Patents by Inventor Ingo Kirchhoff

Ingo Kirchhoff 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: 7649470
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of spark activity in an electrical machine having a shaft, wherein at least one of the shaft voltage and the shaft current is measured and analyzed for components which are characteristic of spark activity. The method uses the shaft voltages and/or shaft currents which are normally generally regarded only as being damaging has been found to be accurate and to be suitable for long-term monitoring of spark activities such as brush sparking, spark erosion, spark flashovers between parts of the shaft bearings and can be implemented physically very easily and in a reliable manner, since the existing grounding devices are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff
  • Patent number: 7117744
    Abstract: A method for detecting vibrations of a shaft of an electrical machine includes measuring at least one of a shaft voltage and a shaft current and analyzing the measured at least one of the shaft voltage and the shaft current so as to determine the vibrations. In addition, an apparatus for detecting vibrations of a shaft of an electrical machine includes a first grounding device disposed at a first point on the shaft on a first side of the electrical machine and a second grounding device disposed at a second point of the shaft on a second side of the electrical machine. The second grounding device is configured to measure at least one of a shaft voltage and a shaft current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff, Zlatimir Posedel
  • Patent number: 7102379
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for monitoring and/or analysis of electrical machines during operation, wherein the electrical machine has at least one generator with a shaft and drive means for driving this shaft, wherein the shaft is grounded at the first end of the generator, and wherein a measurement unit for measurement of shaft voltage and/or shaft current as a function of time is provided on the shaft at the second end of the generator. An apparatus such as this allows the combined and simultaneous measurement of various fault states by supplying signals for the shaft voltage and/or the shaft current to an analysis unit, wherein the analysis unit allows combined and simultaneous analysis of at least two potential fault states of the electrical machine. Simultaneous cross-relationships between the individual measurement results of individual fault states may be provided so as to allow a clearer and more reliable diagnosis of critical states, not possible when individual phenomena are considered separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff, Zlatimir Posedel
  • Publication number: 20050200378
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for monitoring and/or analysis of electrical machines during operation, wherein the electrical machine has at least one generator with a shaft and drive means for driving this shaft, wherein the shaft is grounded at the first end of the generator, and wherein a measurement unit for measurement of shaft voltage and/or shaft current as a function of time is provided on the shaft at the second end of the generator. An apparatus such as this allows the combined and simultaneous measurement of various fault states by supplying signals for the shaft voltage and/or the shaft current to an analysis unit, wherein the analysis unit allows combined and simultaneous analysis of at least two potential fault states of the electrical machine. Simultaneous cross-relationships between the individual measurement results of individual fault states may be provided so as to allow a clearer and more reliable diagnosis of critical states, not possible when individual phenomena are considered separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff, Zlatimir Posedel
  • Publication number: 20050183504
    Abstract: A method for detecting vibrations of a shaft of an electrical machine includes measuring at least one of a shaft voltage and a shaft current and analyzing the measured at least one of the shaft voltage and the shaft current so as to determine the vibrations. In addition, an apparatus for detecting vibrations of a shaft of an electrical machine includes a first grounding device disposed at a first point on the shaft on a first side of the electrical machine and a second grounding device disposed at a second point of the shaft on a second side of the electrical machine. The second grounding device is configured to measure at least one of a shaft voltage and a shaft current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff, Zlatimir Posedel
  • Publication number: 20050184751
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of spark activity in an electrical machine having a shaft, wherein at least one of the shaft voltage and the shaft current is measured and analyzed for components which are characteristic of spark activity. The method uses the shaft voltages and/or shaft currents which are normally generally regarded only as being damaging has been found to be accurate and to be suitable for long-term monitoring of spark activities such as brush sparking, spark erosion, spark flashovers between parts of the shaft bearings and can be implemented physically very easily and in a reliable manner, since the existing grounding devices are used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Applicant: ALSTOM Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff
  • Patent number: 6924650
    Abstract: In a device for the investigation of components of a generator which border on a machine air gap (29) between stator and rotor (22), with the rotor (22) built in, by means of at least one moveable inspection probe (35), a simple, flexible and rapid mounting is ensured in that the device comprises a base unit (31) which can be secured to the rotor (22) on both sides, and which permits at least one inspection probe (35) to move in the machine air gap (29), both in an axial direction with respect to the generator axis and also in the circumferential direction of the machine air gap (29) over the whole circumference of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Haeusermann, Ingo Kirchhoff, Bernhard Mark, Peter Stutz
  • Patent number: 6815957
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a computer program for inspecting laminated iron cores (1) of electrical machines for interlamination shorts, in which the laminated iron core (1) is magnetized by means of an auxiliary winding, and the iron surface is scanned by means of at least one measurement coil arrangement (2) with a downstream measurement device. In this case, unique and quantifiable localization of interlamination shorts is achieved by using both the phase (8) and the amplitude (7) of the electrical signal which is induced in the at least one measurement coil arrangement (2), in combined form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Alstom (Switzerland) LTD
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff, Eric Nodwell, Zlatimir Posedel
  • Publication number: 20030057961
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a computer program for inspecting laminated iron cores (1) of electrical machines for interlamination shorts, in which the laminated iron core (1) is magnetized by means of an auxiliary winding, and the iron surface is scanned by means of at least one measurement coil arrangement (2) with a downstream measurement device. In this case, unique and quantifiable localization of interlamination shorts is achieved by using both the phase (8) and the amplitude (7) of the electrical signal which is induced in the at least one measurement coil arrangement (2), in combined form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Max Hobelsberger, Ingo Kirchhoff, Eric Nodwell, Zlatimir Posedel
  • Publication number: 20020135383
    Abstract: In a device for the investigation of components of a generator which border on a machine air gap (29) between stator and rotor (22), with the rotor (22) built in, by means of at least one movable inspection probe (35), a simple, flexible and rapid mounting is ensured in that the device comprises a base unit (31) which can be secured to the rotor (22) on both sides, and which permits at the least one inspection probe (35) to move in the machine air gap (29), both in an axial direction with respect to the generator axis and also in the circumferential direction of the machine air gap (29) over the whole circumference of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventors: Peter Haeusermann, Ingo Kirchhoff, Bernhard Mark, Peter Stutz