Abnormal Power, Current, Or Impedance Condition Patents (Class 700/293)
  • Patent number: 11777315
    Abstract: A power converter, a voltage detector that detects a system voltage at an AC wiring side of the power converter; and a controller that performs power conversion control between AC wiring and DC wiring by transmitting a drive signal to the power converter. The controller includes: a phase calculator that calculates a current phase from the system voltage detected by the voltage detector; a phase jump angle calculator that calculates a virtual phase that follows temporal changes in the current phase in a lagging manner, and calculates a phase difference between the current phase and the virtual phase as a phase jump angle; and a drive signal generator that generates the drive signal to the power converter, which is a signal for adjusting active power that is inputted to/outputted from the power converter so as to suppress the phase jump angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoki Yamaguchi, Yusuke Umezu, Soichiro Bando, Kazushige Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11637428
    Abstract: A system and method to selectively pass and damp oscillations in an electric power grid via a controller of a power electronic device irrespective of the modes of the power oscillations. The system and method includes multiple limiters having dynamic limits that are openable and closeable to control the response of the controller, damping ratio dynamic gain control logic that determines a dynamic gain for a control signal based on the oscillation characteristics of one or more input signals, and pulse counter logic to selectively control at least one of the limiters based on the pulse count of the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc.
    Inventors: David Edward Roop, Samantha Ann Morello, Tamojit Chakraborty
  • Patent number: 11563383
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electrical power which flows into or out of an electrical subnetwork via a connection point is disclosed. The subnetwork has at least one electrical load, and the electrical load is connected to a control device via a communication connection, the electrical power flowing via the connection point is measured and a maximum power consumption of the electrical load is set by means of the control device on the basis of the electrical power flowing via the connection point. A device for connecting a multiphase subnetwork, which has an energy production installation and an energy store, to a superordinate multiphase alternating voltage network is configured to transmit electrical power between the alternating voltage network and the subnetwork and comprises an AC/AC converter having a network connection, two inverter bridge circuits with an interposed intermediate circuit and a subnetwork connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SMA Solar Technology AG
    Inventors: Claus Allert, Mathias Buenemann, Matthias Groene, Alexander Unru
  • Patent number: 11539217
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tertiary control with over-current protection. In one embodiment, the method comprises calculating at least one unconstrained optimal net intertie target for an area of a power network; calculating, for each resource within the area, optimal scheduled current to achieve the at least one unconstrained optimal net intertie target; calculating, using the optimal scheduled currents and a plurality of stress coefficients, net scheduled current for each power line segment within the area; comparing the net scheduled currents to corresponding stress thresholds to identify any stress violations; reducing, when the comparing step identifies one or more stress violations, the optimal scheduled current for one or more resources contributing to the one or more stress violations; and calculating, when the comparing step identifies the one or more stress violations, updated optimal scheduled current for one or more resources not contributing to the one or more stress violations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Enphase Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald Richard Zimmanck
  • Patent number: 11489365
    Abstract: A smart switch allows distributed generators to “ride through” non-three-phase faults by very quickly detecting a non-three-phase phase fault, locating the fault, identifying the “responsive sectionalizer switches” that will be involved in clearing or isolating the fault, and selecting one of the responsive sectionalizer switches to direct back-feed tie switch operations. The responsive sectionalizer switches trip only the faulted phase(s), and the selected sectionalizer switch instructs a back-feed tie switch to close to back-feed the distributed generators prior to conducting the typical fault response operation. This typically occurs within about three cycles, and is completed before the normal fault clearing and isolation procedures, which momentarily disconnect all three phases to the distributed generators from the normally connected feeder breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Southern States LLC
    Inventors: Jiyuan Fan, Hua Fan, Joseph R Rostron
  • Patent number: 11483634
    Abstract: According to an aspect, an information processing device includes: a receiver configured to receive information related to a plurality of smart meters; a controller configured to determine presence or absence of an anomaly in each of the smart meters based on a reception status of the information from each of the smart meters; and an output unit configured to output information indicating presence or absence of an anomaly in each of the smart meters. The receiver receives the information from the smart meters in a cycle of a first predetermined time. The controller determines that an anomaly is occurring in a smart meter from which information has not been obtained for a second predetermined time that is longer than the first predetermined time. The second predetermined time is n times as long as the first predetermined time, and n is equal to or greater than 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: THE CHUGOKU ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi Okada, Nobuhiro Ishii
  • Patent number: 11451042
    Abstract: A method for identifying a fault event in an electric power distribution grid sector including one or more electric loads and having a coupling node with a main grid, at which a grid current adsorbed by said electric loads is detectable. The method allows determining whether a detected anomalous variation of the grid current, adsorbed at the electric coupling node, is due to the start of a characteristic transitional operating period of an electric load or is due to an electric fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: ABB S.PA.
