Patents Assigned to ABB Technology AG
  • Patent number: 9334749
    Abstract: A turbine-based energy generation system includes an electric generator and auxiliary load. A power system for the turbine-based energy generation system includes a main converter and an auxiliary converter. The main converter is operable to deliver power generated by the electric generator to a power collection system external to the turbine-based energy generation system when the main converter is coupled to the generator. The main converter is also operable to deliver power provided from the power collection system to the auxiliary converter when the main converter is decoupled from the generator. The auxiliary converter is operable to deliver power generated by the electric generator to the auxiliary load when the auxiliary converter is coupled to the generator. The auxiliary converter is also operable to deliver the power provided by the main converter from the power collection system to the auxiliary load when the auxiliary converter is decoupled from the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Debrup Das, Sandeep Bala
  • Patent number: 9337645
    Abstract: A method in a controller for protection of a voltage source converter including one or more phases, each phase including one or more series-connected converter cells. Each converter cell has a by-pass switch for enabling by-pass thereof. The method includes the steps of detecting an over-voltage condition, and controlling simultaneously the by-pass switches of each converter cell, so as to bypass the converter cells upon detection of such over-voltage condition. The invention also encompasses a controller, computer programs and computer program products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Hasler, Mauro Monge, Marcio De Oliveira
  • Patent number: 9337630
    Abstract: Side panels for a compartment of a switchgear include a first panel structure and a second panel structure that is identical to the first panel structure. Each panel structure has a body with symmetric surface features in the body. Certain of the surface features are offset from a plane of symmetry of the body. The first panel structure is constructed and arranged to define a left side of the compartment and the second panel structure, upon proper orientation, is constructed and arranged to define an opposing, right side of the compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Zdenek Kutalek, Stefano Motta, Amar G. Kini, Frantisek Koudelka
  • Patent number: 9330868
    Abstract: A contact assembly and a vacuum circuit breaker for interrupting an electrical current are disclosed. The contact assembly includes an outer field generating element for generating a first axial magnetic field (AMF), and an inner field generating element for generating a second AMF opposite to the first AMF. The inner field generating element can be coaxial with the outer field generating element and can have a smaller diameter than the outer field generating element. The outer field generating element can be cup-shaped and slotted with non-radial slots to generate the first AMF. The contact assembly can include an innermost conducting element for nominal current conduction and coaxially adjusted with the inner field generating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Dietmar Gentsch, Tarek Lamara
  • Publication number: 20160118186
    Abstract: A hardened inductive device and systems and methods for protecting the inductive device from impact is provided. The inductive device is hardened with protective coating and/or an armor steel housing. The hardened inductive device is protected from impact by an object such as a bullet and leakage of dielectric fluid is prevented. Acoustic and vibration sensors are provided to detect the presence and impact, respectively, of an object in relation to the inductive device housing. The measurements of the acoustic and vibration sensors are compared to thresholds for sending alarms to the network control center and initiating shut-down and other sequences to protect the active part. The acoustic sensor results are utilized to determine the location of origin of the projectile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: George K. Frimpong, Alberto Prieto, Mirrasoul J. Mousavi, James Stoupis, Ed G. teNyenhuis, Jeremy R. Schueler, Andrew Bleich, Elizabeth D. Sullivan, Claude J. Lambert, Petter A. Fiskerud, Andrew J. Wall, Gary C. McLeish, Thomas McDonald, Ronald A. Kupiec
  • Publication number: 20160118181
    Abstract: A transformer may comprise a winding wrapped around a magnetic core, the winding having at least one winding portion extending between the magnetic core and the exterior of the winding in radial direction. The winding may comprise at least a first conductor and at least a second conductor, arranged radially adjacent to each other in each winding portion with the interposition of an insulating layer, wherein the first conductor is arranged radially inwardly with respect to the second conductor for part of each winding portion length, and radially outwardly with respect to the second conductor for another part of each winding portion length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Rafael MURILLO, Antonio NOGUÉS BARRIERAS, Pilar ESTELLA, Pedro MARQUÉS SALDAÑA, Carlos ROY MARTÍN, Lorena CEBRIÁN LLES, Luis SÁNCHEZ
  • Patent number: 9325225
    Abstract: A rotating electric machine and a method of magnetizing a rotor of a brushless rotating electric machine are disclosed, the method including forming a stationary magnetic field, rotating a rotor of a magnetizing machine in the stationary magnetic field for producing alternating current, rectifying the alternating current with a controllable bridge situated in the rotor, receiving control instructions wirelessly to the rotor, controlling a magnitude of current with the controllable bridge based on the control instructions, and feeding the controlled current to the magnetizing winding of the rotating electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventor: Eino Silander
