Patents by Inventor Makan Chen
Makan Chen 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).
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Patent number: 8050054Abstract: A base plate for a heat sink comprises a cooling plate and spacer elements, which are arranged on the surface of the cooling plate. The spacer elements and the cooling plate are made as one piece and the material in the surface region of the cooling plate and of the spacer elements being the same and formed in the same process.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2007Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: ABB Technology AGInventors: Makan Chen, Daniel Schneider, Raymond Zehringer
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Publication number: 20080291640Abstract: A base plate for a heat sink comprises a cooling plate and spacer elements, which are arranged on the surface of the cooling plate. The spacer elements and the cooling plate are made as one piece and the material in the surface region of the cooling plate and of the spacer elements being the same and formed in the same process.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2007Publication date: November 27, 2008Applicant: ABB Technology AGInventors: Makan Chen, Daniel Schneider, Raymond Zehringer
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Patent number: 6900718Abstract: The present invention relates to a resistive superconducting current limiter with a meandering shape. This current limiter avoids current density peaks at the turning points (12) or corners of the conductor track (10, 11) in that the central path of the fault current when limiting occurs is artificially increased by appropriate design of the turning points. For this purpose, conductor material is removed in the region of the inner edge of the turning points (13), or the electrical bypass is reinforced at its outer edge (14).Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2002Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: ABB Research LTDInventors: Makan Chen, Willi Paul, Martin Lakner, Jakob Rhyner
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Patent number: 6819536Abstract: The invention is concerned with a resistive fault current limiter (FCL) based on thin superconducting films. The FCL comprises constrictions (2) with a reduced critical current, separated by connecting paths (3). Upon occurrence of a fault current, the former turn resistive simultaneously and build up a resistance which allows the applied voltage to drop entirely only over the constrictions. Only at a later stage, the connecting paths become resistive and dissipate energy. The thickness and width of an electrical bypass determine said normal resistivities of the constrictions and the connecting paths.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2003Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.Inventors: Makan Chen, Willi Paul, Michel Decroux, Louis Antognazza, Oystein Fischer
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Patent number: 6629426Abstract: In a superconducting current limiter 1, in the limiting state pressure waves which may damage the superconductor are produced as a result of the evaporation of cooling liquid. According to the invention, the current limiter is not immersed in a cooling liquid, but rather is brought into thermal contact with a cooling fluid 22 which does not undergo a phase transition at over the operating temperature and therefore does not evaporate in the limiting state. A refrigeration reservoir 21, which may be the condensed phase of a gaseous cooling fluid or a cryogenic cooler, determines the operating temperature of the current limiter. One advantage is that it is now possible for a plurality of plate-like current-limiter modules 10, 10′ of unlimited size to be arranged next to one another in the cooling fluid 22.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2001Date of Patent: October 7, 2003Assignee: ABB Research LtdInventors: Willi Paul, Martin Lakner, Makan Chen, Lise Donzel
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Publication number: 20030154734Abstract: In a superconducting current limiter 1, in the limiting state pressure waves which may damage the superconductor are produced as a result of the evaporation of cooling liquid. According to the invention, the current limiter is not immersed in a cooling liquid, but rather is brought into thermal contact with a cooling fluid 22 which does not undergo a phase transition at over the operating temperature and therefore does not evaporate in the limiting state. A refrigeration reservoir 21, which may be the condensed phase of a gaseous cooling fluid or a cryogenic cooler, determines the operating temperature of the current limiter. One advantage is that it is now possible for a plurality of plate-like current-limiter modules 10, 10′ of unlimited size to be arranged next to one another in the cooling fluid 22.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2001Publication date: August 21, 2003Inventors: Willi Paul, Martin Lakner, Makan Chen, Lise Donzel