    Inventors: Enrico Ragaini, Daniele Angelosante, Lorenzo Fagiano
  • Patent number: 11418019
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting an electric arc in an electrical system (100), comprising the following steps: a) acquiring a signal (104) coming from at least one sensor (102) detecting acoustic waves in the system (100); b) calculating, using an electronic processing device (106), a first value representative of the error between the signal and a first projection of the signal in a first representation space defined by a first dictionary matrix; b) calculating, using the electronic processing device (106), a second value representative of the error between the signal and a second projection of the signal in a second representation space defined by a second dictionary matrix; and d) determining, from the first and second values, whether an electric arc has been produced in the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: Commissariat À L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives, Universite Grenoble Alpes, Institut Polytechnique De Grenoble, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Ibrahima Djigo, Vincent Heiries, Olivier Michel
  • Patent number: 11397129
    Abstract: An electromagnetic control valve normality determination system includes: a hydraulic pressure source; an electromagnetic control valve structured to regulate an actual pressure of oil to a pressure command point, wherein the oil is supplied from the hydraulic pressure source; and an actual pressure sensor structured to sense the actual pressure of the oil. For determining normality of pressure regulation of the electromagnetic control valve, a normality determinator is configured to: set pressure command regions for determination about pressure regulation of the electromagnetic control valve, without overlapping among the pressure command regions; determine for each of the pressure command regions whether a difference between the actual pressure and the pressure command point in the each of the pressure command regions is less than a threshold value; and determine that the electromagnetic control valve is normal, in response to affirmation of the determination for all of the pressure command regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignees: JATCO LTD, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junki Matsui
  • Patent number: 11360121
    Abstract: A sensor for measuring current flow includes a power generation circuit, a current measurement circuit and a microcontroller. The power generation circuit includes a current transformer that harvests energy from a load applied to the conductor and uses the harvested energy to power the current measurement circuit and microcontroller. The current measurement circuit includes a Hall effect sensor that outputs a voltage signal in response to detecting a magnetic flux generated by the flow of current through the conductor. The microcontroller calculates a current measurement based on the voltage signal received from the current measurement system. The Hall effect sensor is able to generate the voltage signal used to measure current flow at the same time that the current transformer harvests energy from the current flowing through the conductor. A fault detection system is able to alert a user to problems with the current transformer and/or the Hall effect sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
    Inventors: Ashok Sridharan, Hariprasath Muthumanickam, Sushilkumar Madhukar Pagar, Atul Dinesh Shukla, Hariharasudhan Venugopal, Ankur Thareja
  • Patent number: 11307238
    Abstract: The clamping device may include (1) a monitoring device for a powerline conductor, where the monitoring device includes (a) at least one detection component that detects at least one physical characteristic at a location of the monitoring device, (b) a transmitter that wirelessly transmits data indicating the at least one physical characteristic, and (c) a receiver that wirelessly receives data indicating the at least one physical characteristic from at least one other monitoring device, where the transmitter retransmits the data indicating the at least one physical characteristic from the at least one other monitoring device, and (2) a container that retains the monitoring device such that one or more of the at least one detection component is maintained proximate the powerline conductor. The clamping device clamps a fiber optic cable to the powerline conductor to restrict movement of the fiber optic cable relative to the powerline conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc.
