Patents by Inventor Alfredo Sebastian Achilles

Alfredo Sebastian Achilles has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11901735
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power system having at least one inverter-based resource connected to an electrical grid includes monitoring, via at least one controller of the at least one inverter-based resource, one or more command signals issued by a system-level controller. The method also includes determining, via the at least one controller of the at least one inverter-based resource, whether the one or more command signals issued by the system-level controller includes oscillatory behavior characteristic of an instability. In response to determining that the one or more command signals issued by the system-level controller includes oscillatory behavior characteristic of the instability, the method includes reducing one or more gains of a volt-var regulator of the system-level controller to reduce the instability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Sudipta Dutta, Randal Voges, Enno Ubben
  • Patent number: 11894681
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for damping power system oscillations in a power system network having one or more local inverter-based generators within a plant, the plant connected to a grid at a point of intersection (POI). The system and method include a plant-level controller or local controller that receives one or more grid signals having a characteristic indicative of a power system oscillation. The plant-level controller or local controller generates an auxiliary signal from the grid signals that is used by the local controller of the inverter-based generators. At the local controller, the auxiliary signal is used to modulate reactive power output from the inverter-based generator to change a voltage at the POI, the voltage change damping the power system oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Bishnu Sapkota, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Il-Do Yoo
  • Patent number: 11870251
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a power generating system having a power generating subsystem connected to a point of interconnection (POI). A first and a second data signal are obtained corresponding to a feedback signal of an electrical parameter regulated at the POI, the second data signal having a signal fidelity that is higher than that of the first data signal. A correlation value between the first and second data signals is obtained by filtering a value difference between the first and second data signals and is applied to a setpoint value for the electrical parameter regulated at the POI. The modified setpoint value and the second data signal are combined to generate a setpoint command for the power generating subsystem that is used for controlling generation of power at the power generating subsystem to regulate the electrical parameter at the POI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Hammel Hart, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Randal Voges
  • Patent number: 11870386
    Abstract: The system and method described herein provide control for a power generating asset having a double-fed generator connected to an electrical grid. Accordingly, a non-deliverable component and a deliverable component of a total power output of a generator of the power generating asset is determined via a controller. A compensation module of the controller then determines a first control signal based, at least in part, on the non-deliverable component. The first control signal is configured to establish a modified rotor current setpoint. Additionally, a buffer module of the controller then determines a buffer control signal for a DC energy buffer based, at least in part, on the non-deliverable component. The DC energy buffer is operably coupled between a line-side converter and a rotor-side converter of a power converter of the power generating asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles
  • Patent number: 11715958
    Abstract: A method for controlling an inverter-based resource (IBR) having a power converter connected to an electrical grid includes receiving a first power limit signal for the IBR from an external controller, receiving a second power limit signal for the IBR, and determining a constrained power limit signal based on the first and second power limit signals. The method also includes applying a first frequency droop function to the constrained power limit signal and determining at least one of a power reference signal or a pitch reference signal for the IBR as a function of an output of the first frequency droop function and the constrained power limit signal. Further, the method includes determining one or more control commands for the IBR based on at least one of the power reference signal or the pitch reference signal and controlling the IBR based on the control command(s) so as to support a grid frequency of the electrical grid within power available at the IBR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles
  • Publication number: 20230128865
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power system having at least one inverter-based resource connected to an electrical grid includes monitoring, via at least one controller of the at least one inverter-based resource, one or more command signals issued by a system-level controller. The method also includes determining, via the at least one controller of the at least one inverter-based resource, whether the one or more command signals issued by the system-level controller includes oscillatory behavior characteristic of an instability. In response to determining that the one or more command signals issued by the system-level controller includes oscillatory behavior characteristic of the instability, the method includes reducing one or more gains of a volt-var regulator of the system-level controller to reduce the instability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Sudipta Dutta, Randal Voges, Enno Ubben
  • Publication number: 20230122027
    Abstract: The system and method described herein provide control for a power generating asset having a double-fed generator connected to an electrical grid. Accordingly, a non-deliverable component and a deliverable component of a total power output of a generator of the power generating asset is determined via a controller. A compensation module of the controller then determines a first control signal based, at least in part, on the non-deliverable component. The first control signal is configured to establish a modified rotor current setpoint. Additionally, a buffer module of the controller then determines a buffer control signal for a DC energy buffer based, at least in part, on the non-deliverable component. The DC energy buffer is operably coupled between a line-side converter and a rotor-side converter of a power converter of the power generating asset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles
