Patents Assigned to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20250118990
    Abstract: An electric power system may include numerous devices electrically connected to numerous other devices. In some cases, it may be beneficial to quickly determine and resolve an electric power system topology. Using a protection and control (PAC) algorithm, an electric power delivery system may be identified and represented as a graph including nodes and edges. The nodes represent electric power sources, busses, and ground. The edges represent circuit breakers, disconnects switches, and ground switches. By representing the electric power delivery system as a graph, the connections between various nodes (e.g., power sources, busses, grounds) and edges (e.g., circuit breakers, disconnects, ground switches) may be quickly and easily realized, represented, and visualized. Doing so may reduce programming and testing time after a change to the topology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2023
    Publication date: April 10, 2025
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale S. Finney
  • Patent number: 12255462
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatus presented herein are directed to improvements in maintaining voltage and frequency stability of an electric power delivery system. To do so, model predictive control (MPC) may be used. Input data may be obtained for a sampling period and may include a current system state. The MPC may predict an initial trajectory of the input data, output data, and a state of the system for a prediction period. The MPC may linearize the output and state trajectories and determine an updated input trajectory based at least in part on the linearized output trajectory. The MPC may determine control inputs to the system which achieve the updated input trajectory for a control period. The MPC may transmit control signals based at least in part on the control inputs to equipment associated with the input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Dakota Hamilton, Dionysios Aliprantis
  • Patent number: 12249948
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to devices, systems, and methods for monitoring a generator. In one embodiment, the system may include a measurement subsystem to receive a plurality of split-phase measurements of branch currents associated with the at least one generator. A split-phase transverse differential monitoring subsystem may receive the plurality of split-phase measurements of branch currents associated with the at least one generator and may generate an offset value representing a standing split-phase current. A protective action subsystem may generate a first protective action based on the phasor operating current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ritwik Chowdhury, Matchyaraju Alla, Normann Fischer, Dale S. Finney
  • Patent number: 12244135
    Abstract: Signal transducers in electrical communication with shorted leads of current transformers are used to provide monitoring and protection functions to an electric power delivery system. Differential protection is performed by comparing a predetermined threshold against a voltage signal from series-connected leads of signal transducers in electrical communication with shorted leads of current transformers. The signal transducers may be Rogowski coils. Signal transducers in communication with shorted leads may be used to improve safety and increase performance of the current transformers by decreasing susceptibility to saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcos A. Donolo, Jay Hartshorn, Anushka M. Dissanayake, Pallavi Kulkarni, Veselin Skendzic, Vinod K. Yedidi, Subhash C. Patel, Angelo D'Aversa
  • Patent number: 12220739
    Abstract: A table assembly is used to support a workpiece to facilitate bending of the workpiece. The table assembly is attached to a press brake system and include a base and a clamp. The clamp is movable relative to the base to enable placement of the workpiece onto the base, and the clamp secures the workpiece to the base to block relative movement between the workpiece and the press brake system without additional user operations. The workpiece is secured via the table assembly without a manual force (e.g., to hold the workpiece in place) while the press brake system operates to bend the workpiece. The table assembly reduces, limits, or eliminates certain user operations during metalworking. The table assembly improves user experience (e.g., reduce an amount of manual labor) and/or efficiency associated with press brake operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, inc.
    Inventors: Josh Stuart, Chris Emmel, Steve Barner, Kyle Garrett, Aaron Snyder, Jason Schacher
  • Patent number: 12222375
    Abstract: A shunt resistor may, in some cases, receive interference from magnetic fields. The shunt resistor may include a resistive element coupled between multiple conductive elements, and measurement circuitry coupled to the leads, forming an electrically conductive loop. Current through the shunt resistor may be determined by measuring the current through the resistive element at the leads. An induced voltage in the loop may be determined by the product of the loop area and the magnetic field passing through the loop. Consequently, when a magnetic field is passed through the shunt resistor loop, an undesirable interfering signal may be produced, distorting the output signal of the shunt resistor. As the interfering signal is a product of the loop area and the magnetic field, the geometry of the shunt resistor may be modified to reduce the loop area and thus reduce or minimize the interference on the shunt resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: James Mobley, Adam Seubert, Sally M. Mei
  • Publication number: 20250047427
    Abstract: This disclosure pertains to systems and methods to detect network errors in a parallel redundant protocol (PRP) network. A node-level redundancy error subsystem of an intelligent electronic device (IED) maintains records (e.g., counts) of information associated with missing duplicate frames expected from node devices on the PRP network via redundant first and second local area networks (LANs). Non-zero counts of missing duplicate frames may be identified as network errors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: February 6, 2025
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Mauricio G. Silveira, Bharat Nalla, Rajeev Kumar Babu, David J. Dolezilek, Edson L. Hernandez Cortinas, Nishchal Sharma, Andrew W. Rash, Andrew A. Miller, Lihua Ran
  • Patent number: 12218694
    Abstract: An electric power system may include numerous devices electrically connected to numerous other devices. In some cases, it may be beneficial to quickly determine and resolve an electric power system topology. The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for resolving an electric power system topology using bit pattern sequence compression. A multi-node device may be electrically coupled to one node per side. Each node may be associated with a bit value. The bit values may be compared to determine if the nodes are electrically coupled. This process may be recursively performed for all of the multi-node devices, until it is determined which devices are electrically coupled and which are electrically isolated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, inc.
