase with one another to interleave the currents to further reduce ripple current stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Hustedt
  • Patent number: 11897362
    Abstract: A battery control system includes a plurality of battery cells that are separately controllable as units of individual cells or groups of cells. Each controllable unit may be switchably activated or deactivated in the overall battery circuit, and one or more conditions of each controllable unit may be individually measured. Various techniques are disclosed for operating the battery control system to optimize or improve system performance and longevity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Tung Nguyen, Eric Hustedt
  • Patent number: 11785715
    Abstract: An article for a power inverter, includes a multilayer printed circuit board having a first and second electrically conductive wiring layer and at least a first dielectric layer interposed between the first and second electrically conductive wiring layers. Each conductive wiring layer includes a common input and output line, the common input and output lines at least partially overlapping one another in a projection along a thickness of the multilayer printed circuit board. A set of input mounting pads is carried by the first common input line and a set of input mounting pads is carried by the second common input line, the input mounting pads of the second set of input mounting pads are interleaved with the input mounting pads of the first set of input mounting pads along a first axis. The article further includes a set output mounting pads carried by the common output line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Hustedt
  • Patent number: 11708005
    Abstract: A battery control system includes a plurality of battery cells that are separately controllable as units of individual cells or groups of cells. Each controllable unit may be switchably activated or deactivated in the overall battery circuit, and one or more conditions of each controllable unit may be individually measured. Various techniques are disclosed for operating the battery control system to optimize or improve system performance and longevity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Tung Nguyen, Eric Hustedt
  • Patent number: 9812981
    Abstract: One or more variable configuration controller (VCC) systems may produce various combinations of series or parallel couplings of coils, winding or inductive elements of an electric machine such as a generator and/or electric motor. The VCC systems include a plurality of bridge rectifiers, and a first number of switches operated to selectively couple respective pairs of coils in series from parallel on an AC side of the bridge rectifiers. The bridge rectifiers provide for automatic electrical isolation of coils on occurrence of open circuit, low voltage or short circuit conditions. A second number of switches with different performance characteristics (e.g., speed, loss) than the first number of switches may be coupled in parallel with respective ones of the first number of switches. Power factor correction may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Gale Ritchey, Mitchell Gordon Burton, Ryan Biffard
  • Patent number: 9685827
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a drive shaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the drive shaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the drive shaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. A stator array on the stator has an array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the drive shaft. The rotors each have an array of magnets which are circumferentially equally spaced around the rotor and located at the same radially spacing with respect to the centre of the rotor and the drive shaft at a first angular orientation relative to the drive shaft. The arrays of magnets on adjacent rotors are off-set by an angular offset relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Gale Ritchey
  • Patent number: 9590468
    Abstract: An electric machine may employ a distributed bearing, for example spaced radially outwardly of a longitudinal center of a rotor and stator assembly. The distributed bearing may take the form of a wire race bearing, which positions a rotor assembly relative to a stator assembly to maintain an air gap therebetween. The rotor assembly may be concentrically located within the stator assembly. Electrically insulative fasteners may couple a race assembly to the stator or rotor assembly. Compensation fastener assemblies may couple the wire race assembly to the rotor or stator assembly, to compensate for differential expansion for instance thermal differential expansion along a longitudinal axis of the electric machine. The electric machines may be arranged in series, for example with drive shafts arranged along a common axis, and may be coupled to the same source of motion (e.g., propeller of wind turbine, without or with a gear box).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Gale Ritchey, Daryl Anton Wagner
  • Patent number: 9584056
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Ritchey
  • Patent number: 9379552
    Abstract: An electric power generation system is provided, including a generator having a plurality of stages engaged by a prime mover; and a plurality of branches for connecting the stages to an electrical load, each of the branches having a switch for connecting or disconnecting the branch to the stages. Power from a prime mover, such as a turbine, is sent by a controller to one or more of the branches as appropriate to handle the power level generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Ritchey, Edwin Nowicki, Richerd Chan
  • Publication number: 20140347903
    Abstract: One or more variable configuration controller (VCC) systems may produce various combinations of series or parallel couplings of coils, winding or inductive elements of an electric machine such as a generator and/or electric motor. The VCC systems include a plurality of bridge rectifiers, and a first number of switches operated to selectively couple respective pairs of coils in series from parallel on an AC side of the bridge rectifiers. The bridge rectifiers provide for automatic electrical isolation of coils on occurrence of open circuit, low voltage or short circuit conditions. A second number of switches with different performance characteristics (e.g., speed, loss) than the first number of switches may be coupled in parallel with respective ones of the first number of switches. Power factor correction may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Gale Ritchey, Mitchell Gordon Burton, Ryan Biffard