  • Publication number: 20230104828
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for damping power system oscillations in a power system network having one or more local inverter-based generators within a plant, the plant connected to a grid at a point of intersection (POI). The system and method include a plant-level controller or local controller that receives one or more grid signals having a characteristic indicative of a power system oscillation. The plant-level controller or local controller generates an auxiliary signal from the grid signals that is used by the local controller of the inverter-based generators. At the local controller, the auxiliary signal is used to modulate reactive power output from the inverter-based generator to change a voltage at the POI, the voltage change damping the power system oscillations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Bishnu Sapkota, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Il-do Yoo
  • Publication number: 20230045585
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a power generating system having at least one power generating subsystem connected to a point of interconnection (POI). A first data signal is obtained corresponding to a feedback signal of an electrical parameter regulated at the POI, the first data signal having a first signal fidelity. A second data signal indicative of the electrical parameter generated at the power generating subsystem is obtained, the second data signal having a second signal fidelity that is higher than the first signal fidelity. A correlation value between the first and second data signals is obtained by filtering a value difference between the first and second data signals. The correlation value is applied to a setpoint value for the electrical parameter regulated at the POI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Patrick Hammel Hart, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Randal Voges
  • Publication number: 20230031575
    Abstract: A method for controlling an inverter-based resource (IBR) having a power converter connected to an electrical grid includes receiving a first power limit signal for the IBR from an external controller, receiving a second power limit signal for the IBR, and determining a constrained power limit signal based on the first and second power limit signals. The method also includes applying a first frequency droop function to the constrained power limit signal and determining at least one of a power reference signal or a pitch reference signal for the IBR as a function of an output of the first frequency droop function and the constrained power limit signal. Further, the method includes determining one or more control commands for the IBR based on at least one of the power reference signal or the pitch reference signal and controlling the IBR based on the control command(s) so as to support a grid frequency of the electrical grid within power available at the IBR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles
  • Patent number: 11569769
    Abstract: A method for operating a power generation system having a drivetrain connected to an electrical grid during one or more grid transient events includes receiving an indication of the one or more grid transient events occurring in the electrical grid. The method also includes selecting between a first set of drivetrain damping control settings or a different, set second set of drivetrain damping control settings based on the indication. The first set of drivetrain damping control settings is for handling a single, first grid transient event, whereas the second set of drivetrain damping control settings is for handling additional, subsequent grid transient events following the first transient event. The method also includes controlling the power generation system based on the selected first or second sets of the drivetrain damping control settings such that the power generation system can remain connected to the electrical grid during the grid transient event(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Miriam Monros Garrigosa, Nithya Anand
  • Patent number: 11552476
    Abstract: A method for controlling an inverter-based resource (IBR) connected to an electrical grid includes receiving grid parameter(s) and applying a droop function to the grid parameter(s) to determine a power droop signal. Further, the method includes receiving a power reference signal. Moreover, the method includes determining a power command signal as a function of the power droop signal and the power reference signal to allow for a fast response in a power output of the IBR to the grid parameter(s). The method also includes applying power constraint(s) to the power command signal to limit how much the power output of the IBR can be changed due to the grid parameter(s). Further, the method includes determining one or more control commands for the IBR based, at least in part, on the power command signal. Thus, the method includes controlling the IBR based, at least in part, on the power command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Dustin Howard, Ling Xu
  • Publication number: 20220333575
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, via one or more turbine-level controllers, an indication of at least one of a communication loss between the one or more turbine-level controllers and a farm-level controller, a detection of an absence of reactive power regulation by the farm-level controller, or a reactive power command of the farm-level controller being equal to or above a saturation threshold during transitioning between a baseline operational mode and reactive power mode, the reactive power mode being characterized in that only reactive power is generate. Upon receipt of the indication, the method includes adjusting a reactive power response of one or more reactive power regulators of the one or more turbine-level controllers so as to avoid an overshoot reactive power event or an undershoot reactive power event at the point of interconnection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Fernando Arturo Ramirez Sanchez, Andreu Casal Vilana, Igor Berroteran
  • Patent number: 11444461
