Patents by Inventor Franz Zurfluh

Franz Zurfluh 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: 9557350
    Abstract: An arrangement for measuring a current with a Rogowski type current transducer and transducer electronics. The current transducer has a primary conductor winding for carrying the rated current to be measured, and a secondary conductor winding. The secondary conductor winding adapted to induce a voltage signal VS? between a pair of second terminals. The current transducer having a third conductor winding adapted to receive a calibration current signal. The voltage signal VS? contains a coil sensitivity S and is a superposition of a rated current voltage signal and an additional calibration signal. The transducer electronics being adapted to amplify both the current voltage signal and the calibration signal in the same amplifier and divide the amplified current voltage signal by that part of the amplified calibration signal that contains the coil sensitivity and the gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Joris Pascal, Franz Zurfluh
  • Patent number: 9507006
    Abstract: An exemplary method for calibrating a current transducer of the Rogowski type including a Rogowski coil sensor and an electronic device is performed by determining and correcting the sensitivity of the current transducer of the Rogowski type through the measurement of the self-inductance LRCCT of the coil using the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Joris Pascal, Rolf Disselnkötter, Franz Zurfluh, Bernhard Deck
  • Patent number: 9039279
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for monitoring in real time the operating state of an IGBT device, to determine a junction temperature and/or the remaining lifetime of an IGBT device. The system includes a differential unit configured to receive a gate-emitter voltage characteristic of the IGBT device to be measured and to differentiate the gate-emitter voltage characteristic to obtain pulses correlating with edges formed by a Miller plateau phase during a switch-off phase of the IGBT device. The system also includes a timer unit configured to measure the time delay between the obtained pulses indicating the start and end of the Miller plateau phase during the switch-off phase of the IGBT device, and a junction temperature calculation unit configured to determine at least one of the junction temperature of the IGBT device and/or the remaining lifetime of the IGBT device based on the measured time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Vinoth Sundaramoorthy, Alexander Heinemann, Enea Bianda, Franz Zurfluh, Gerold Knapp, Iulian Nistor, Richard Bloch
  • Publication number: 20150028850
    Abstract: An exemplary method for calibrating a current transducer of the Rogowski type including a Rogowski coil sensor and an electronic device is performed by determining and correcting the sensitivity of the current transducer of the Rogowski type through the measurement of the self-inductance LRCCT of the coil using the electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Joris PASCAL, Rolf DISSELNKÖTTER, Franz ZURFLUH, Bernhard DECK
  • Publication number: 20150028853
    Abstract: An arrangement for measuring a current with a Rogowski type current transducer and transducer electronics. The current transducer has a primary conductor winding for carrying the rated current to be measured, and a secondary conductor winding. The secondary conductor winding adapted to induce a voltage signal VS? between a pair of second terminals. The current transducer having a third conductor winding adapted to receive a calibration current signal. The voltage signal VS? contains a coil sensitivity S and is a superposition of a rated current voltage signal and an additional calibration signal. The transducer electronics being adapted to amplify both the current voltage signal and the calibration signal in the same amplifier and divide the amplified current voltage signal by that part of the amplified calibration signal that contains the coil sensitivity and the gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Joris PASCAL, Franz Zurfluh
  • Patent number: 8222845
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a rotating electric machine, wherein the rotating electric machine is connected by phases to a converter circuit having a direct-current circuit for switching at least two voltage levels, and the phases of the converter circuit are connected to the direct-current circuit according to a selected switch state combination of switch states of power semi-conductor switches of the converter circuit. Exemplary embodiments can reduce the switching frequency of the power semi-conductor switches, based on a prediction of further behavior of the overall system, and selection of an optimum switching state combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Georgios Papafotiou, Franz Zurfluh
  • Patent number: 8050053
    Abstract: The electronic circuit arrangement for controlling a process device comprises a process interface circuitry and a processing circuitry, wherein the process interface circuitry is designed for receiving process signals from the process device and converting the process signals into converted signals and/or digital data, which converted signals and/or digital data are transmitted to the processing circuitry, and wherein the processing circuitry is designed for processing the converted signals and/or digital data and for outputting processed signals and/or digital data, which processed signals and/or digital data are transmitted to the process interface circuitry, and wherein the process interface circuitry is designed for converting the processed signals and/or digital data into control signals, which control signals are transmitted to the process device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Bernhard Deck, Ernst Johansen, Bernhard Loher, Franz Zurfluh, Hans-Peter Zueger, Paul Rudolf
  • Publication number: 20100253269
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a rotating electric machine, wherein the rotating electric machine is connected by phases to a converter circuit having a direct-current circuit for switching at least two voltage levels, and the phases of the converter circuit are connected to the direct-current circuit according to a selected switch state combination of switch states of power semi-conductor switches of the converter circuit. Exemplary embodiments can reduce the switching frequency of the power semi-conductor switches, based on a prediction of further behavior of the overall system, and selection of an optimum switching state combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Georgios PAPAFOTIOU, Franz Zurfluh
  • Publication number: 20080089042
    Abstract: The electronic circuit arrangement (30) for controlling a process device (40) comprises a process interface circuitry (1) and a processing circuitry (2), wherein the process interface circuitry (1) is designed for receiving process signals from the process device (40) and converting the process signals into converted signals and/or digital data, which converted signals and/or digital so data are transmitted to the processing circuitry (2), and wherein the processing circuitry (2) is designed for processing the converted signals and/or digital data and for outputting processed signals and/or digital data, which processed signals and/or digital data are transmitted to the process interface circuitry (1), and wherein the process interface circuitry (1) is designed for converting the processed signals and/or digital data into control signals, which control signals are transmitted to the process device (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Bernhard Deck, Ernst Johansen, Bernhard Loher, Franz Zurfluh, Hans-Peter Zueger, Paul Rudolf
  • Patent number: 7319922
    Abstract: A protective device for an electrical power distribution network has: means for processing measured values from measurement appliances for the power distribution network, means for initiating switching commands by means of primary appliances for the power distribution network, as well as a programmable protective function which, when it is carried out, determines the switching commands on the basis of the measured values. In this case, the protective device has programmable logic, which can be programmed in order to carry out the protective function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Bernhard Deck, Franz Zurfluh, Michael Stanimirov
  • Publication number: 20040169984
    Abstract: A protective device (1) for an electrical power distribution network has: means for processing measured values (14) from measurement appliances (3,4) for the power distribution network, means for initiating switching commands (16) by means of primary appliances (2) for the power distribution network, as well as a programmable protective function which, when it is carried out, determines the switching commands on the basis of the measured values. In this case, the protective device (1) has programmable logic (13), which can be programmed in order to carry out the protective function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernhard Deck, Franz Zurfluh, Michael Stanimirov