Patents Assigned to General Electric Technology GmbH
  • Patent number: 11539386
    Abstract: In the field of communications assemblies, particularly those arising in connection with high voltage direct current (HVDC) power converters, there is provided a communications assembly (10) that comprises a first module (12) which is arranged in operative communication with a second module (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 14F, 14G, 14H) via a communication conduit (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, 16G, 16H). At least one of the first module (12) and the second module (14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E, 14F, 14G, 14H) have a receiver (24) that includes a squelch filter (26) which is configured to operate in a first normal mode and a second test mode. The squelch filter (26) normally operates in the first normal mode to suppress a signal output (28) from the receiver (24) when the strength of an input signal (30) received by the receiver (24), via the communication conduit (16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 16F, 16G, 16H), falls below a normal threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Andrew Patrick Nolan
  • Patent number: 11527368
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure can include an inertial short-circuit and seismic hook for an electrical equipment disconnect switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Riyad Kechroud, Clement Rollier, Pascal Babin
  • Publication number: 20220373599
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for voltage-less electrical signature analysis for fault protection. The systems and methods described herein may involve determining voltage values for a motor (which may then be used to estimate a speed of the motor) when complete voltage measurements may not be available, or may only be temporarily available. More specifically, the systems and methods described herein may address three scenarios, which may include at least: (1) when only a single phase voltage input is available for a three-phase motor, (2) when no voltage input is available, or (3) when a voltage input is only available for a limited period of time (for example, during a learning phase of the motor).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Balakrishna Pamulaparthy, Mitalkumar Kanabar, Akilezkrishnamurthy Arthanari
  • Patent number: 11506378
    Abstract: The present application provides a once-through evaporator system. The once-through evaporator system may include a number of once-through evaporator sections having an upstream distribution valve and a downstream temperature sensor and a position controller in communication with each distribution valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Petrus Johannes Koller, Hans Ulrich Lenherr, Alexander Taylor, Stefan Lukas Gysel
  • Patent number: 11499341
    Abstract: There is provided an electrical assembly comprising of a latching device including a latching member configured to be positionable in a first position and a second position, the latching device further including an actuator configured to selectively move the latching member between the first and second positions and an operating state detection unit configured to detect an abnormal operating state of the latching device; and a controller configured to selectively drive the actuator to move the latching member to a selected one of the first and second positions in response to the detection of the abnormal operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventor: Cristian Gheorghe Schlezinger
  • Publication number: 20220360161
    Abstract: The present disclosure an include an electrical assembly comprising a power converter having an AC side and a DC side, the AC side for connection to an AC network; at least one power transmission medium connected to the DC side of the power converter; a dynamic braking system operably connected to the or each power transmission medium, the dynamic braking system including a dynamic braking control unit programmed to selectively control activation of the dynamic braking system to carry out a dynamic braking operation; a monitoring unit for monitoring an electrical parameter of the AC network; and a processing unit programmed to determine an operating state of the AC network from the monitored electrical parameter, wherein the dynamic braking control unit is programmed to be responsive to the determined operating state of the AC network by configuring the dynamic braking system to be activatable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Andrzej ADAMCZYK, Carl BARKER
  • Publication number: 20220359138
    Abstract: A medium or high voltage electrical device and method of maintaining the composition of an insulating gas mixture in a medium or high voltage electrical device, where the device comprises a sealed chamber, said sealed chamber comprising electrical components; a gas mixture ensuring electrical insulation and/or extinguishing of electrical arcs produced in this chamber, wherein the gas mixture comprises at least one insulating gas and at least one dilution gas; and a receptacle, said receptacle comprising an opening, at least one wall, wherein at least one wall is a heatable wall, and wherein said receptacle is positioned to receive liquefied gas; the device further comprising a heating element for heating the heatable receptacle wall; and a dielectrically and thermally insulating layer located between the heatable receptacle wall and the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Yannick KIEFFEL, François BIQUEZ, Thomas BERTELOOT
  • Patent number: 11480601
