Patents by Inventor Benedikt Kuenzel

Benedikt Kuenzel 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: 9225230
    Abstract: A method and device to discharge a filter capacitance at the output of an inverter for feeding electrical power from a generation unit into a grid via a grid connect switch is disclosed. The grid connect switch has a generation unit side and a grid side, and via AC grid terminals on the grid side of the grid connect switch, the filter capacitance is connected to at least one of the AC grid terminals. A voltage applied across the filter capacitance is rectified independent of a polarity thereof, and a rectified voltage of a fixed polarity is provided, and a DC voltage link of a power supply unit for supplying power to circuitry of the inverter is charged with this rectified voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Benedikt Kuenzel, Carsten Ewig, Henrik Wolf, Sven Bremicker
  • Patent number: 8717038
    Abstract: A wiring testing device configured to test the wiring correctness of an inverter is disclosed. The inverter is configured to be connected to a low-voltage three-phase system with a neutral conductor serving as a reference point for grid-side conductor voltages. The wiring testing device includes a test circuit configured to measure the grid-side conductor voltages and determine an average value from the sum of the instantaneous values of the grid-side conductor voltages, and a display unit configured to display an error message if the average value exceeds a threshold voltage for a defined time period. The wiring testing device further includes a capacitor connected between a phase of the three-phase system and the neutral conductor configured to generate a voltage imbalance if the neutral conductor connection is missing, wherein the test circuit is configured to measure the conductor voltages and determine the voltage imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Uwe Stickelmann, Christian Bode, Benedikt Kuenzel, Henrik Wolf
  • Publication number: 20120081938
    Abstract: A method and device to discharge a filter capacitance at the output of an inverter for feeding electrical power from a generation unit into a grid via a grid connect switch is disclosed. The grid connect switch has a generation unit side and a grid side, and via AC grid terminals on the grid side of the grid connect switch, the filter capacitance is connected to at least one of the AC grid terminals. A voltage applied across the filter capacitance is rectified independent of a polarity thereof, and a rectified voltage of a fixed polarity is provided, and a DC voltage link of a power supply unit for supplying power to circuitry of the inverter is charged with this rectified voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Applicant: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Benedikt Kuenzel, Carsten Ewig, Henrik Wolf, Sven Bremicker
  • Publication number: 20120074953
    Abstract: A wiring testing device configured to test the wiring correctness of an inverter is disclosed. The inverter is configured to be connected to a low-voltage three-phase system with a neutral conductor serving as a reference point for grid-side conductor voltages. The wiring testing device includes a test circuit configured to measure the grid-side conductor voltages and determine an average value from the sum of the instantaneous values of the grid-side conductor voltages, and a display unit configured to display an error message if the average value exceeds a threshold voltage for a defined time period. The wiring testing device further includes a capacitor connected between a phase of the three-phase system and the neutral conductor configured to generate a voltage imbalance if the neutral conductor connection is missing, wherein the test circuit is configured to measure the conductor voltages and determine the voltage imbalance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Uwe Stickelmann, Christian Bode, Benedikt Kuenzel, Henrik Wolf