Patents by Inventor Ranganathan Gurunathan

Ranganathan Gurunathan 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: 9597966
    Abstract: A method for charging electric vehicles includes receiving information regarding an electric vehicle. At least a portion of the information is received through a vehicle interface configured to place a battery of the electric vehicle into electrical communication with a fuel cell system. A charge is delivered from the fuel cell system to the battery of the electric vehicle through the vehicle interface without use of a direct current to alternating current (DC/AC) converter. The charge is delivered based at least in part on the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: K. R. Sridhar, Stuart Aaron, Arne Ballantine, Peter Light, Scott Reynolds, Ramesh Srinivasan, Ranganathan Gurunathan
  • Publication number: 20170077535
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments provide a hardware and software architecture enabling electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (“EIS”) to be performed on multiple electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells, at the same time without human interaction with the electrochemical devices and to use EIS to dynamically monitor the performance of a fuel cell system. Embodiment methods may include determining an impedance of a set of fuel cells using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, determining an ohmic polarization of the set of fuel cells from the impedance, determining a concentration polarization of the set of fuel cells from the impedance, comparing the ohmic polarization of the set of fuel cells to a first threshold, comparing the concentration polarization of the set of fuel cells to a second threshold, and initiating a corrective action when the ohmic polarization is above the first threshold or when the concentration polarization is below the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Karthick SUDHAN S, Bhavana GANESH, Abhishek DUDHMANDE, Ranganathan GURUNATHAN, Ian RUSSELL
  • Publication number: 20170005480
    Abstract: An electrical power system, including a fuel cell system having a plurality of fuel cell segments and an energy storage system electrically coupled to the fuel cell system. The energy storage system including a plurality of energy storage system technologies, an energy storage system direct current (DC) bus configured to electrically connect the plurality of energy storage system technologies to the fuel cell system, and an energy storage system technologies management system configured manage impedance of the energy storage system and electric coupling of the energy storage system and the fuel cell system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Arne BALLANTINE, Peter GROSS, Ranganathan GURUNATHAN, Prasad PMSVVSV, Carl COTTULI
  • Patent number: 9478985
    Abstract: A method of providing electrical power using a split bus configuration includes receiving a first direct current at a positive bus of a split bus, where the first direct current originates from a first fuel cell segment. A second direct current is received at a negative bus of the split bus, where the second direct current originates from a second fuel cell segment. A third direct current is also received at the split bus such that a combined direct current is formed including the first direct current, the second direct current, and the third direct current. The third direct current originates from an alternative direct current (DC) source. The combined direct current is provided to an inverter such that an alternating current is generated for a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Watson Ballantine, Ramesh Srinivasan, Stuart Aaron, Peter Light, Josh Richman, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Chad Pearson
  • Patent number: 9461320
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (“EIS”) to be performed on electrochemical devices, such as fuel cell stack segments, by power electronics connecting the electrochemical devices in parallel to a common load and/or bus. In an embodiment, the power electronics may compensate for any ripple generated during EIS such that no ripple is realized at the common load and/or bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Prasad Pmsvvsv, Anilkumar Vishnuvarjula
  • Patent number: 9362815
    Abstract: A method includes controlling multiple networked input-parallel/output-parallel inverters of a fuel cell system as a single inverter assembly by a master controller. A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell segments, a plurality of DC/DC converters and at least one DC/AC inverter, where an output of each of the plurality of the fuel cell segments is connected to a pair of DC/DC converters, and each of the pair DC/DC converters is connected to an opposite polarity bus being provided to the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ranganathan Gurunathan, Aisur Gopalakrishnan Vishal Anand, Ame Ballantine, Saravanakumar Narayanasamy, Kodali Venkata Narasimha Rao
  • Publication number: 20160087443
    Abstract: A method of providing power to a load, such as an IT load, includes generating an output power using at least one power module comprising at least one fuel cell segment, providing a first portion of the output power through a grid to an A-side power feed of the load, and providing a second portion of the output power to a B-side power feed of the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Muralidhara Ramakrishna Shyamavadhani, Chad Pearson, William Thayer, KR Sridhar
  • Publication number: 20160079613
    Abstract: An air-cooled electronics module is disclosed. The air-cooled electronics module includes a housing and a heat exchanger disposed within the housing and separating the housing into a first portion and a second portion. The air-cooled electronics module also includes one or more electronic components disposed within the first portion, and one or more additional electronic components disposed within the second portion. The air-cooled electronics module further includes at least one fan configured to blow air into the second portion. The air in the first portion is substantially stagnant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Ranganathan GURUNATHAN, Deepak BALAKRISHNAN, Rajkannu GOVINDAN, Navaneetha KRISHNAN, David TREVISAN, Arne BALLANTINE, Jessica MAHLER, Ross PARKER, Zachary ODENHEIMER, Gilbert RICHARDS
  • Patent number: 9214812