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power system includes generating, via at least one inverter-based resource, one or more command signals via a regulator of at least one inverter-based resource of the power system. Further, the method includes dynamically estimating, via the at least one inverter-based resource, a reactive power capability of the at least one inverter-based resource based, at least in part, on the one or more command signals. Further, the method includes sending, via the at least one inverter-based resource, the reactive power capability to the system-level controller. Thus, the method includes controlling the power system based on the reactive power capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles
  • Patent number: 11342748
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improved anomaly detection for rotating machines. An example method may include determining that power generation is to be performed based on a voltage instead of a power factor; receiving a command voltage; receiving a measured voltage value from a first location in a power generation network; determining that the measured voltage value from the first location is less than the command voltage value; determining that a current value associated with a transmission line at the third location is less than a threshold current value; determining that a reactive power of a power generation component at a third location is less than a maximum reactive power of the component; and increasing, based on the determination that the reactive power of the component at the third location is less than a maximum reactive power of the component, the reactive power of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Paul Joseph Datka, Hongbiao Song, John Douglas McDonald, Viswanath Kunapuli, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Naresh Acharya, Yingying Wang
  • Publication number: 20220077797
    Abstract: A method for operating a power generation system having a drivetrain connected to an electrical grid during one or more grid transient events includes receiving an indication of the one or more grid transient events occurring in the electrical grid. The method also includes selecting between a first set of drivetrain damping control settings or a different, set second set of drivetrain damping control settings based on the indication. The first set of drivetrain damping control settings is for handling a single, first grid transient event, whereas the second set of drivetrain damping control settings is for handling additional, subsequent grid transient events following the first transient event. The method also includes controlling the power generation system based on the selected first or second sets of the drivetrain damping control settings such that the power generation system can remain connected to the electrical grid during the grid transient event(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Miriam Monros Garrigosa, Nithya Anand
  • Publication number: 20220077683
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improved anomaly detection for rotating machines. An example method may include determining that power generation is to be performed based on a voltage instead of a power factor; receiving a command voltage; receiving a measured voltage value from a first location in a power generation network; determining that the measured voltage value from the first location is less than the command voltage value; determining that a current value associated with a transmission line at the third location is less than a threshold current value; determining that a reactive power of a power generation component at a third location is less than a maximum reactive power of the component; and increasing, based on the determination that the reactive power of the component at the third location is less than a maximum reactive power of the component, the reactive power of the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: Paul Joseph DATKA, Hongbiao SONG, John Douglas MCDONALD, Viswanath KUNAPULI, Alfredo Sebastian ACHILLES, Naresh ACHARYA, Yingying WANG
  • Publication number: 20210399550
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power system includes generating, via at least one inverter-based resource, one or more command signals via a regulator of at least one inverter-based resource of the power system. Further, the method includes dynamically estimating, via the at least one inverter-based resource, a reactive power capability of the at least one inverter-based resource based, at least in part, on the one or more command signals. Further, the method includes sending, via the at least one inverter-based resource, the reactive power capability to the system-level controller. Thus, the method includes controlling the power system based on the reactive power capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Dustin Howard, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles
  • Patent number: 11063441
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing or controlling resonance in wind turbine power systems are provided. In particular, a method for controlling a power system that includes a central master controller and one or more wind turbines electrically connected to a power grid through a point of interconnection can be provided, where each wind turbine includes a voltage regulator. The method can include receiving, by the controller, a signal from a sensor associated with wind turbines and determining, which wind turbines are operating in conditions indicative of a resonance condition in the wind turbine electrical power system based, at least in part, on the sensor signals. The method can also include generating one or more control signals based, at least in part, on a power requirement at the point of intersection and controlling an operational state of each of the voltage regulators based on the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Djan-Sampson, Einar Vaughn Larsen, Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Enno Ubben
  • Patent number: 11031784
    Abstract: A method for maintaining sufficient reactive current margin in a power system connected to a power grid includes receiving, via a power limiter system, a reactive current command and an upper reactive current limit for the power system. The method also includes determining, via the power limiter system, a reactive current margin signal as a function of the reactive current command and the upper reactive current limit. Further, the method includes generating, via the power limiter system, a power command signal based on the reactive current margin signal. Moreover, the method includes controlling, via a system controller, operation of the power system based at least partially on the power command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alfredo Sebastian Achilles, Einar Vaughn Larsen