Patents by Inventor Vietson M. Nguyen

Vietson M. Nguyen 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: 9584039
    Abstract: A regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier employing a boost stage is disclosed herein. The regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier comprises a 12 pulse inductive current splitter/merger (CSM) system coupled to a boost stage. The boost stage may be regulated using a PWM controller. The regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier may further include a three phase input filter configured to regulate the harmonic content of the AC-DC hybrid converter within a desired limit. The regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier may further comprise a notch filter system configured to tune out harmonic ripples at known intervals, such as 11th and 13th order harmonics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9537307
    Abstract: An example, overvoltage protection device includes a switch and a surge protection device that is selectively activated by actuating the switch. The switch is actuated in response to a voltage. An example method of absorbing an overvoltage includes sensing a voltage, and selectively activating a surge protection device in response to the sensed voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: John Duward Sagona, Vietson M. Nguyen, Donal E. Baker, Randall Bax
  • Patent number: 9362844
    Abstract: A method of deriving synchronous switch currents for a three-phase Vienna-type active rectifier that includes the step of generating gate driver signals for each phase of the rectifier by pulse width modulation, wherein the gate driver signals include a top gate driver signal, a clamp gate driver signal and a bottom gate driver signal, and the step of deriving synchronous switch current signals from the gate driver signal, wherein the synchronous switch current signals include a top gate switch current signal, a clamp gate switch current signal and a bottom gate switch current signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9293985
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing input current harmonic distortion in a Vienna-type active rectifier that includes the steps of sensing voltage values from upper and lower halves of a DC bus associated with the rectifier, determining an average of the sensed voltage values, calculating upper and lower scale factors by dividing the sensed voltage values with the averaged sensed voltage value, rescaling a reference signal from a controller using the upper and lower calculated scale factors, and forward feeding the rescaled reference signal from the controller to a pulse width modulator to obtain a gate driver signal for power semiconductor switches of the rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20150349658
    Abstract: A regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier employing a boost stage is disclosed herein. The regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier comprises a 12 pulse inductive current splitter/merger (CSM) system coupled to a boost stage. The boost stage may be regulated using a PWM controller. The regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier may further include a three phase input filter configured to regulate the harmonic content of the AC-DC hybrid converter within a desired limit. The regulated hybrid AC-DC rectifier may further comprise a notch filter system configured to tune out harmonic ripples at known intervals, such as 11th and 13th order harmonics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9172301
    Abstract: A power module is disclosed having a first module block defining a first rectifier and including a first rectifier switch having a first FET and connected in parallel with a first diode, a second module block including a second FET connected in parallel with a second diode, a third module block including a third FET connected in parallel with a third diode, wherein the second and third module blocks are positioned between first and second terminal interfaces of the power module, and wherein two serially connected diodes are on the first interface side of the power module in parallel with the serially connected second and third module blocks, and a fourth module block defining a second rectifier and including a second rectifier switch having a fourth FET and connected in parallel with a fourth diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9166472
    Abstract: A system for filtering electromagnetic interference (EMI) includes a power source that provides alternating current (AC) power; a load; an active rectifier that converts AC power from the power source to direct current (DC) power for the load; and a filter connected between the power source and the active rectifier, wherein the filter comprises at least one notch filter that filters selected frequencies of EMI generated by the active rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9099926
    Abstract: A system includes a power source that provides alternating current (AC) power and is connected to system ground; a dual-DC bus that provides direct current (DC) power to a load, and comprises a positive line, a negative line, and a midpoint line; an active rectifier that converts AC power from the power source to DC power for the dual-DC bus; and an impedance circuit connected between the midpoint of the dual-DC bus and the system ground that provides impedance for third harmonic common-mode current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8982587
    Abstract: A ripple compensation apparatus comprises a ripple detection unit to detect a ripple on a dual DC bus, a waveform generation unit to generate a modulated waveform based on a base waveform and the detected ripple, and a multi-phase control signal generation unit to receive the modulated waveform and to generate at least one pulse width modulated control signal based on the modulated waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Vietson M. Nguyen, Adam Michael White, Harry Huazhen Chai
  • Publication number: 20140369101