    Inventor: Karthik Yogeeswaran
  • Patent number: 11289945
    Abstract: Power outages and restorations at customer premises can be automatically detected and reported. A method may include receiving, from a network terminal, a first notification associated with a power outage; retrieving location information associated with the network terminal; sending a second notification indicating that the outage has occurred and that includes the location information associated with the network terminal; retrieving prior outage information that corresponds to a set of network terminals associated with a group of set top boxes; determining that an outage event is triggered, when a quantity of outages is greater than a threshold, where the quantity of outages is based on the outage and other outages obtained from the prior outage information; and sending a third notification based on the determination that the outage event is triggered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Alessandro M. Meynardi, Jean F. Dubois, Martin Doehring, C. P. Cheng
  • Patent number: 11262718
    Abstract: A method for managing a microgrid, the microgrid having an intermittent energy source and energy storage, comprising: using a microgrid asset management system, dispatching the energy storage to maintain optimal power flow to and from a power grid by: producing a generation forecast and a generation forecast error probability distribution for an intermittent energy source coupled to the microgrid from a historic generation forecast and one or more measurements; generating random intermittent energy source generation inputs from at least one of historic generation data, the historic generation forecast, and the generation forecast error probability distribution; using the random intermittent energy source generation inputs, calculating a microgrid performance value using a microgrid performance model and a microgrid financial value using a microgrid financial model; and, selecting an energy storage dispatch scenario to optimize operation of the microgrid using at least one of the microgrid performance value an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: MERIT SI, LLC
    Inventors: Dmitriy Anichkov, Thomas P. Kuster
  • Patent number: 11244410
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining how to dispatch power to a property from a generator are provided. According to certain aspects, a controller associated with the generator may retrieve or access a set of data indicating time of use rates associated with utility power, performance characteristics of the generator, and/or energy usage data. Based on the data, the controller may determine a set point corresponding to when it may be beneficial to dispatch generator power to the property instead of utility power. At the set point, the controller may facilitate supplementing power from utility power with power from the generator. Additionally, the controller may collect usage and performance data associated with dispatch of the generator power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: LEADING EDGE POWER SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: David Walters, Richard Paulsen
  • Patent number: 11239659
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a recloser control that provides autosynchronization of a microgrid to an area electric power system (EPS). For example, a recloser control may include an output connector that is communicatively coupled to a recloser at a point of common coupling (PCC) between the area EPS and the microgrid. The recloser control may include a processor that acquires a first set of measurements indicating electrical characteristics of the area EPS and acquires a second set of measurements indicating electrical characteristics of the microgrid. The recloser control may send synchronization signals to a microgrid controller to synchronize the microgrid controller based on the first set of measurements and the second set of measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Thompson, Scott M Manson
  • Patent number: 11239665
    Abstract: A system includes an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) configured to selectively provide power to a critical load from a grid and an energy storage device, and a grid edge controller configured to communicate with a controller of the UPS and to cause the UPS to operate the energy storage as a distributed energy resource (DER) for the grid while preserving autonomous operation of the UPS to serve the critical load. The grid edge controller may be configured, for example, to maintain a critical reserve in the energy storage device that enables the UPS to maintain the critical load, while allowing the energy storage device to also be used for demand management, frequency regulation and other grid-oriented tasks. The grid edge controller may be configured to control the UPS, for example, via an application programming interface (API) of the controller of the UPS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventors: George Arthur Navarro, Vincent Edward Wilder, Swanand Juvekar, Webb Lewis Burgess
  • Patent number: 11230194
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an auto re-closing device and method for an electric vehicle charging cable control device. The present invention is directed to an auto re-closing device and method for an electric vehicle charging cable control device, which are capable of stopping charging when a fault occurs and retrying to resume charging when charging is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventors: Myeong-jin Kwon, Chang-hoon Oh
