Patents by Inventor Avelino J. Gonzalez

Avelino J. Gonzalez 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: 5132920
    Abstract: The system of the present invention uses the importance of a piece of malfunctioning equipment, the severity and the confidence level in a diagnosis to determine repair priority of the equipment by obtaining the product (46) of the confidence level (CF), importance (IMP) and severity (SEV). The these variables are determined by expert system rules. The severity is the reciprocal (88) of the time to failure. The importance (44) is the cost to repair the maximum damage when the malfunction continues. A malfunction can affect several pieces of equipment in combination, the severity and importance associated with each piece is combined (70) with the confidence and used to determine the repair priority. When the diagnosis of a malfunction is by malfunctioning sensors, the expected equipment life (40) and the availability (86) of sensors that provide a partial backup are considered in prioritizing sensor as well as equipment repair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: James C. Bellows, Robert L. Osborne, Avelino J. Gonzalez, Christian T. Kemper
  • Patent number: 4792911
    Abstract: A conventional hydrogen-cooled electric generator having gland seals prevents the escape of hydrogen gas from the generator housing. A conventional seal oil system provides the gland seals with the necessary oil so as to perform their sealing function. Diagnostic apparatus is provided for the arrangement and includes a plurality of sensors which provide output signals indicative of certain parameters such as temperatures and pressures throughout the seal oil system. The output signals are provided to a diagnostic computer which, in a preferred embodiment, utilizes an expert system diagnostic routine for examining the sensor signals and deriving certain conclusions relative to the operating condition of the seal oil system. Various conclusions are additionally reached using operator-entered information from off-line sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Avelino J. Gonzalez, Kurt H. Steinebronn, Michael J. Rasinski, Owen R. Snuttjer
  • Patent number: 4698756
    Abstract: A diagnostic system for an electrical generator winding which has first and second passages for conduction of cooling gas. The temperature of the gas exiting the passages is determined and converted to a normalized value which may be either high, low or normal. A diagnostic computer determines the existence of predetermined combinations of high, low or normal for the two readings and these predetermined combinations are utilized by the computer which generates respective confidence factors in the existence of certain abnormal generator conditions such as open conductors, broken or blocked cooling gas passages, and sensor malfunctions, by way of example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Avelino J. Gonzalez, Franklin J. Murphy, Franklin T. Emery, Perry A. Weyant, William G. Craig