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for improving distance protection in transmission lines. Such systems and methods may involve receiving one or more current and voltage inputs, and determining, based on the one or more current and voltage inputs, one or more current and voltage phasors, wherein the one or more current and voltage phasors are determined using a short window phasor estimation. Such systems and methods may also involve determining, within a single power cycle and based on the one or more current and voltage phasors, a fault in a transmission line. Such systems and methods may also involve sending, to a distance protection element and based on the determination that the fault exists, a signal to clear the fault in the transmission line, and clearing the fault in the transmission line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Hengxu Ha, Zhiying Zhang
  • Patent number: 11482394
    Abstract: A bidirectional gas discharge tube (GDT) includes a discharge chamber, first and second cathodes, a gas disposed within the discharge chamber, and a control grid. The first and second cathodes are disposed within the discharge chamber and include first and second faces, respectively. The first face and the second face are plane-parallel. The gas is configured to insulate the first cathode from the second cathode. The control grid is disposed between the first and second cathodes within the discharge chamber. The control grid is configured to generate an electric field to initiate establishment of a conductive plasma between the first and second cathodes to close a conduction path extending between the first and second cathodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Timothy John Sommerer, Joseph Darryl Michael, David John Smith
  • Patent number: 11478965
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mould for moulding a component with one or more inserts, the mould comprising a mould body for defining in part the shape of the component, and at least one insert holder for holding an insert within the mould body. Each insert holder is movably supported such it can move relative to the mould body in a direction of shrinkage of the component, and wherein the mould further comprises a biasing means to bias each insert holder to a first position relative to the mould body. The invention also relates to a method of moulding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventor: Lukas Treier
  • Publication number: 20220337064
    Abstract: There is provided an electrical assembly comprising a converter (20) for connection to an electrical network (40), the converter (20) comprising at least one module (44) including at least one switching element (46) and at least one energy storage device (48), the or each switching element (46) and the or each energy storage device (48) in the or each module (44) arranged to be combinable to selectively provide a voltage source, the electrical assembly including a controller (54) configured to selectively control the switching of the or each switching element (46) in the or each module (44), wherein the electrical assembly includes a sensor (56a) configured for measuring a current of the electrical network (40), wherein the controller (54) and sensor (56a) are configured to operate in coordination to carry out a characterisation of an electrical parameter of the electrical network (40) so that, in use: the controller (54) selectively controls the switching of the or each switching element (46) in the or ea
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Pablo BRIFF, Huy Quoc Si DANG, Richard ZHANG
  • Patent number: 11474140
    Abstract: In the field of fault location within a power transmission network, a method of determining a fault location in a power transmission conduit includes: (a) sampling at an original sampling frequency a signal propagating through the power transmission conduit to establish a first data set including a plurality of sampled signal characteristics; (b) interpolating the first data set to establish a second data set including an increased number of signal characteristics whereby the second data set has an equivalent sampling frequency higher than the original sampling frequency; (c) identifying a fault wave signal within the second data set; and (d) utilising the propagation characteristics of the fault wave signal to determine the origin of the fault wave signal within the power transmission conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Hengxu Ha, Sankara Sri Gopola Krishna Murthi
  • Patent number: 11460517
    Abstract: There is provided systems, apparatus, and methods for locating a fault in a plurality of windings of a transformer. In one embodiment, the apparatus may include: a measurement device configured to measure electrical flow parameters of the transformer when the transformer is in an online mode; and a fault location determination unit configured to determine electrical flow parameters of the windings from the measured electrical flow parameters of the transformer, wherein the fault location determination unit is configured to process the determined electrical flow parameters of the windings to determine the location of the fault in the windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Hengxu Ha, Xiuda Ma
  • Patent number: 11462377
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric arc-blast nozzle (5) for a circuit breaker comprising a middle portion (7) forming a throat defining internally an axial passage (13) for interrupting an electric arc, and two end portions (9, 11) extending on either side of the middle portion (7) and being designed to receive respective arcing contacts (1) and (3) that are movable axially relative to each other. The middle portion (7) and the two end portions (9, 11) are made of a same dielectric material obtained from a composition comprising a fluorocarbon polymer matrix, at least one inorganic filler and micro-capsules of liquid heptafluoro-iso-butyronitrile. The invention also relates to a circuit breaker including such a nozzle (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Yannick Kieffel, François Biquez