    Inventor: Jeff L. Otto
  • Patent number: 12212469
    Abstract: Various examples of systems and methods are described herein in which multiple intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) are connected in a network. A software-defined network (SDN) controller may include a rule subsystem, a test mode subsystem, a packet inspection subsystem, and a validation subsystem. The rule subsystem may define a plurality of flow rules. A test mode subsystem may operate the SDN in a testing mode. A packet insertion subsystem may insert test packets within the SDN while the SDN is in the testing mode. The validation subsystem may validate or fail each flow rule depending on how the various test packets are handled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Dolezilek, Amandeep Singh Kalra
  • Patent number: 12181524
    Abstract: Circuit breakers may perform a variety of operations, including isolating a faulty part of the power system that may result in a cascading outage. However, circuit breaker operations may cause wear and tear of the tripping assembly components, which eventually cause the circuit breaker to wear out. Additionally, long periods of non-operations may cause the mechanical parts inside a circuit breaker to move sluggishly or, in some instances, fail to move at all. In an embodiment, a system includes a circuit breaker that trips to control power flow and an intelligent electronic device (IED) including an electronic display. The IED receives measurement data associated with a trip event for the circuit breaker, generates a current profile based on the measurement data, and presents the current profile via the electronic display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Austin Edward Wade, Brandon Michael Nafsinger, Bryan Jennings Foutch
  • Patent number: 12184343
    Abstract: A wireless radio repeater includes an antenna configured to receive a message associated with an electric power delivery system. The wireless radio repeater also includes circuitry configured to receive electrical measurement data, identify a condition of the electric power delivery system based on the electrical measurement data, and cause the antenna to re-transmit the message received via the antenna in response to identifying the condition based on the electrical measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Edmund O. Schweitzer, III, Miralem Cosic, Raymond W. Rice
  • Patent number: 12176716
    Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods related to protection of a reactor in an alternating current (AC) electric power system. In one embodiment, a system may include a protective action subsystem to implement a protective action based on identification of a fault condition associated with a reactor. A frequency determination subsystem may determine when a frequency of the AC voltage is outside of a range defined by a lower threshold and an upper threshold and may identify a change in the frequency associated with de-energization of a line in electrical communication with the reactor. A supervisory subsystem may restrain implementation of the protective action when the frequency is outside of the range or when the change in the frequency is associated with de-energization of the line in electrical communication with the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ritwik Chowdhury, Douglas I. Taylor, Normann Fischer
  • Publication number: 20240413629
    Abstract: A system for voltage signal distribution in a digital substation protection system. In a system where a voltage signal from a bus is not available, an alternative voltage secondary signal may be selected as a reference voltage and made available to the appropriate protection devices in a digital substation protection system for synchronism check. Voltage signals may be distributed using software-defined networking. A voltage selection controller may select the reference voltage and control distribution of the voltage signal using the software-defined networking communication system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.,
    Inventors: Yusuf Zafer Korkmaz, Sagar Dayabhai
  • Patent number: 12160363
    Abstract: This disclosure pertains to identifying and configuring an in-band controller operating on a host in a software defined network (SDN), the host configured to use a parallel redundancy protocol (PRP). In one embodiment, a system may include a network in communication with the host, the network comprising a plurality of switches interconnected with a plurality of physical links. The in-band controller is in communication with the network and includes a PRP identification subsystem to generate a packet configured such that the network forwards the packet back to the in-band controller, to analyze the packet and determine that the packet conforms to PRP, and to identify a first communication host in communication with the network and configured to operate using PRP. A traffic routing subsystem of the in-band controller may create a plurality of PRP communication flows between the in-band controller and the first communication host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Tristan Lloyd Mullis, Rhett Smith, Kylan T. Robinson
  • Patent number: 12153079
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems for determining a broken conductor condition in a multiple-phase electric power delivery system. It has been observed that broken conductors pose a safety concern when occurring in the presence of people or vulnerable environmental conditions. Broken conductor conditions disclosed herein may be used to detect and trip the phase with the broken conductor, thus reducing or even eliminating the safety risk. Broken conductors may be determined using detected phase series arcing differences in one phase without commensurate differences in other phases. In various embodiments the phase series arcing attributes may be phase current monitored for decrement and/or phase resistance monitored for increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Kanchanrao Gangadhar Dase, James Burton Colwell, Matchyaraju Alla, Shreenivas Pai
  • Publication number: 20240386446
    Abstract: A method of manufacture includes applying an identification pattern over a printed circuit board (PCB), capturing an image of the identification pattern applied to the PCB, associating the image with an additional identification pattern associated with the PCB, and storing the image and the association between the image and the additional identification pattern in a database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex A. Olson, Harold R. Klein, Cody W. Tews
  • Patent number: 12149073
    Abstract: This disclosure discusses systems, methods, and techniques for producing and utilizing a capability region of one or more monitored equipment. To do so, an intelligent electronic device (IED) may access a data set of one or more known performance characteristics of the monitored equipment. The known performance characteristics are based on, or dependent of, one or more variables. The IED may also access a constraint library with geometric primitives. Then, the IED may analyze the data set and may produce the capability region using the geometric primitive. The IED may compare an operating point of the monitored equipment to the capability region of the monitored equipment. Based on the comparison, the IED may implement a control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellery A. Blood, Scott M. Manson
  • Patent number: 12130322
    Abstract: Systems may include a first data acquisition subsystem, a second data acquisition subsystem, and a traveling wave analysis subsystem. The traveling wave analysis subsystem may be configured to analyze measured traveling wave data from the first data acquisition subsystem and the second data acquisition subsystem. Additionally, methods of analyzing traveling wave data resulting from a fault on an electric power delivery system may involve analyzing measured electrical properties of at least one traveling wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ellery A. Blood, Gregory R. Smelich, Riley Grant Huddleston
  • Patent number: D1048859
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler L. Marines, Steven T. Watts
  • Patent number: D1051858
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: J P Howe, Nate Boos, Raymond M. Connolly, III