  • Patent number: 11206287
    Abstract: Technology related to evaluating cyber-risk for synchrophasor systems is disclosed. In one example of the disclosed technology, a method includes generating an event tree model of a timing-attack on a synchrophasor system architecture. The event tree model can be based on locations and types of timing-attacks, an attack likelihood, vulnerabilities and detectability along a scenario path, and consequences of the timing-attack. A cyber-risk score of the synchrophasor system architecture can be determined using the event tree model. The synchrophasor system architecture can be adapted in response to the cyber-risk score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Seemita Pal, Arun Veeramany, Christopher A. Bonebrake, Beverly E. Johnson, William James Hutton, III, Siddharth Sridhar, Sri Nikhil Gupta Gourisetti, Garill A. Coles
  • Patent number: 11187750
    Abstract: A method for detecting the open or closed state of a protection appliance in an electrical installation including a voltage detector upstream of the protection appliance and a voltage detector downstream thereof, in which the voltage data provided by the voltage detectors is used to obtain information regarding the presence or absence of voltage upstream and downstream of the protection appliance, a correlation is established between the voltage data, and it is determined whether the protection appliance is in an open state, in a closed state, in an abnormal state or in an undetermined state. The current data provided by the current detectors can also be used to determine the cause of the tripping of the protection appliance, and to thereby obtain a full, precise and real-time diagnostic for the operation of the electrical installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SOCOMEC
    Inventors: Marc Capot, Pierre-Henri Herr, Christian Kern
  • Patent number: 11190024
    Abstract: A method provides closed-loop control for an entire power supply system which has three supply levels each considered to be a separate regulatory unit and controlled independently of the other supply levels. An interface between two respective regulatory units is defined by control of the active power and reactive power transmitted between the two regulatory units. Appropriate control of the active power and reactive power transmitted between the regulatory units allows these regulatory units to be isolated from or connected to one another in terms of power. A power supply system is ideally regarded as a chain of separate regulatory units for supplying power. This allows efficient and safe operation and local control of a power supply system to which locally produced power is supplied, for example on different supply levels. In addition, a low number of data items to be interchanged between the supply levels is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Albana Ilo
  • Patent number: 11164660
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, the invention relates to systems, methods, and apparatus that allow a user to visually augment a graphical rendering of either a chemical structure representation or a biological sequence representation with multi-dimensional information. A user captures a video image using a computing device such as a hand-held smart phone, computerized eye glasses or tablet computer. The video image includes information regarding at least one of a chemical structure and a biological sequence. A processor identifies, within the video image, a graphical representation of at least one of a chemical structure and a biological structure. The processor augments the graphical representation with additional information and provides the video data for presentation upon a display controlled by the computing device. The computing device presents the video data in substantially real time in relation to the capture of the video data by the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: PerkinElmer Informatics, Inc.
    Inventor: Robin Y. Smith
  • Patent number: 11159046
    Abstract: A system enabling localized intelligent control with communication and coordination at local subsections of a power grid with information transfer to utility for supervisory control is disclosed. The disclosure extends the control and communication capability within, at the edge, and outside the edge of the power grid using intelligent and self-aware FACTS devices. Aspects of the disclosure enable control of a distribution network, energy storage systems and generation sources as an integrated system allowing optimization of power grid operation from generation to distribution. This control capability further enables a supervisory utility to implement and manage policy issues, such as standard compliance, carbon emission reduction, right-of-way management, and conformance to environmental regulations, such as EMI compliance, noise reduction, etc. This also allows the supervisory utility to optimize energy cost, network reliability, and asset utilization and life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Smart Wires Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Kreikebaum, Haroon Inam
  • Patent number: 11150282