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Publication number: 20030080849Abstract: The present invention relates to a resistive superconducting current limiter with a meandering shape. This current limiter avoids current density peaks at the turning points (12) or corners of the conductor track (10, 11) in that the central path of the fault current when limiting occurs is artificially increased by appropriate design of the turning points. For this purpose, conductor material is removed in the region of the inner edge of the turning points (13), or the electrical bypass is reinforced at its outer edge (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2002Publication date: May 1, 2003Inventors: Makan Chen, Willi Paul, Martin Lakner, Jakob Rhyner
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Patent number: 6552415Abstract: An electrically stabilized thin-film high-temperature superconductor includes a superconductive layer (32) applied over a flat metallic substrate (31) and connected to the metallic substrate (31) so that electrical contact between the superconductive layer (32) and the metallic substrate (31) is distributed over the area of the metallic substrate (31).Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2001Date of Patent: April 22, 2003Assignee: ABB Research LtdInventors: Willi Paul, Makan Chen
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Patent number: 6476706Abstract: On transition from the superconducting state to the normal conducting state, current limiters having a high-temperature superconductor increase their electrical resistance and thereby limit an electric current which is flowing through them. To provide electrical stabilization, the high-temperature superconductor is combined with a silver foil having a layer thickness of <50 &mgr;m to form an extensive composite conductor with good conductivity. The ratio of the layer thickness of the high-temperature superconductor to that of the silver foil should be >10. To produce this composite conductor, the silver sheet is placed on one side on a 2 mm thick MgO powder layer and, on the other side, is covered with a 600 &mgr;m thick so-called green sheet which contains a high-temperature superconductor powder and an organic binder.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2000Date of Patent: November 5, 2002Assignee: ABB Research LtdInventors: Makan Chen, Markus Hodis, Willi Paul
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Patent number: 6475958Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-temperature superconductor arrangement which is protected against hot spots. A contact-making layer 4 is provided between a superconductor layer 1 and an electrical bypass 2, which contact-making layer 4 has anisotropic electrical conductivity. This ensures a low contact resistance between the superconductor 1 and the bypass 2, without the admittance being increased in the main current flow direction 3. The said anisotropy is produced by discontinuities in the contact-making layer 4, for example by said contact-making layer 4 being broken down into areas 41 which are not connected to one another.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2000Date of Patent: November 5, 2002Assignee: ABB Research LtdInventors: Willi Paul, Makan Chen
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Patent number: 6440904Abstract: Ceramic high-temperature superconductors (1) which are intended to be used as current limiters in alternating-current lines should have a bypass layer (2) whose electrical resistivity is increased by more than 10 times with respect to that of a pure noble-metal bypass layer. In order to achieve this, the noble-metal bypass layer (2) of the high-temperature superconductor (1), preferably of silver, is alloyed with a base metal, preferably Pb or Bi or Ga, by a thermal treatment. The ratio of the bypass layer thickness (d2) of the noble-metal bypass layer (2) to the superconductor layer thickness (d1) is adjusted to <1/5. A base-metal bypass layer (3) of steel whose electrical resistivity is in the range between 10 &mgr;&OHgr;×cm and 100 &mgr;&OHgr;×cm at 77 K is soldered on or applied under isostatic pressure over the noble-metal-containing bypass layer (2).Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 1998Date of Patent: August 27, 2002Assignee: ABB Research LtdInventors: Makan Chen, Martin Lakner, Willi Paul
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Patent number: 6177856Abstract: On transition from the superconducting state to the normal conducting state, current limiters having a high-temperature superconductor increase their electrical resistance and thereby limit an electric current which is flowing through them. To provide electrical stabilization, the high-temperature superconductor is combined with a silver foil having a layer thickness of <50 &mgr;m to form an extensive composite conductor with good conductivity. The ratio of the layer thickness of the high-temperature superconductor to that of the silver foil should be >10. To produce this composite conductor, the silver sheet is placed on one side on a 2 mm thick MgO powder layer and, on the other side, is covered with a 600 &mgr;m thick so-called green sheet which contains a high-temperature superconductor powder and an organic binder.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1997Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.Inventors: Makan Chen, Markus Hoidis, Willi Paul