Patents Assigned to ABB, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11826915
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed toward a method of assembling a plurality of rotor cores for an electric converter. The method includes placing, by a core robotic system employing force control feedback, a rotor core on a mandrel, and for each of the plurality of rotor cores, placing, a plurality of magnetizable inserts into a plurality of cavities in the rotor core by an insert assembly robotic (IAR) system employing force control feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E Briscoe, Nick Sochacki, Al Marrocco, Arnold Bell, James Jozwiak
  • Patent number: 11557944
    Abstract: A rotor assembly system for a manufacturing cell includes a central robotic system comprising a multi-axial central robot and a conveyor platform and one or more multi-axial auxiliary robotic systems secured at one or more locations within the cell. The conveyor platform is operable to move the central robot within the cell. The central robotic system and the one or more auxiliary robotic systems are configured to perform a plurality of rotor manufacturing processes on at least one rotor component in coordination with one another, and the central robotic system is configured to transfer the at least one rotor component between one or more rotor manufacturing processes of the plurality of rotor manufacturing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E Briscoe, Nick Sochacki, Al Marrocco, Jeffrey Cameron, Michael Mollan
  • Patent number: 10237234
    Abstract: A system and method for configuring devices on a device network in communication with a router on a control network. An unconfigured device installed on the network receives a poll at a predetermined address from a router. The router receives a response to the poll from the unconfigured device, and requests identification of devices having a range of device object IDs and stores the MAC addresses of responding devices and the device object IDs. The unconfigured device is configured to have the proposed MAC address and device object ID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Kraig Ritmanich, Teemu T. Heikkila
  • Patent number: 9915562
    Abstract: A cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy instrument has an optical cavity with two or more cavity mirrors, one mirror of which having a hole or other aperture for injecting a light beam, and the same or another mirror of which being partially transmissive to allow exit of light to a detector. A spherical-spherical configuration with at least one astigmatic mirror or a spherical-cylindrical configuration where the spherical mirror could also be astigmatic prevents a reentrant condition wherein the injected beam would prematurely exit the cavity through the aperture. This combination substantially increases the number of passes of the injected beam through a sample volume for sensitive detection of chemical species even in less than ideal conditions including low power laser or LED sources, poor mirror reflectivity or detector noise at the wavelengths of interest, or cavity alignment issues such as vibration or temperature and pressure changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: ABB, INC.
    Inventors: John Brian Leen, Nathan E. Bramall
  • Publication number: 20180045561
    Abstract: A cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy instrument has an optical cavity with two or more cavity mirrors, one mirror of which having a hole or other aperture for injecting a light beam, and the same or another mirror of which being partially transmissive to allow exit of light to a detector. A spherical-spherical configuration with at least one astigmatic mirror or a spherical-cylindrical configuration where the spherical mirror could also be astigmatic prevents a reentrant condition wherein the injected beam would prematurely exit the cavity through the aperture. This combination substantially increases the number of passes of the injected beam through a sample volume for sensitive detection of chemical species even in less than ideal conditions including low power laser or LED sources, poor mirror reflectivity or detector noise at the wavelengths of interest, or cavity alignment issues such as vibration or temperature and pressure changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: John Brian Leen, Nathan E. Bramall
  • Publication number: 20170212042
    Abstract: A method of processing raw measurement data from a tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) tool or other spectroscopic instrument is provided that determines what types of noise (electronic or process flow) are present in the measurement. Based on that determination, the noise is reduced by performing a weighted averaging using weights selected according to the dominant type of noise present, or a general case is applied to determine weights where neither noise type is dominant. The method also involves performing continuous spectroscopy measurements with the tool, with the data and weighted averaging being constantly updated. Weighting coefficients may also be adjusted based on similarity or difference between time-adjacent traces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicant: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniele Angelosante, Andrew Fahrland, Deran Maas, Manish Gupta
  • Publication number: 20170191929
    Abstract: A method for spectral interpretation in absorption spectroscopy uses a nonlinear spectral fitting algorithm for interpretation of spectral features in complex absorption spectra. The algorithm combines two spectral modeling techniques for generating spectral models to be used in the curve fitting process: a line-shape model and a basis-set model. The selected models for all gas components are additively combined using a least squares minimization, allowing for quantification of multiple species simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Elena S.F. Berman, Andrew Fahrland, Manish Gupta, Douglas S. Baer, John Brian Leen
  • Patent number: 7648614
    Abstract: A web making machine is monitored to identify at least one cross-machine direction (CD) actuator that is developing local mapping problems. The identified CD actuator and a segment of surrounding actuators are probed to determine a performance curve for the actuator. The center of an insensitivity region of the performance curve is selected as an optimal mapping alignment setting for the identified actuator with the setting for the actuator being updated. Global smoothing may also be accomplished by probing a global smoothness factor to generate a corresponding performance curve that is then similarly used to select an optimal value for the smoothness factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Quang Tran, Kevin Dale Starr, Timothy Andrew Mast
  • Patent number: 7194334
    Abstract: A robotic wash cell including a six-axis robotic arm and end effector equipped with nozzles that spray unheated, solvent free, pure water at high-pressure to clean or debur objects by maintaining the nozzles in close proximity and substantially normal to each surface being cleaned or edge being deburred. The robotic cell wash is particularly useful for cleaning contaminants such as oil and grease from items having more complex shapes. The six-axis robotic arm positions the nozzles and their sprays substantially normal to each surface being cleaned or deburred. The nozzles produce a multi-zone spray pattern with a continuous effective cleaning zone. A water recycling and pressurizing system collects the used water, separates out the oil and grease contaminants to a level of about 5 ppm, and pressurizes the pure water to about 3,000 psi for washing operations or about 6,000 psi for deburring operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Laski
  • Patent number: 6836944