    Abstract: A single-phase electric meter having a phase conductor intended to be connected to a phase of an electric line located upstream of the single-phase electric meter and to a phase of an electric installation located downstream of the single-phase electric meter, the single-phase electric meter further including a breaking unit mounted on the phase conductor, an upstream voltage sensor arranged to periodically measure an upstream voltage upstream of the breaking unit, and a processing device arranged to acquire upstream voltage measurements and to open the breaking unit when the upstream voltage drops below a first predetermined threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SAGEMCOM ENERGY & TELECOM SAS
    Inventor: Henri Teboulle
  • Patent number: 11108223
    Abstract: In an aspect, a fire detection system is described. The first detection system may include isolation circuit having an isolation switch coupled with a system line of the fire detection system and configured to isolate a first side of the system line from a second side of the system line. The isolation circuit may also include a controller coupled with the isolation switch. The controller may be configured to detect a short circuit on the system line and control the isolation switch based on a calculated impedance on the system line in response to detecting the short circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS FIRE PROTECTION LP
    Inventors: Alexandre Gouin, Sébastien Choquette
  • Patent number: 11100262
    Abstract: A method for determining a digital voltage replica for a substation. The method includes obtaining a substation topology and generating a node model from the substation topology. The generated model represents each switchgear by a pair of two connectivity nodes. The method further includes obtaining switchgear status data and animating the node model. When the node model is animated, the method allows determining a reference node for a target connectivity node. In this manner, a digital voltage replica of a substation is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
    Inventor: Thomas Rudolph
  • Patent number: 11035896
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and device for reliability assessment of a wide area protection system, solving the technical problem that a reliability research result of a current wide area protection system is only limited to reliability research of a communication network thereof, but a reliability analysis model for an overall system does not exist. The method provided by the disclosure includes: S1, acquiring an information acceptance rate d of a wide area monitoring center of a wide area protection system; S2, obtaining the accuracy psf(d) of wide area protection initiation, the accuracy pfz(d) of fault area positioning and the accuracy pfc(d) of fault element recognition according to the information acceptance rate d; and S3, multiplying the accuracy psf(d) of wide area protection initiation, the accuracy pfz(d) of fault area positioning and the accuracy pfc(d) of fault element recognition to obtain the decision accuracy Pdmp of the wide area protection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Inventors: Ruiwen He, Hao Peng, Jing Zhong, Jianhua Deng
  • Patent number: 11017700
    Abstract: There are provided a detection method and detection apparatus of an operating state of a circuit. The method includes: forming a neural network that acquires a state category of a circuit to be detected; measuring electrical characteristic parameters of at least one node in the circuit to be detected; inputting the measured electrical characteristic parameters of at least one node to the neural network, and obtaining the state category of the circuit to be detected through the neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignees: ORDOS YUANSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS CO., LTD., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haifeng Bi, Wulijibaier Tang, Long Lian, Xiaojie Wang, Ruijun Hao
  • Patent number: 10979993
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing time reference synchronization for an aircraft are provided. In one embodiment, a method can include receiving, by one or more computing devices associated with a data acquisition system of an aircraft, a signal comprising time synchronization information, wherein the signal comprises a first signal portion and a second signal portion. The method can include filtering, by the one or more computing devices, the signal comprising the time synchronization information to distinguish the first signal portion and the second signal portion from noise associated with the signal. The method can include determining, by the one or more computing devices, the time synchronization information based at least in part on the first signal portion and the second signal portion. The method can include synchronizing, by the one or more computing devices, a set of data acquired by the data acquisition system with the time synchronization information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Timothy Robert North, Tod Alexander Gilbert, Steven Bonnett
  • Patent number: 10978020
    Abstract: A display apparatus and method of operating thereof in which a cold booting of the display apparatus is performed based on at least one of previous waiting times and operating times of the display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyunseok Choi, Seungjun Lee, Yoojin Park, Cheulhee Hahm
  • Patent number: 10942555
