Patents by Inventor William Michael Steiner

William Michael Steiner 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: 6798859
    Abstract: A branch amplifier card for a nuclear reactor control rod drive control system is provided. The control system includes a control processor, a plurality of transponder cards arranged in clusters with each cluster under the control of a branch amplifier card. The branch amplifier card is configured to receive commands from the control processor, send the converted commands to transponder cards under the control of the branch amplifier card and to a downstream branch amplifier card, receive an acknowledge word from transponder cards under the control of the branch amplifier card, add AC voltage threshold level information about the transponder cards under the control of the branch amplifier card to the acknowledge word, permit transponder trouble information attached to the acknowledge word to remain in the acknowledge word, and resend the acknowledge word including the transponder trouble information to an upstream branch amplifier card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Michael Steiner, Craig Miles Smith, Leonid Boris Sheikman, Craig Ernest Leighty
  • Patent number: 6781331
    Abstract: A method and system of regulating an output voltage of a boiling water reactor nuclear reactor plant recirculation system motor generator are provided. The method includes sensing an alternator output voltage and transmitting an alternator output voltage signal to a voltage regulator circuit, sensing an alternator speed and transmitting an alternator speed signal to the voltage regulator circuit, comparing the alternator output voltage signal to the alternator speed signal with a volts per hertz divider network electrically coupled to the alternator output voltage sensing circuit and the alternator speed sensing device, adjusting a capacitive reactance of the voltage regulator with a lead compensation circuit electrically coupled in series with the volts per hertz divider network, and adjusting a current in a control winding of a saturable reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: James Steven Mokri, Nelso Petroni, William Michael Steiner, Stephen L. Joslin, Craig Ernest Leighty
  • Publication number: 20040051487
    Abstract: A method and system of regulating an output voltage of a boiling water reactor nuclear reactor plant recirculation system motor generator are provided. The method includes sensing an alternator output voltage and transmitting an alternator output voltage signal to a voltage regulator circuit, sensing an alternator speed and transmitting an alternator speed signal to the voltage regulator circuit, comparing the alternator output voltage signal to the alternator speed signal with a volts per hertz divider network electrically coupled to the alternator output voltage sensing circuit and the alternator speed sensing device, adjusting a capacitive reactance of the voltage regulator with a lead compensation circuit electrically coupled in series with the volts per hertz divider network, and adjusting a current in a control winding of a saturable reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: James Steven Mokri, Nelso J. Petroni, William Michael Steiner, Steven L. Joslin, Craig Ernest Leighty
  • Patent number: 6650722
    Abstract: A transponder card for a nuclear reactor control rod drive control system is provided. The control system includes a control processor and a plurality of electrical devices operationally coupled to the control processor. The transponder card is configured to receive commands from the control processor, energize an appropriate electrical device when commanded, detect a failure in control circuitry of the transponder card, send a failure alarm, and remove power from an electrical device during a control circuitry failure event when there is no command to energize the electrical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Michael Steiner, Steven Dale Sawyer, Craig Miles Smith, Leonid Boris Sheikman, Vernon Evans Martin, Craig Ernest Leighty
  • Publication number: 20030202625
    Abstract: A transponder card for a nuclear reactor control rod drive control system is provided. The control system includes a control processor and a plurality of electrical devices operationally coupled to the control processor. The transponder card is configured to receive commands from the control processor, energize an appropriate electrical device when commanded, detect a failure in control circuitry of the transponder card, send a failure alarm, and remove power from an electrical device during a control circuitry failure event when there is no command to energize the electrical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Inventors: William Michael Steiner, Steven Dale Sawyer, Craig Miles Smith, Leonid Boris Sheikman, Vernon Evans Martin, Craig Ernest Leighty