    Abstract: A method of assembling a part to a workpiece with a combination tool supported on a robot, where a mounting surface of the part is assembled on a target surface of the workpiece including the following steps. (a) Indexing to the assembly position. (b) Picking a part with the part gripper on the part delivery arm from a part supply station. (c) Indexing part delivery and workpiece preparation arms to the preparation position. (d) Simultaneously: engaging the part mounting surface with the part surface preparation module; and engaging the workpiece target surface preparation module with the target surface. (e) Indexing to the assembly position. (f) Using the previously set tool operating axis and calculated tool offsets, engaging the prepared part mounting surface with the prepared workpiece target surface. (g) Releasing the part gripper and withdrawing the tool from the part/workpiece assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventor: Marius Batrin
  • Patent number: 6804579
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a robotic wash cell including a six-axis robotic arm and end effector equipped with nozzles that spray unheated, solvent free, pure water at high-pressure to clean or debur objects by maintaining the nozzles in close proximity and substantially normal to each surface being cleaned or edge being deburred. The robotic cell wash is particularly useful for cleaning contaminants such as oil and grease from items having more complex shapes. The six-axis robotic arm positions the nozzles and their sprays substantially normal to each surface being cleaned or deburred. The nozzles produce a multi-zone spray pattern with a continuous effective cleaning zone. A water recycling and pressurizing system collects the used water, separates out the oil and grease contaminants to a level of about 5 ppm, and pressurizes the pure water to about 3,000 psi for washing operations or about 6,000 psi for deburring operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen J. Laski
  • Publication number: 20040167731
    Abstract: Methodologies adjust a component failure rate for electric power network reliability analysis. A component may include subcomponents and the failure of each subcomponent may be feature dependent. Features are measurable or observable inputs, which can affect the life of one or more subcomponents. The failure rate of a particular component may be obtained according to its real conditions. The methodologies can be used to do condition-based reliability analysis for electric power networks, in order to obtain a maintenance/replacement/operation strategy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Applicant: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyuan Wang, Jiuping Pan, David Lubkeman, Richard E. Brown
  • Patent number: 6708135
    Abstract: In the present invention, several timer functions (e.g. delay on make, delay on break, recycle, single shot, etc.) are expressed in terms of a series of timer subfunctions, and code segments are developed for each identified subfunction. A program of a timer is established to include a plurality of subfunction code segments and a subfunction ordering table for determining the ordering of execution for the subfunction code segments. The ordering of subfunctions of the subfunction ordering table may be selectable in accordance with a model number input received at a program builder system adapted for use in programming the programmable timer. In one embodiment, the programming method provides for reprogramming of a timer including a control circuit having a one-time programmable processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert A. Southworth, Kenneth C. Volz, Robert C. Morris, Jr., Dan S. Carroll
  • Publication number: 20040020619
    Abstract: There is described a method and apparatus for applying steam from a steam source to a moving web to thereby improve the smoothness and gloss of the web. A housing has at least one cooling chamber upstream and at least one steam chamber downstream. The cooling air in the cooling chamber is used to cool the web before steam is applied to the web from the steam chamber. This allows a sufficient volume of steam to be delivered to the web to thereby raise its moisture content to a desired level to thus achieve optimized calendering of the web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: ABB, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Hamel
  • Patent number: 6591203
    Abstract: An improved fault location method may be used to locate faults associated with one or more conductors of an electric power transmission and distribution system. The method includes the steps of detecting a fault; determining whether pre-fault data are available and, if so, using the pre-fault data to compute a load impedance and estimate the fault location using the computed load impedance; if pre-fault data are not available, determining whether pre-fault data are available in a first memory location and, if so, using the pre-fault data to compute a load impedance and estimate the fault location using the computed load impedance; and if pre-fault data are not available in the first memory location, using a pre-fault load impedance from a second memory location in estimating the fault location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Ratan Das, Joseph P. Benco
  • Patent number: 6460775
    Abstract: An atomizing nozzle for use with a rewet shower or a steam box. The nozzle has first and second orifices and a pressure port which allows the pressure between the orifices to be measured. The nozzle also has a pressure port upstream of the two orifices that allows for the measuring of the regulated water pressure from an actuator attached to the atomizing unit. The measured pressures can be used to determine if either orifice is completely blocked or if one orifice is partially blocked or the other orifice is worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Shizhong Duan, Geoffrey Arthur Jones
  • Patent number: 6394418
    Abstract: An actuator for controlling the pressure of fluid, such as water or steam, from a fluid source to a flow controlling orifice. The actuator can be used to apply such fluids to the web of a papermaking machine. The actuator comprises a housing having a first inlet connectable to the fluid source and a second inlet connectable to a pressure source. A resilient bellows structure extends between the first and second inlets within the housing to define an internal region of the bellows structure in sealed communication with one of the first and second inlets and an external region of the bellows structure in sealed communication with the other inlet. The bellows structure expands or contracts within the housing depending on the difference in pressures between the internal and external regions of the bellows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventors: Shizhong Duan, Douglas W. P. Smith
  • Patent number: 6264795
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for applying steam from a steam source to a moving web are provided. The preferred apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a housing having a leading edge and a trailing edge positionable adjacent the moving web. A main supply header within the housing communicates with the steam source. There is at least one steam chamber formed adjacent the leading edge of the housing to receive steam from the main supply header to apply heat and moisture to the web. A steam flow valve associated with the steam chamber controls the flow of steam from the main supply header to the steam chamber. There is at least one cooling chamber adjacent the trailing edge of the housing to lower the temperature of the web to a level sufficient to perform calendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: ABB, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert G. Hamel