    Abstract: A power supplying method for a computer system is proposed. The computer system includes a first computer node, a first power supply unit corresponding to the first computer node, a second computer node, a second power supply unit corresponding to the second computer node, and a connection module electrically connected to the computer nodes and the power supply units. The power supplying method includes: detecting, by the first computer node, whether the second power supply unit operates abnormally; and upon detecting at least that the second power supply unit operates abnormally, controlling, by the first computer node, the first power supply unit to provide electric power to the second computer node through the connection module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mitac Computing Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Li Tsai, Jyun-Jie Wang, Cheng-Tung Wang, Chia-Ming Liu, Ming-Hsuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 10910835
    Abstract: Adaptive protection methods and systems for protecting agains) extreme fault currents in a power system are provided. Communication capabilities and protocols defined in IEC 61850 can be used to provide smart cascading switching actions for removing the fault from the power system. A supervisory protection algorithm can be used, and the protection can be activated if the fault current is higher than a breaking capacity of the circuit breakers of the power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: The Florida International University Board of Trustees
    Inventors: Mohammad Mahmoudian Esfahani, Osama Mohammed
  • Patent number: 10778006
    Abstract: A battery system includes a position detector configured to detect whether a first battery protector is coupled to a second power rail and positioned at a bottom of a stack. A cell balancing input (CBI) is coupled to receive a CBI signal to enable or disable cell balancing of the first battery protector. A cell balancing output (CBO) enables cell balancing of a second protector in the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Manish Parmar, V V Shyam Prasad, Abhijeet Kumar Singh
  • Patent number: 10651654
    Abstract: A control system is disclosed with a control strategy for autonomous multi-bus hybrid microgrids based on Finite-Control-Set Model Predictive Control (FCS-MPC). The control loops are expedited by predicting the future states and determining the optimal control action before switching signals are sent to converters/inverters. The method eliminates PI and PWM components, and offers 1) accurate PV maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and battery charging/discharging control, 2) DC and AC bus voltage/frequency regulation, and 3) precise and flexible power sharing control among multiple DERs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignees: State Grid Corporation of China, GEIRI CO., LTD, State Grid Jiangxi Electric Power Co.
    Inventors: Zhehan Yi, Yishen Wang, Bibin Huang, Di Shi, Zhiwei Wang, Tingting Hou
  • Patent number: 10620076
    Abstract: A pressure measuring device/system that is capable of measuring the pressures of multiple systems in an automobile, including cylinder pressure, fuel pressure, transmission oil pressure, and engine oil pressure, and is capable of displaying and/or recording the measured pressure values remote from the device taking the measured remote pressures. The pressure measuring system has a remote interface and a sensor configured to communicate wirelessly with each other. The interface may be configured to be included within the device purpose built for displaying and interacting with the pressure values measured by the sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the interface may be configured to be downloaded as a mobile application “app” on a smartphone or other similar device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: A & E INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Maximilian Knoell, Timothy J. Alho, Bruce Engel, Jason Horner, Myeong Geun Cheon, Jin Kook Jeong
  • Patent number: 10581235
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for automatically coordinating protection settings for relays within an electrical power distribution network. A method includes using a graph traversal mechanism to analyze geographical-based equipment data that contains information about overcurrent relays within the electrical power distribution network. A customizable rule base is applied to protection guidelines. Protection settings are determined based upon the applied customizable rule base and the direction of fault current flow from each source. The determined protection settings are used for the overcurrent relays to control switches in the electrical power distribution network in response to a detected fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventors: John Seuss, Yoav Sharon
  • Patent number: 10401401
    Abstract: A system comprises of a plurality of current consumption monitors, such as self-powered power sensors (SPPSs) that collect information from energy consuming equipment. The monitors check periodically the current consumed by the equipment and the results are stored in memory. Periodically the data collected is processed respective of each monitor to determine the ratio between the total number of cycles, i.e., the number of times an equipment consumed energy, to the number of cycles in which the equipment consumed energy for a period of time that is shorter than a predetermined threshold of time. Upon detection of a change in the ratio over a period of time an alert is provided. In one embodiment the equipment may be caused to shut down responsive of an appropriate alert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Panoramic Power Ltd.