    Abstract: A method of providing power to a load, such as an IT load, includes generating an output power using at least one power module comprising at least one fuel cell segment, providing a first portion of the output power through a grid to an A-side power feed of the load, and providing a second portion of the output power to a B-side power feed of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Muralidhara Ramakrishna Shyamavadhani, Chad Pearson, William Thayer, KR Sridhar
  • Publication number: 20150298566
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes grid independent operation with DC microgrid capability. This fuel cell system has a capability of operation with and without the grid, and with DC micro-grid capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: Ramesh Srinivasan, Rajaram Swaminathan, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Arne Ballantine, James McElroy
  • Publication number: 20150288220
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable parallel control of multiple uninterruptable power modules (“UPMs”) connecting multiple power sources to a bus in parallel. A UPM may be comprised of at least one controller coupled to at least one inverter, and the UPM may be configured to convert the DC voltage output from a DC source to an AC voltage, such as an AC voltage suitable for output to an AC bus. A UPM may receive a power sharing command and control its at least one inverter based at least in part on the received power sharing command to output a voltage to a bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Ranganathan Gurunathan, Arne Ballantine, Prasad PMSVVSV, Carl Cottuli, Saravanakumar Narayanasamy, Badri Narayanan, Deepak Balakrishnan
  • Publication number: 20150228990
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (“EIS”) to be performed on electrochemical devices, such as fuel cell stack segments, by power electronics connecting the electrochemical devices in parallel to a common load and/or bus. In an embodiment, the power electronics may compensate for any ripple generated during EIS such that no ripple is realized at the common load and/or bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Arne BALLANTINE, Ranganathan GURUNATHAN, Prasad PMSVVSV, Anilkumar VISHNUVARJULA
  • Patent number: 9106098
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes grid independent operation with DC microgrid capability. This fuel cell system has a capability of operation with and without the grid, and with DC micro-grid capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ramesh Srinivasan, Rajaram Swaminathan, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Arne Ballantine, James McElroy
  • Patent number: 9059434
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack which includes a plurality of fuel cells contacted in series by a plurality of interconnect plates. At least two interconnect plates are contacted by a high-temperature bypass diode that is physically integrated in the fuel cell stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ranganathan Gurunathan, Arne Ballantine
  • Publication number: 20150130277
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for creating and operating a Direct Current (DC) micro-grid. A DC micro-grid may include power generators, energy storage devices, and loads coupled to a common DC bus. Power electronics devices may couple the power generators, energy storage devices, and loads to the common DC bus and provide power transfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Arne BALLANTINE, Chad PEARSON, Ranganathan GURUNATHAN, Prasad PMSVVSV, Alberto DORONZO
  • Patent number: 8970176
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for creating and operating a Direct Current (DC) micro-grid. A DC micro-grid may include power generators, energy storage devices, and loads coupled to a common DC bus. Power electronics devices may couple the power generators, energy storage devices, and loads to the common DC bus and provide power transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Arne Ballatine, Chad Pearson, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Prasad Pmsvvsv, Alberto Doronzo
  • Patent number: 8872392
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a direct current (DC) signal at an inverter control system from a bus. The inverter control system includes an inverter and an inverter controller. The received DC signal is compared to a reference value. Based at least in part on the comparison, the inverter controller determines whether to adjust a magnitude of the DC signal received through the bus. The DC signal is converted to an alternating current (AC) signal with the inverter, and the AC signal is provided to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Ranganathan Gurunathan, Ramesh Srinivasan, Saravana Kumar, Vishal Anand
  • Publication number: 20140049206
    Abstract: A method for charging electric vehicles includes receiving information regarding an electric vehicle. At least a portion of the information is received through a vehicle interface configured to place a battery of the electric vehicle into electrical communication with a fuel cell system. A charge is delivered from the fuel cell system to the battery of the electric vehicle through the vehicle interface without use of a direct current to alternating current (DC/AC) converter. The charge is delivered based at least in part on the information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: K.R. Sridhar, Stuart Aaron, Arne Ballantine, Peter Light, Scott Reynolds, Ramesh Srinivasan, Ranganathan Gurunathan
  • Publication number: 20140009003
    Abstract: Various embodiments enable the operation of fuel cell system support equipment using variable frequency drives and power from fuel cells and/or grid power sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Ranganathan Gurunathan, Chad Pearson, Rajesh Gopinath, Carl Cottuli, James Daniel Smith
  • Patent number: 8624549
    Abstract: A method for charging electric vehicles includes receiving information regarding an electric vehicle. At least a portion of the information is received through a vehicle interface configured to place a battery of the electric vehicle into electrical communication with a fuel cell system. A charge is delivered from the fuel cell system to the battery of the electric vehicle through the vehicle interface without use of a direct current to alternating current (DC/AC) converter. The charge is delivered based at least in part on the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
    Inventors: K. R. Sridhar, Stuart Aaron, Arne Ballantine, Peter Light, Scott Reynolds, Ramesh Srinivasan, Ranganathan Gurunathan