    Abstract: A method of deriving synchronous switch currents for a three-phase Vienna-type active rectifier that includes the step of generating gate driver signals for each phase of the rectifier by pulse width modulation, wherein the gate driver signals include a top gate driver signal, a clamp gate driver signal and a bottom gate driver signal, and the step of deriving synchronous switch current signals from the gate driver signal, wherein the synchronous switch current signals include a top gate switch current signal, a clamp gate switch current signal and a bottom gate switch current signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140369092
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for reducing input current harmonic distortion in a Vienna-type active rectifier that includes the steps of sensing voltage values from upper and lower halves of a DC bus associated with the rectifier, determining an average of the sensed voltage values, calculating upper and lower scale factors by dividing the sensed voltage values with the averaged sensed voltage value, rescaling a reference signal from a controller using the upper and lower calculated scale factors, and forward feeding the rescaled reference signal from the controller to a pulse width modulator to obtain a gate driver signal for power semiconductor switches of the rectifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140334208
    Abstract: A power module for a three-level power inverter/converter that employs synchronous rectification for use in a uni-directional active rectifier mode to reduce static losses and enhance efficiency across the circuit. Each synchronous rectifier can be a silicon carbide (SiC) power MOSFET connected in parallel with a SiC power diode, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140104901
    Abstract: A system for filtering electromagnetic interference (EMI) includes a power source that provides alternating current (AC) power; a load; an active rectifier that converts AC power from the power source to direct current (DC) power for the load; and a filter connected between the power source and the active rectifier, wherein the filter comprises at least one notch filter that filters selected frequencies of EMI generated by the active rectifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140104900
    Abstract: A system includes a power source that provides alternating current (AC) power and is connected to system ground; a dual-DC bus that provides direct current (DC) power to a load, and comprises a positive line, a negative line, and a midpoint line; an active rectifier that converts AC power from the power source to DC power for the dual-DC bus; and an impedance circuit connected between the midpoint of the dual-DC bus and the system ground that provides impedance for third harmonic common-mode current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140103650
    Abstract: A system includes a starter/generator that receives AC power in a start mode, and generates AC power in a generate mode; and an inverter/converter circuit that converts the generated AC power from the starter/generator to DC power for a dual-DC bus during the generate mode, and converts DC power to AC power for the starter/generator during the start mode, wherein the inverter/converter circuit denies power flow from the dual-DC bus to the starter/generator during the generate mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20130279216
    Abstract: A ripple compensation apparatus comprises a ripple detection unit to detect a ripple on a dual DC bus, a waveform generation unit to generate a modulated waveform based on a base waveform and the detected ripple, and a multi-phase control signal generation unit to receive the modulated waveform and to generate at least one pulse width modulated control signal based on the modulated waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Vietson M. Nguyen, Adam Michael White, Harry Huazhen Chai
  • Patent number: 8553381
    Abstract: A voltage spike protection system minimizes a voltage spike by connecting a resistive clamp to a power source when the voltage spike is detected. The voltage spike detection system disconnects the resistive clamp after a portion of the voltage spike is dissipated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Vietson M. Nguyen, John D. Sagona, Waleed M. Said
  • Patent number: 8519686
    Abstract: A solid state power controller (SSPC) for soft start of a direct current (DC) link capacitor of a DC power distribution system includes a power input connected to a DC power source of the DC power distribution system; a plurality of power switches arranged in parallel, the plurality of power switches being connected to a power output of the SSPC, the power output being connected to the DC link capacitor; and an SSPC controller configured to: pulse width modulate the plurality of power switches with a phase-shifted sequence in a current limiting mode; determine whether soft start is complete; and in response to determining that the soft start is complete, turn on the plurality of switches at a maximum gate-source voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory I. Rozman, Joshua C. Swenson, Vietson M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8461717
    Abstract: A power generation system has a generator, a power bus and an electrical accumulator unit. The electrical accumulator unit includes an independent controller that actively filters transients from the power bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Josh C. Swenson, Vietson M. Nguyen, Joshua Scott Parkin
  • Patent number: 8432137
    Abstract: A method for generating and controlling power by means of at least one controlled permanent magnet machine (PMM) with a permanent magnet (PM) rotor and a stator with a magnetic flux diverter circuit for controlling the output of the PMM, comprises the steps of: rotating the PM rotor at a velocity sufficient to develop a high frequency alternating current (HFAC) power output from the stator; transforming the HFAC output to produce a desired non-HFAC power output; sensing desired power output parameters; generating a control signal responsive to the sensed parameters; and applying the control signal to the magnetic flux diverter circuit to control the desired power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory I. Rozman, Vietson M. Nguyen, Jacek F. Gieras, Sastry V. Vedula