Patents Assigned to ABB Research Ltd.
  • Patent number: 9520717
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for maintaining a distributed electrical power network model associated with a power grid. A global power network model, comprising a global logical representation of the power grid, is maintained at a network control center configured to manage one or more substations associated with the power grid. The network control center hosts grid management applications that utilize the global power network model. A local power network model, comprising a local logical representation of a power grid territory within the power grid monitored by a substation, is maintained at the substation. The substation hosts one or more local grid management applications that utilize the local power network model. The global power network model and the local power network model are synchronized in response to events occurring within the power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: James Dimitrios Stoupis, Zhenyuan Wang
  • Patent number: 9513650
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method in an electric power system including one or more power generation source(s) and a dynamic power compensator having a battery energy storage. The method includes the steps of: detecting a frequency disturbance within the electricity power system requiring an additional power generation source to be connected to the electricity power system in order to meet a power demand; and controlling the power output from the battery energy storage of the dynamic power compensator during start-up of the additional power generation source thereby limiting the frequency disturbance within the electric power system. The invention also relates to a controller, computer program, computer program products and electric power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomas Larsson, Richard Rivas, Stefan Thorburn, Marguerite Holmberg
  • Patent number: 9508148
    Abstract: A vision-guided alignment system to align a plurality of components includes a robotic gripper configured to move one component relative to another component and a camera coupled to a processor that generates an image of the components. A simulated robotic work cell generated by the processor calculates initial calibration positions that define the movement of the robotic gripper such that position errors between the actual position of the robotic gripper and the calibration positions are compensated by a camera space manipulation based control algorithm executed by the processor to control the robotic gripper to move one component into alignment with another component based on the image of the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Biao Zhang, Jianjun Wang, Gregory F. Rossano, Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge
  • Patent number: 9500685
    Abstract: A method, resonance handling device and computer program product are disclosed for handling resonances in a power transmission system. The resonance handling device can include a resonance frequency determining unit configured to obtain measurements from measurement devices in the power transmission system, apply the measurements in at least one state space model and determine modal resonance frequencies in the system based on the application of the system measurements in the state space model, and an activity determining unit configured to determine the modal activity of at least one of the resonance frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Mats Larsson, Valentin Bürgler, Priscilla Owen, Michael Geiger
  • Patent number: 9496706
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a fast power swing unblocking method and apparatus for a distance protection in a power system, which is able to ensure fast phase-segregated tripping of distance protection for faults during a power swing (3-phase or 2-phase swing). The power swing unblocking method in a power system according to the present invention comprises calculating changing rates of impedances for all operating loops of the distance protection in the power system; and determining a fault loop based on the calculated changing rates. If there is a fault loop, a blocked distance zone for the fault loop is unblocked. Before calculating the changing rates, whether the power system is under a power swing is checked and a distance zone that might mal-operate under the power swing is blocked if it is checked that the power system is under the power swing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventors: Bin Su, Lei Jing, Qianjin Liu
  • Patent number: 9484835
    Abstract: The invention concerns a voltage source converter (26) comprising a group of phase legs, at least three connection terminals (AC1, AC2, AC3, DC+, DC?) for connecting the phase legs to power transmission elements, a first group of cells (C1p1, C2p1, C1n1, C2n1, C1p2, C2p2, C1n2, C2n2, C1p3, C2p3, C1n3, C2n3) in each phase leg and a second group of cells (C3p1, C3n1, C3p2, C3n2 C3p3, C3n3). The cells (C1p1, C2p1, C1n1, C2n1, C1p2, C2p2, C1n2, C2n2, C1p3, C2p3, C1n3, C2n3) in the first group are only capable of providing unipolar voltage contributions to the converter and connected for only being capable of such unipolar voltage contributions, while the cells (C3p1, C3n1, C3p2, C3n2 C3p3, C3n3) in the second group are connected to the corresponding cells of the first group and arranged to have bipolar voltage contribution capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventor: Staffan Norrga
  • Patent number: 9484738
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for operation of substations in which protection, control and measurement devices (e.g., Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)) exchange operational data over a data network, for example, according to IEC standard 61850. During maintenance, commissioning and fault situations, when one or several IEDs are inoperable, the data that these IEDs would have produced is substituted to ensure availability of the substation. To this effect, a dedicated substitute device is permanently installed that can take the role of any IED, and that is automatically configured out of a standard configuration description (SCD) file that describes the SA system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hubert Kirrmann, Michael Obrist