  • Patent number: 11433348
    Abstract: A method and device for purifying heptafluoroisobutyronitrile and a dilution gas from a used gas mixture comprising heptafluoroisobutyronitrile, a dilution gas and arcing by-products. The method comprising the steps of (a) contacting the used gas mixture with at least one adsorbent material to generate a gas stream depleted in arcing by-products; (b) contacting the gas stream depleted in by-products with a first membrane to obtain a first permeate stream rich in the dilution gas, and a first retentate stream rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile; (c) contacting the first permeate stream rich in the dilution gas with a second membrane to obtain a second permeate stream rich in the dilution gas and a second retentate stream rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile; and (d) combining the first and second retentate streams rich in heptafluoroisobutyronitrile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Elodie Laruelle, Louis Maksoud, Yannick Kieffel
  • Patent number: 11437809
    Abstract: This application describes methods and apparatus for the safety and protection of capacitor units suitable for medium and high voltage applications, for instance within switching modules (400) of a voltage source converter as may be used for HVDC or FACTs. The capacitor unit (300) has a housing (201) within which is a capacitor comprising a plastic film dielectric material, for instance a winding (100) of first and second plastic films (101, 102) with metal coatings (103, 104). A pressure sensor (302) is configured to detect if the pressure in the housing exceeds a first pressure level and a pressure relief valve (304) is configured to vent gas from the housing if the pressure in the housing exceeds a second pressure level which is higher than the first pressure level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Alistair Burnett, Neil Spibey
  • Patent number: 11437818
    Abstract: There is provided a power supply apparatus for supplying power to an external electrical load, including a power transmission line or cable through which an alternating or direct current may flow, a power supply module, a control unit, an output terminal for connection to the external electrical load, and a converter. The power supply module includes an input terminal connected to the power transmission line or cable, and includes switching elements and energy storage device(s). The control unit controls the switching elements to selectively switch each energy storage device into circuit to direct a current flowing in the power transmission line or cable to flow through each energy storage device so as to store energy to form a power source. The converter draws power from the power source and supplies the drawn power to the output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventor: Colin Charnock Davidson
  • Patent number: 11431331
    Abstract: A switching apparatus (20) comprises first and second current paths, each current path configured to be capable of conducting an electrical current, the first current path including a first switching element (28) connected in parallel with a first passive current check element (30), the switching apparatus (20) further including a switching controller configured to selectively control the switching of the first switching element (28), wherein the switching controller is configured to selectively switch the first switching element (28) at a first intra-current path switching speed to commutate the electrical current between the first switching element (30) and the first passive current check element (32), the switching controller is configured to selectively switch the first switching element (28) at a first inter-current path switching speed to commutate the electrical current between the first and second current paths, and the first intra-current path switching speed is faster or slower than the first inter-
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventor: John Lewis Outram
  • Publication number: 20220271648
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure can include various electrical assemblies. In one embodiment, an electrical assembly can include a module including at least one module switching element and an energy storage device, the or each module switching element and the energy storage device in the module arranged to be combinable to selectively provide a voltage source; and a shorting device directly connected to first and second terminals of the energy storage device, the shorting device including a first shorting switching element configured to be switchable between: a first switching state to isolate the first and second terminals from each other; and a second switching state to electrically connect the first and second terminals to short the energy storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH
    Inventors: Alistair John BURNETT, Neil Stuart SPIBEY
  • Patent number: 11424584
    Abstract: A current transformer connector (10; 102) for connecting a current transformer of an electrical network to a protection relay via a current transformer data acquisition board (12; 104), is provided. The current transformer connector (10; 102) comprises first and second pairs (14, 20) of first and second current contacts (16, 18, 22, 24), each current contact pair (14, 20) being connectable in use to the current transformer so as to permit current flow from the electrical network through the current contact pairs (14, 20) to the protection relay. Each current contact pair (14, 20) is arranged to be in a short circuit configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Technology Gmbh
    Inventors: Simon Kidd, Paul Aston