  • Publication number: 20140252922
    Abstract: An electric machine may employ a distributed bearing, for example spaced radially outwardly of a longitudinal center of a rotor and stator assembly. The distributed bearing may take the form of a wire race bearing, which positions a rotor assembly relative to a stator assembly to maintain an air gap therebetween. The rotor assembly may be concentrically located within the stator assembly. Electrically insulative fasteners may couple a race assembly to the stator or rotor assembly. Compensation fastener assemblies may couple the wire race assembly to the rotor or stator assembly, to compensate for differential expansion for instance thermal differential expansion along a longitudinal axis of the electric machine. The electric machines may be arranged in series, for example with drive shafts arranged along a common axis, and may be coupled to the same source of motion (e.g., propeller of wind turbine, without or with a gear box).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Gale Ritchey, Daryl Anton Wagner
  • Publication number: 20140167708
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Exro Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Ritchey
  • Publication number: 20140091661
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a drive shaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the drive shaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the drive shaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. A stator array on the stator has an array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the drive shaft. The rotors each have an array of magnets which are circumferentially equally spaced around the rotor and located at the same radially spacing with respect to the centre of the rotor and the drive shaft at a first angular orientation relative to the drive shaft. The arrays of magnets on adjacent rotors are off-set by an angular offset relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Gale Ritchey
  • Patent number: 8614529
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a drive shaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the drive shaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the drive shaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. A stator array on the stator has an array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the drive shaft. The rotors each have an array of magnets which are circumferentially equally spaced around the rotor and located at the same radially spacing with respect to the centre of the rotor and the drive shaft at a first angular orientation relative to the drive shaft. The arrays of magnets on adjacent rotors are off-set by an angular offset relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Exro Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Gale Ritchey
  • Publication number: 20130249502
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Ritchey
  • Publication number: 20120306302
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a drive shaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the drive shaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the drive shaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. A stator array on the stator has an array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the drive shaft. The rotors each have an array of magnets which are circumferentially equally spaced around the rotor and located at the same radially spacing with respect to the centre of the rotor and the drive shaft at a first angular orientation relative to the drive shaft. The arrays of magnets on adjacent rotors are off-set by an angular offset relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Gale Ritchey
  • Publication number: 20120229060
    Abstract: One or more variable configuration controller (VCC) systems may produce various combinations of series or parallel couplings of coils, winding or inductive elements of an electric machine such as a generator and/or electric motor. The VCC systems include a plurality of bridge rectifiers, and a first number of switches operated to selectively couple respective pairs of coils in series from parallel on an AC side of the bridge rectifiers. The bridge rectifiers provide for automatic electrical isolation of coils on occurrence of open circuit, low voltage or short circuit conditions. A second number of switches with different performance characteristics (e.g., speed, loss) than the first number of switches may be coupled in parallel with respective ones of the first number of switches. Power factor correction may be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Gale Ritchey, Mitchell Gordon Burton, Ryan Biffard
  • Patent number: 8212445
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a drive shaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the drive shaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the drive shaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. A stator array on the stator has an array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the drive shaft. The rotors each have an array of magnets which are circumferentially equally spaced around the rotor and located at the same radially spacing with respect to the centre of the rotor and the drive shaft at a first angular orientation relative to the drive shaft. The arrays of magnets on adjacent rotors are off-set by an angular offset relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Gale Ritchey
  • Publication number: 20120153757
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: EXRO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Jonathan Ritchey
  • Patent number: 8106563
    Abstract: A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a driveshaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the driveshaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the driveshaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. The stator has an aperture through which the driveshaft is rotatably journalled. A stator array on the stator has an equally circumferentially spaced-apart array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the driveshaft. The rotors and the stator lie in substantially parallel planes. The first and second rotors have, respectively, first and second rotor arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Exro Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Ritchey