Patents Assigned to ABB Technology
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20160127712
    Abstract: A method, computer program product and video communication device are provided for transmitting video to a remote user. The video communication device includes a communication interface for providing a communication session with a device of the remote user, a camera capturing images, and a control unit configured to obtain a three-dimensional model of the location, control the camera to capture video images of the location, determine a current orientation of the video communication device, and transfer the three-dimensional model and orientation to the device of the remote user together with a video stream from the camera comprising the captured video images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Fredrik ALFREDSSON, Elina VARTIAINEN, Jonas BRÖNMARK, Tony TSAI, Mark BILLINGHURST, Matthew TAIT
  • Publication number: 20160126737
    Abstract: A converter arrangement and a method of controlling a three-phase converter arrangement connected to a transmission grid are provided. The converter arrangement includes three phase legs and an energy transfer circuit. The method includes providing a varying respective output phase voltage to the transmission grid by selecting energy storage elements of both the phase legs and the energy transfer circuit and connecting the selected energy storage elements to the transmission grid output. The method further includes selecting energy storage elements for performing a transfer of energy between the energy storage elements during the control period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Frans DIJKHUIZEN, Alireza NAMI, Hector ZELAYA DE LA PARRA, Christopher TOWNSEND
  • Publication number: 20160117210
    Abstract: A method for multicore processor fault detection during execution of safety critical software applications in a multicore processor environment involves dedicating the complete resources of at least a part of at least one processor core to execution of diagnostics software application whilst dedicating remaining resources to execution of a safety-critical software application, thereby enabling parallel execution of the diagnostics software application and the safety-critical software application. There is also provided a controller for multicore processor fault detection during execution of safety critical software applications in a multicore processor environment. The controller includes a multicore processor environment. The controller may be part of a control system. The method may be provided as a computer program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Frank Reichenbach, Harald Vefling, Jan Endresen, Trond Loekstad
  • Publication number: 20160118908
    Abstract: An arrangement for tapping power from a DC power line to an AC power line includes power transfer modules between two DC potentials, each including a first branch with a string of converter cells in parallel with a second branch including a capacitor and being connected to an AC phase. There is at least one control unit that controls the arrangement considering one or more of a) distributing appropriate AC and DC voltages in converter output voltages of all series connected modules, b) maintaining/setting cell capacitor voltages in specific range and allowing boost mode operation, c) performing possible balancing of the introduced capacitor and d) employing an alternate approach of using passive filters to mitigate low order harmonics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Kalpesh Hirjibhai BHALODI, Lennart HARNEFORS, Sasitharan SUBRAMANIAN, Tomas JONSSON
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9324519
    Abstract: A low-voltage switching device including a plurality of arc-extinguishing chambers, wherein each of the arc-extinguishing chambers encloses a contacting unit including a stationary contact and a movable contact and arcs are formed when the movable contact is disconnected to the stationary contact, each of the arc-extinguishing chamber including a plurality of U-shaped arc extinguishing plates arranged for splitting, guiding and cooling the arc formed between the contacts and sidewalls provided with guiding means for guiding the arms of the arc extinguishing plates. The guiding means includes a plurality of supporting plates and the supporting plates are arranged protruding towards interior of the arc-extinguishing chamber for receiving the arms of the arc-extinguishing plates and for providing electrical isolation between arms of two adjacent arc extinguishing plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventor: David Karlen
  • Patent number: 9321180
    Abstract: An industrial robot device includes a swivel with an attachment mechanism for the attachment of a tool. The attachment mechanism includes at least two different attachment devices for two different kinds of tools. A first attachment device includes a positioning mechanism defining a certain angular position of an attached tool relative to the swivel. A second attachment device is arranged for allowing an arbitrary angular position of an attached tool relative to the swivel. Also contemplated is an industrial robot that is provided with the invented device and to a method for manipulating objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Daniel Wäppling, Guido Favot, Michael Fors
  • Patent number: 9324527
    Abstract: An arc monitor for tripping a circuit breaker in the event of an arc occurrence, the arc monitor including at least one arc detector and arranged to be operatively connected to at least one circuit breaker. The arc monitor includes a base unit and at least one extension unit with at least one arc detector input terminal, the at least one arc detector being connectable to the at least one arc detector input terminal, and the base unit includes a control unit. The extension unit is operatively connectable to and arranged to send an arc occurrence signal to the control unit, which is arranged to send a trip signal for tripping the at least one circuit breaker, in the event of an arc occurrence. Also an electrical installation including an arc monitor, and the use of an arc monitor as a supervision and safety equipment in an electrical installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Shlomy Allalouf, Leif Nilsson, Asa Gronqvist, Goran Engblom, Sigvard Mattsson
  • 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
  • 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: 9322737
    Abstract: An insulator for separating two objects with different electrical potential, the insulator including an insulating body enclosing a first volume for housing a gas, the body being provided with an opening, and a sealing arrangement arranged to seal the opening in the body and including a first gas-tight sealing element for sealing the opening and provided with a first closable opening, and a second gas-tight sealing element for sealing the opening, and arranged inside the first sealing element so that the first and second sealing elements define a second volume significantly smaller than the first volume. The second sealing element is provided with a second closable opening which in cooperation with the first closable opening enable control of the gas pressure in the first volume. Methods for leakage detection of the insulator are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Anders Holmberg, Anna Brorsson, Bengt Asplund, Jonas Persson, Mattias Lundborg
  • 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: 9312786
    Abstract: Cells in a phase leg of a multilevel converter are controlled through regulating, using tap-changer control, the modulation index of the converter to above 0.80, providing a group of carrier waves for the phase leg, where these carrier waves are identical but displaced in time from each other with a time delay, providing a voltage reference for the phase leg being separate from voltage references provided for other phase legs, stop switching of the cells when waveform values of a power transmission converter waveform are detected to be in a selected interval around a peak value of the power transmission converter waveform and control switching of the cells based on comparisons of the respective carrier waves with the voltage reference when the waveform values of the power transmission converter waveform are detected to be outside the selected interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Ying Jiang-Häfner
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20160089776
    Abstract: An industrial robot includes first and second kinematic chains configured to transmit the movements of corresponding first and second actuators to respective movements of an end effector. The first kinematic chain includes a first rod which is stiff. The second kinematic chain includes elements between the second actuator and the first rod such that the actuation of the second actuator causes bending forces on the first rod. The first and second kinematic chains thereby have the first rod as a common element, which improves compactness and accessibility of the robot. This improvement assumes that the robot is provided with one or more stiff rods that can bear the bending forces resulting from the actuation of the corresponding actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Applicant: ABB Technology Ltd
    Inventor: Torgny Brogardh
  • Patent number: 9297365
    Abstract: An offshore wind turbine assembly is disclosed. The offshore wind turbine assembly includes cable meshes or networks arranged on at least two respective levels along the longitudinal direction of the towers of floatable wind turbines in the offshore wind turbine assembly. The cable mesh at each level interconnects the wind turbines in the assembly so as to substantially maintain the position of each wind turbine relatively to the assembly when the entire assembly is located at an offshore position. By means of the arrangement of cable meshes, an upright orientation of the tower of each wind turbine in the assembly can be achieved by appropriately setting the interlevel spacing of the cable meshes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Hubertus Von Grunberg, Peter Terwiesch