  • Patent number: 9324520
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a vacuum chamber including at least one ceramic isolating cylinder with two face ends. At least one of the two face ends of the ceramic isolating cylinder is closed by a metallic cover including an outer and an inner part. A distal end of the outer part of the metallic cover is thinner relative to the remainder of the outer part of the metallic cover and forms a metallic lid. The metallic lid is connected to at least one of the two face ends of the ceramic isolating cylinder in a vacuum tight manner. The metallic cover can be formed in one piece and fits with the inner part of the metallic cover at an inner girthed area of the ceramic isolating cylinder to realize a self-centering of the metallic lid to at least one of the two face ends of the ceramic isolating cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventor: Dietmar Gentsch
  • Patent number: 9324518
    Abstract: A linkage and operating assembly is provided for a dead tank circuit breaker. The circuit breaker has a plurality of pole assemblies and an actuating assembly associated with each pole assembly for opening and closing a movable electrical contact of the associated pole assembly. The linkage and operating assembly includes a linkage module having a plurality of drive structures. Each drive structure has a portion constructed and arranged to be removably coupled to an associated actuating assembly. An operating mechanism is coupled with the linkage module for causing movement of the drive structures substantially simultaneously. When the portions of the drive structures are decoupled from the associated actuating assemblies, the linkage module together with the operating mechanism is constructed and arranged to be removed as a single unit from the circuit breaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Jonathan Fuge, Beth Dahm, Matthew Cuppett
  • Patent number: 9322687
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a magnetic-inductive flow meter having a measuring tube on which there is fitted a magnetic unit for generating a magnetic field, which is aligned substantially perpendicular to a flow direction of an electrically conductive measuring medium flowing through the measuring tube and whose measurement voltage induced in the measuring medium can be detected by at least two inserted measuring electrodes electrically insulated from the measuring tube. In order to avoid coupling interference voltages into the electrical electrodes, the first and the second electrode leads can be jointly twisted starting from the leadthrough as far as the first electrode, where the first electrode lead is electrically connected to the first electrode, and the second electrode is connected to a short-circuited conductor loop which encompasses the measuring tube and is connected to the second electrode lead at a location of the first electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Harald Grothey, Holger Seebode, Markus Brode
  • Patent number: 9324708
    Abstract: An exemplary power semiconductor device with a wafer having an emitter electrode on an emitter side and a collector electrode on a collector side, an (n-) doped drift layer, an n-doped first region, a p-doped base layer, an n-doped source region, and a gate electrode, all of which being formed between the emitter and collector electrodes. The emitter electrode contacts the base layer and the source region within a contact area. An active semiconductor cell is formed within the wafer, and includes layers that lie in orthogonal projection with respect to the emitter side of the contact area of the emitter electrode. The device also includes a p-doped well, which is arranged in the same plane as the base layer, but outside the active cell. The well is electrically connected to the emitter electrode at least one of directly or via the base layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Liutauras Storasta, Arnost Kopta, Munaf Rahimo
  • Publication number: 20160107795
    Abstract: A tank for electrical equipment such as power transformers and shunt reactors has integral stiffeners for reinforcing the tank during overpressure conditions, such as during an arc fault. The stiffeners are formed of a material that is more ductile than the material to which the stiffeners are attached, such as the tank walls and cover. The tank with integral stiffeners allows for expansion of the internal volume of the tank during overpressure conditions, thus, increasing the flexibility of the tank and mitigating the risk of tank rupture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventor: Samuel Brodeur
  • Patent number: 9312082
    Abstract: An interlock structure is coupled between actuating structure and a travel adjuster of a circuit breaker. The interlock structure includes a body having a bore therein. An engaging member has a portion sized to be received by the bore and the engaging member is coupled with the travel adjuster for movement therewith. A slide member is movable with respect to the body between operative and inoperative positions. Linkage structure is coupled to the slide member for moving the slide member and is also coupled to the actuating structure such that upon movement of the actuating structure, the linkage structure moves the slide member to the operative position so that the slide member blocks at least a portion of the bore to prevent the engaging member from entering the bore and thus prevents the travel adjuster from moving in a certain direction to allow the closure of the circuit breaker contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Bill P. Milholland, Lilia Aviles
  • Patent number: 9311800