    Inventors: Adi Shamir, Itay Reved, Reuven A. Marko
  • Patent number: 10396565
    Abstract: A system for aircraft power distribution (100) includes a source of energy (112) to deliver an input power; a bus contactor (122); a set of switches (130) connected between the bus contactor and a set of essential and non-essential devices (132); a current analysis component (315) to determine a power level drawn from the source of current by the set of essential and non-essential devices (132); a variation reduction component (317) to determine an energization schedule of the set of essential and non-essential devices (132) based on reducing temporal variation in the input power drawn from the source of energy (112) to the bus contactor (122); and a switch control component (319) configured to adjust the set of switches (130) according to the energization schedule. If too much power is drawn, the set of switches (130) will be configured such as not to exceed the maximum power rating of the source (112).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems Limited
    Inventors: Michael David Bailey, Colin John Halsey, Ross Jonathan Williams
  • Patent number: 10373474
    Abstract: A data acquisition system, including an input configured to receive a signal on a port and a processor. The processor determines, during an initial scan, a first measurement value of the signal on the port, sets at least one alarm value based on the first measurement value, the at least one alarm value being within a predetermined amount of the first measurement value, receives, during a subsequent scan, a second measurement value of the signal on the port, and generates an alert when the second measurement value violates the at least one alarm value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Keithley Instruments, LLC
    Inventors: Brian P. Frackelton, George J. Polly
  • Patent number: 10355523
    Abstract: A fault type determination method and device of a terminal unit for automation used in a power distribution network are disclosed. The method includes: for each line of incoming lines and outgoing lines of a distribution device, recording the number of faults occurring on the line; after a fault occurs, determining, according to the current and/or voltage on each line, whether automated reclosing is executed, and recording the number of executed automated reclosings; in a fault type determination period, for each line, if the number of faults occurring on the line is greater than the maximum number of automated reclosings allowed by the transformer substation side, or the fault is a repeat fault, then identifying the fault on the line as a permanent fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Ji Chen
  • Patent number: 10348103
    Abstract: A portable electric vehicle support equipment (EVSE) unit is formed as a cord of plural insulated conductors and a flexible outer sheath enclosing said plural insulated conductors. The cord includes an EVSE docking connector on a docking end of the cord and a utility plug on a utility end of the cord, said cord being divided into a docking section terminated at said docking connector and a utility section terminated at said utility connector. The cord further includes an in-line EVSE controller and a housing enclosing said controller, said housing sealed with said flexible outer sheath and disposed at an intermediate section of said cord between said docking and utility sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Webasto Charging Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Paul Soden, Albert Joseph Flack, Herman Joseph Steinbuchel, IV, Larry Hayashigawa, Brendan Francis O'Donnell, Francis Patrick Wong, Robert Barrosa
  • Patent number: 10345356
    Abstract: A current consumed by an electric consumer is sampled as a first sampled current, and a main current sensor samples a current provided by an electric supply system as a second sampled current. A fault current detector detects a fault current between the electric supply system and the electric consumer, based on a non-zero difference between the first sampled current and the second sampled current and, in response, generates a circuit break signal. A residual current device receives the circuit break signal and, in response, to breaks a circuit between electric supply system and the electric consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Inventor: Parviz Fotoohi
  • Patent number: 10338110
    Abstract: A source-measure unit (SMU) may be implemented with digital control loops and circuitry to digitally compensate for the impact of input bias current on current measurements. One or more buffers having well-defined characteristics with respect to certain parameters which may affect the current measurements may be used in the output signal path of the SMU where a shunt voltage developed across a current sense element is measured. For example, the buffers may conduct/develop respective input bias currents that change perceptibly and predictably with temperature. By measuring the temperature and adjusting a control voltage—which is used to develop the shunt voltage—according to the temperature measurements, the impact of the input bias current[s] on the current measurement[s] may be reduced to negligible levels and/or may be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Pablo E. Limon-Garcia-Viesca, Christopher G. Regier
  • Patent number: 10326678
    Abstract: A load-controlling interfacing device obtains and processes event data, for example, from a touch-screen user interface and/or other devices, and that processes rules based on the event data to control an electrical load, such as a light fixture. During operation, when the interfacing device obtains event data, the interfacing device selects a rule to process based on the event data from the touch-screen user interface. If the interfacing device determines that the rule's condition is satisfied, the interfacing device can process the rule's action description to perform a corresponding action for controlling power to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Randall W. Frei, Linker Cheng, Robert J. Pera
  • Patent number: 10320641
    Abstract: The present disclosure illustrates a switch device for substation and an error warning method thereof. The switch device accesses and copies a generic object oriented substation event (GOOSE) packet, and when the copied GOOSE packet is determined to trigger an abnormal condition event, the switch device generates and transmits an abnormal condition event confirmation request to an upstream switch device. A warning message is issued when a ready response cannot be received by the switch device from the upstream switch device. Therefore, the technical effect of quickly and accurately finding the switch device triggering the abnormal condition event first to facilitate repair may be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: MOXA INC.