  • Patent number: 9477976
    Abstract: A system for transmitting product information of a product is described. The system contains a product with an electronic controller for acquiring and/or storing product information, wherein the product information comprises standard information about the product and current product information, a barcode generating component for generating a barcode for representing the product information, wherein the barcode generating means is connected to the product for data transfer or is integrated into the product, and a barcode updating device for updating the barcode on the basis of the standard information about the product and current product information. There is furthermore an acquisition module for the information acquisition of the product information from the barcode by means of an image recording device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernhard Deck, Werner Vogt, Lorenzo Gulli, Kornel Scherrer
  • Patent number: 9471051
    Abstract: A method for displaying visual representation of at least one user interface, UI, of a process control system, the at least one UI being displayed on an electronic visual display unit connectable to the process control system and being adapted to visually indicate relationship between a plurality of components included in at least a part of a process controlled by the process control system, is disclosed. Data associated with different components in the process controlled by the process control system indicative of the operational status of the respective component is used to visualize the operational status of the components in each UI on the electronic visual display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Susanne Timsjo, Martin Olausson
  • Patent number: 9473384
    Abstract: A device validates reachability of nodes of a communication network of an industrial automation and control system. The device includes a collector module configured to update a data set including discovered dataflow information by detecting direct neighbor nodes having a physical connection to a selected node, and updating the data set by adding the selected node and those direct neighbor nodes which have configured logical network constraints matching logical network constraints of the selected node. The device includes a repeater module configured to repeat the selecting of a direct neighbor node in the data set and directing the collector module to update the data set using the selected direct neighbor node. The device includes a validation module configured to validate reachability of nodes of the network by comparing the data set with a data set including designed dataflow information which defines reachability requirements for nodes of the communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hadeli Hadeli, Thanikesavan Sivanthi, Otmar Görlitz, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Patent number: 9471052
    Abstract: A method and device of controlling an industrial process. The method includes the steps of monitoring a plurality of values of at least one physical property of the industrial process to be controlled and determining whether the respective value of the at least one physical parameter deviates from a nominal value. Further, the method includes the step of displaying on a display screen, in chronological order, current state of the at least one physical property over time, which current state reflects the deviation of the respective value from the nominal value. Finally, the method includes the steps of providing on the display screen, when a user selects one of the current states, detailed information pertaining to the selected state and controlling the industrial process on the basis of the detailed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Susanne Timsjo, Saad Azhar, Hongyu Pei-Breivold
  • Patent number: 9461926
    Abstract: A wireless communication device providing a node in the network includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a transmission buffer, and a packet prioritizing unit configured to obtain data relating to packets to be transmitted in the network, obtain indications of the remaining lifetime of the packets, where the indications are based on the time needed for reaching a destination node, prioritize the packets according to the remaining life time indications, where the prioritization is made in ascending order from an indication of a low remaining life time to a high remaining lifetime, and place the packets in the transmission buffer for transmission according to the prioritization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Pal Orten, Tomas Lennvall, Mikael Gidlund
  • Patent number: 9454136
    Abstract: A method of controlling an industrial system by a control system including a user interface having a main display arranged to provide a status view of at least a portion of the industrial system and a secondary display enabling user interaction with the industrial system and the main display. The method includes: receiving an alert concerning a status change in a part of the industrial system; displaying, on the secondary display, an alert object associated with the part of the industrial system generating the alert; detecting a selection of the alert object based on gesture-based user input; displaying the alert object on the main display; receiving an adjustment command of a parameter via gesture-based user input, the parameter being associated with the part of the industrial system generating the alert; adjusting the parameter based on the adjustment command; and controlling the part generating the alert based on the adjusted parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventor: Susanne Timsjo
  • Patent number: 9451498
