Patents by Inventor Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller

Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller 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: 11664715
    Abstract: A power electronics assembly for a power generation system includes a housing and an attenuator card positioned within the housing. The attenuator card may include at least one printed circuit board for a high-voltage attenuator circuit. The power electronics assembly also includes a potting material at least partially filling the housing on one or more sides of the attenuator card, a detachable end cap positioned at a first end of the housing, and multi-phase wiring communicatively coupled to the high-voltage attenuator circuit through the end cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Springer Harrison, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller, Stephen D. Nash, Robert Gregory Wagoner
  • Publication number: 20210152059
    Abstract: A power electronics assembly for a power generation system includes a housing and an attenuator card positioned within the housing. The attenuator card may include at least one printed circuit board for a high-voltage attenuator circuit. The power electronics assembly also includes a potting material at least partially filling the housing on one or more sides of the attenuator card, a detachable end cap positioned at a first end of the housing, and multi-phase wiring communicatively coupled to the high-voltage attenuator circuit through the end cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: John Springer Harrison, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller, Stephen D. Nash, Robert Gregory Wagoner
  • Patent number: 10615727
    Abstract: A power converter assembly for an electrical power system connected to a power grid includes a rotor-side converter configured for coupling to a generator rotor of a generator of the electrical power system, a line-side converter electrically coupled to rotor-side converter via a DC link, and a dynamic brake assembly electrically coupled to the DC link. The line-side converter is configured for coupling to the power grid. The dynamic brake assembly includes a plurality of switching devices connected in parallel and a plurality of inductors electrically coupled between the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, Cornelius Edward Holliday, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller, David Smith
  • Publication number: 20200067437
    Abstract: A power converter assembly for an electrical power system connected to a power grid includes a rotor-side converter configured for coupling to a generator rotor of a generator of the electrical power system, a line-side converter electrically coupled to rotor-side converter via a DC link, and a dynamic brake assembly electrically coupled to the DC link. The line-side converter is configured for coupling to the power grid. The dynamic brake assembly includes a plurality of switching devices connected in parallel and a plurality of inductors electrically coupled between the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, Cornelius Edward Holliday, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller, David Smith
  • Patent number: 9621088
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for reducing ice or condensation that forms on a power component of a wind turbine during a power outage. The method includes determining an ambient temperature near the power component; providing one or more parameters of the power component; determining a down time of the power component for the power outage; determining a wait time for the power component to stay offline as a function of the ambient temperature, the one or more parameters, and the down time of the power component; and, heating the power component for the wait time before supplying power to the power component such that a surface temperature of the power component is raised above the ambient temperature. As such, the method prevents the power component from being energized when condensation or ice may be present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller, Steven Wade Sutherland
  • Patent number: 9562950
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an automated apparatus and method for testing a crowbar circuit of power converter. The crowbar circuit includes an anti-parallel diode and a voltage-controlled switching element, e.g. a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR). The method includes implementing a first test sequence for testing operability of the diode and a second test sequence for testing operability of the voltage-controlled switching element. More specifically, the first test sequence determines a first current-voltage feedback that is indicative of the operability of the diode and the second test sequence determines a second current-voltage feedback that is indicative of the operability of the voltage-controlled switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Igor Berroteran Gil, Anthony Michael Klodowski, David Smith, Robert Allen Seymour, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller
  • Patent number: 9455568
    Abstract: Renewable energy power systems, DC to DC converters, and methods for operating energy storage systems are provided. A system includes a power converter having a DC bus, and an energy storage system coupled to the DC bus of the power converter. The energy storage system includes an energy storage device and a switching power supply coupled between the energy storage device and the DC bus of the power converter. The switching power supply includes a plurality of switching elements, and an energy storage device protection circuit coupled between the plurality of switching elements and the energy storage device, the energy storage device protection circuit including a solid state switch. The switching power supply further includes a fuse coupled to the energy storage device protection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, Anthony Michael Klodowski, Steven Wade Sutherland, Rafael Ignacio Bedia, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller
  • Publication number: 20150309123
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an automated apparatus and method for testing a crowbar circuit of power converter. The crowbar circuit includes an anti-parallel diode and a voltage-controlled switching element, e.g. a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR). The method includes implementing a first test sequence for testing operability of the diode and a second test sequence for testing operability of the voltage-controlled switching element. More specifically, the first test sequence determines a first current-voltage feedback that is indicative of the operability of the diode and the second test sequence determines a second current-voltage feedback that is indicative of the operability of the voltage-controlled switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Igor Berroteran Gil, Anthony Michael Klodowski, David Smith, Robert Allen Seymour, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller
  • Publication number: 20150295398
    Abstract: Renewable energy power systems, DC to DC converters, and methods for operating energy storage systems are provided. A system includes a power converter having a DC bus, and an energy storage system coupled to the DC bus of the power converter. The energy storage system includes an energy storage device and a switching power supply coupled between the energy storage device and the DC bus of the power converter. The switching power supply includes a plurality of switching elements, and an energy storage device protection circuit coupled between the plurality of switching elements and the energy storage device, the energy storage device protection circuit including a solid state switch. The switching power supply further includes a fuse coupled to the energy storage device protection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, Anthony Michael Klodowski, Steven Wade Sutherland, Rafael Ignacio Bedia, Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller
  • Publication number: 20150244297
    Abstract: The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for reducing ice or condensation that forms on a power component of a wind turbine during a power outage. The method includes determining an ambient temperature near the power component; providing one or more parameters of the power component; determining a down time of the power component for the power outage; determining a wait time for the power component to stay offline as a function of the ambient temperature, the one or more parameters, and the down time of the power component; and, heating the power component for the wait time before supplying power to the power component such that a surface temperature of the power component is raised above the ambient temperature. As such, the method prevents the power component from being energized when condensation or ice may be present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Benjamin Arthur Niemoeller, Steven Wade Sutherland