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a safety device and a method for detecting and evaluating the degree of attention of an operator of a technical installation or a technical process, which includes a first module which records values of predefined physiological parameters of the operator and determines a first characteristic number from the recorded values, compares the determined first characteristic number with a predefined first characteristic value, which activates a second module which records further values provided by a checking or triggering mechanism. The second module determines a second characteristic number for the degree of attention of the operator from the recorded further values, compares the second characteristic number with at least one second predefined characteristic value, which triggers an activation module in order to take countermeasures which increase the attention of the operator of the installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Martin Hollender, Tony B. Atkinson
  • Patent number: 9312085
    Abstract: A circuit breaker including an ejection device including an arc-extinction medium for improved extinction of an arc formed during a breaker operation and an exhaust-cooling medium for improved cooling of exhaust gases in the circuit breaker. Thereby, the arc-extinction liquid includes an organofluorine compound having a boiling point Tb at 1 bar higher than ?60° C. and being selected from the group of: a fluoroether; a fluoroamine; a fluoroketone; and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Francesco Pisu, Francia Galindo-Lozano, Javier Mantilla, Mathias-Dominic Buergler, Nicola Gariboldi, Oliver Cossalter, Patrick Stoller, Stephan Grob, Sami Kotilainen
  • Publication number: 20160099863
    Abstract: A system analyzer and a method for analyzing an impact of a change in a component of a distributed control system (DCS) are disclosed. The system can collect and store data representing the DCS components and their interconnection as well as signals of the DCS components. The DCS can be graphically modeled with nodes and directed edges, wherein a node represents either a type of DCS component or a signal of a DCS components, and wherein an edge is an “influence”-edge, or a “contains”-edge. Information on a change of a DCS components is received, a depth first or breadth first search is performed over the “influence”-edges and “contains”-edges and determine unchanged DCS components which would be affected by a malfunction, a removal or a taking out of operation of the at least one DCS component, and information on the affected DCS components is transmitted to an operator interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Christian MESSINGER, Pablo RODRIGUEZ CARRION, Georg GUTERMUTH, Jan-Christian SCHÄFER
  • Patent number: 9304046
    Abstract: A method of characterizing a coated body by at least one coating parameter based on fitting to a physical model is provided. The coated body includes a substrate coated by a polymeric coating such as a paint film, the polymeric coating having at least one layer. The method is carried out by a sensor system in a non-contact manner, the sensor system including an emitter system for emitting THz radiation, a detector system for detecting THz radiation, and a processing unit operationally coupled to the emitter system and the detector system. The method includes: emitting, by the emitter system, a THz radiation signal towards the coated body such that the THz radiation interacts with the polymeric coating; and detecting, by the detector system, a response signal being the detected THz radiation signal having interacted with the polymeric coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Jacobus Lodevicus Martinus Van Mechelen, Hannes Merbold
  • Patent number: 9306298
    Abstract: A terminal block including at least one housing for a connection terminal, the housing extending at least partly within a volume delimited by: a first plane transverse to two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially parallel to a general direction joining a first end and a second end of a fastening member, and passing through a connecting area of the fastening member, and a second plane transverse to the two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially parallel to the first plane and passing through a connecting area of the rear face, at least a third plane transverse to the two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially transverse to the first plane and to the second plane, and passing through the furthest elastic branch of the fastening means intended to interact with an edge of the support rail, and at least a fourth plane transverse to the two side planes delimiting the insulating body, substantially transverse to the first plane and to the second plane, and pa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Philippe France, Romain Villard
  • Patent number: 9297829
    Abstract: A multifunctional measuring device, such as for measuring a current in a primary current conductor in a medium voltage switchgear is disclosed which includes a housing with an aperture for accommodation of the primary current conductor; an inner winding accommodated around the aperture inside of the housing for a measurement of current in a primary current conductor; and an external winding wound on the housing around the aperture for another current measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Radek Javora, Jaromir Podzemny, Marek Pavlas
  • Patent number: 9300314
    Abstract: An arrangement for reading out an analog voltage signal includes a voltage signal input for applying the analog voltage signal thereto, a reference unit configured to generate an analog reference voltage, and a converting unit configured to convert an analog input signal into a digital output signal. To enable online self-calibration of the arrangement, the arrangement includes a superposition unit configured to receive the analog voltage signal and the analog reference voltage. The superposition unit includes a modulation unit configured to generate a modulated reference voltage from the analog reference voltage. The superposition unit is configured to generate a combined analog signal by superimposing the modulated reference voltage onto the analog voltage signal, and to forward the combined analog signal to the converting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Joris Pascal, Richard Bloch