    Abstract: A method for communication in a wireless sensor network of an industrial control system. The network includes a plurality of device nodes and at least one gateway. The method includes aggregating in at least one wireless device data originating from at least two data packets. The method includes receiving at a first node at least one first data packet for a first destination address and aggregating data from the at least one data packet with data from at least one second data packet, intended for the same first destination address, forming an aggregated data packet and sending the aggregated data packet to another node or to said gateway. In other aspects of the invention a method, system and a computer program for carrying out the method are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikael Gidlund, Tomas Lennvall, Jonas Neander
  • Patent number: 9451468
    Abstract: A method for reducing interference between wireless networks for industrial devices. The method includes the steps of: obtaining a first resource schedule of a first wireless network manager; obtaining a second resource schedule of a second wireless network manager; determining whether there are resource conflicts between the first resource schedule and the second resource schedule; and providing, when at least one resource conflict is determined, a new wireless resource schedule for the first wireless network manager to avoid at least part of the determined resource conflicts. A corresponding multi-network manager, system and computer program product are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomas Lennvall, Tiberiu Seceleanu
  • Patent number: 9450409
    Abstract: Converter stations have real and reactive power set points initially determined as part of a main loadflow analysis routinely performed on the AC power system connected to the converter stations. Viable real and/or reactive power set points for the converter stations can be identified by calculating real and/or reactive power set point candidates for the converter stations before the main loadflow analysis is performed again on the AC power system. The power set point candidates are calculated based on information determined as part of a previous iteration of the main loadflow analysis on the AC power system. The power set point candidates which violate an operating constraint imposed on the AC power system are identified, and a region of valid power set points is defined for the converter stations that excludes the power set point candidates which violate an operating constraint imposed on the AC power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Debrup Das, Reynaldo Nuqui, Mats Larsson
  • Patent number: 9430136
    Abstract: A method of providing a user with data relating to an element in a process on a workstation, includes: providing representations of a plurality of process elements on a display as graphical symbols; receiving media data from a media recording device, the media recording device being configured to send the media data to the process control system after recording media data and having a data obtaining unit for reading a tag on the element with an element identifier and for providing the element identifier to the process control system; presenting at least an existence of the media data via the display; receiving the element identifier with the media data; comparing the element identifier with element identifying data stored for each process element; identifying the element based on the comparison; and providing an indication of which graphical symbol corresponds to the element as the existence of the media data s resented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Olausson, Bjorn Yttergren, Daniel Fallman
  • Publication number: 20160246793
    Abstract: A method, item communication arrangement and a computer program product communicate items representing process control objects to a user of a wireless terminal in a process control system. The arrangement includes an item communication control unit providing the items representing process control objects and configured to continuously determine weights of the items and visually communicate items to the user via the wireless terminal in an order defined by the weights of the items. The weight of an item is determined based on an item selection pattern of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Fredrik ALFREDSSON, Elina VARTIAINEN, Jonas BRÖNMARK, Magnus LARSSON
  • Patent number: 9425681
    Abstract: Battery energy storage arranged to be connected to a direct current capacitor, which is connected in parallel to a power converter. The battery energy storage includes a battery module and a controllable voltage source adapted to inject a voltage opposite to a voltage ripple of the direct current capacitor. A power system including such battery energy storage and a direct current capacitor is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomas Tengner, Roberto Alves
  • Patent number: 9423791
    Abstract: A non-contact sensor system and method are disclosed for determining paper sheet quality parameters such as caliper, basis weight and sheet moisture based on THz radiation. The method can include emitting, by an emitter system, a THz radiation signal towards paper sheet material such that the THz radiation interacts with the paper sheet material; detecting, by a detector system, a time and/or frequency dependent response of the THz radiation signal having interacted with the paper sheet material; determining model parameters of a physical model by optimizing the model parameters such that a predicted response of the physical model is fitted to the detected response, the model parameters being indicative of transmission and/or reflection coefficients at interfaces of the paper sheet material with surrounding media; and determining, from the determined model parameters, at least some of the paper sheet quality parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Jacobus Lodevicus Martinus Van Mechelen, Hannes Merbold