    Inventor: Hsi-Chin Wu
  • Patent number: 10303194
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for power management in an electric power grid are disclosed. A power flow to a plurality of power consuming devices in the electric power grid is enabled and disabled by a plurality of controllable devices under the control of one or more client devices. An apparatus receives a power control command and select at least one client device to which to issue a power reduction message. The power reduction message comprises an amount of electric power to be reduced to at least one of the plurality of power consuming devices for a predetermined time. A database stores information relating to power consumed by the plurality of power consuming devices based on measurement and verification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: CAUSAM ENERGY, INC
    Inventor: Joseph W. Forbes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10170928
    Abstract: A charging combination includes a power output device which is configured to output electric energy constantly or adjustably and a power input device which is configured to receive electric energy from the power output device. The power output device includes a power supply module for storing electric energy or obtaining electric energy from an external power grid as an energy source, a first USB connector for being connected with the power supply module and at least configured to transfer electric energy, and a first control module having a first controller which is at least configured to control an output voltage of the first USB connector when supplying electric energy. The power input device comprises a second USB connector at least configured to be electrically coupled to the first USB connector for transferring electric energy, and a second control module comprising a second controller at least configured to communicate with the first controller and to control the second USB connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Chervon (HK) Limited
    Inventor: Aixiang Dong
  • Patent number: 10164431
    Abstract: Outages associated with an electrical energy distribution system are managed, identified and/or predicted. In an implementation, a system provides for generating network topology data, indicative of a topology for an electrical energy distribution system associated with a power outage, based on connectivity data for devices in the electrical energy distribution system. The system also provides for determining, based on the network topology data, a first set of devices from the devices that are de-energized and determining a second set of devices from the devices that are not included in the first set of devices. Furthermore, the system provides for updating, based on report data associated with the second set of devices, the network topology data. Then, the system provides for identifying, based on the updated network topology data, a device from the second set of devices that satisfies a criterion associated with the power outage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Alan Karlak, Villy Vassdal, Bret Phillips, Brajesh Kumar
  • Patent number: 10128661
    Abstract: An indicator device includes a housing configured to be coupled to positive and negative DC wire lines that supply power from an energy generation source to an inverter. The indicator device further includes a current sensor for measuring a current level on the positive and negative DC wire lines, and voltage sensors for measuring a first voltage across the positive and negative DC wire lines, a second voltage across the positive DC wire line and a ground terminal, and a third voltage across the negative DC wireline and the ground terminal. A circuit block compares the measured current level to one or more threshold current levels, and further compares the measured first, second and third voltages to one or more threshold voltage levels, and in response provides an output signal. A visual indicator receives the output signal from the circuit block, and in response provides a visual indication of whether voltage and current levels on the positive and negative DC wire lines are at levels that may harm humans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: SolarCity Corporation
    Inventors: Alex Mayer, Sandeep Narla
  • Patent number: 10122419
    Abstract: A transaction device may include a power reception component configured to receive power from an external device with which the transaction device is to interact to perform a transaction. The transaction device may include a secure element configured to perform the transaction using the power received from the external device. The transaction device may include one or more peripheral components configured to perform one or more operations other than the transaction. The transaction device may include a power management component configured to determine at least one operation, of the one or more operations, to be performed in association with the transaction, and to route power received from the external device to at least one peripheral component, of the one or more peripheral components, capable of performing the at least one operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Koeppel, Tyler Locke
  • Patent number: 10067168
    Abstract: A power meter includes a voltage sensor input port configured to receive one of single phase AC voltage and three phase AC voltage values. The power meter further includes a current sensor input port configured to receive one of single phase AC current and three phase AC current values. The power meter further includes a bus connector adapted to be coupled to a data bus. The power meter further includes a module connector adapted to be coupled to a module bus. The power meter further includes a timer for producing a digitizing clock. The power meter further includes a microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Raritan Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Suchoff