Patents Examined by Julio Cesar Gonzalez Ramirez
  • Patent number: 9494044
    Abstract: The present invention is a turbojet design that integrates power generation into the turbojet itself, rather than use separate generators attached to the turbojet for power generation. By integrating the power generation within the jet engine, the weight of the overall system is significantly reduced, increasing system efficiency. Also, by integrating the power generating elements of the system within the air flow of the jet engine, the present invention can use the heat generated by the power generating elements (which is simply expelled waste heat in current designs) to increase the engine performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Kurt J Kloesel
  • Patent number: 9467081
    Abstract: Protection system for a power converter connected to a doubly fed induction generator having a rotor and a stator. The power converter includes a grid-side-converter, a machine-side-converter, a DC link between both converters, a chopper connected to the DC link, and a hardware protection system connected to the rotor of the generator. The protection system includes a first control unit for controlling the hardware protection system depending on the voltage in the DC link, a second control unit for controlling the chopper depending on the DC link voltage, and a third control unit for controlling both converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: INGETEAM POWER TECHNOLOGY, S.A.
    Inventors: Eduardo Sanz Ceballos, Nagore Azkarate Askasua, Jose Carlos Alonso Segade, Iker Esandi Uriz, Ainhoa Cárcar Mayor
  • Patent number: 9467080
    Abstract: A generator system may include two or more generators electrically connected through a generator bus. A controller receives operation data from a first generator. The operation data may describe a power flow from a second generator to the first generator. From the operation data, either a loss of speed control or a loss of voltage control may be identified at the second generator. The controller may generate a command for the second generator based on the loss of speed control or the loss of voltage control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Kohler, Co.
    Inventors: Isaac S. Frampton, Douglas W. Dorn
  • Patent number: 9455657
    Abstract: An alternator control apparatus is provided which includes a first controller and a second controller that periodically transmits an instruction signal related to electric power generation to the first controller, wherein the instruction signal selectively includes a power generation instruction signal and a non-power generation instruction signal, the first controller, if a detection value of power supply voltage is less than a threshold and receives the power generation instruction signal from the second controller, controls a power generation amount of the alternator to be greater than a predetermined reference, and, if the detection value is less than the threshold and receives the non-power generation instruction signal from the second controller, forms or maintains the non-power generated or the power generation suppressed state, the second controller periodically transmits the non-power generation instruction signal to the first controller until a predetermined condition is met after completion of engi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Ito
  • Patent number: 9444380
    Abstract: A control section is configured to, when it is detected that a voltage of a B-terminal of a power generator has exceeded a first predetermined voltage value, turn on all switching elements of a negative arm of a bridge circuit connected to one set of armature windings and turn off all switching elements of a positive arm, and reduce a field current flowing in a field winding. The control section is configured to thereafter turn off all the turned-on switching elements when a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunori Tabata, Masato Mori, Kenji Nakajima, Kenichi Akita
  • Patent number: 9385645
    Abstract: An electrical DC generation system is disclosed. According to one aspect, a system for electrical DC generation system includes an electrical machine, having a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, a plurality of stator windings, a plurality of passive rectifiers connected to the plurality of stator windings, the plurality of passive rectifiers being connected in series to form an intermediate bus having a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The system also includes a DC-DC converter circuit having input terminals connected to the positive and negative terminals of the intermediate bus and having output terminals electrically isolated from the input terminals and connected in series with the intermediate bus. The DC-DC converter output voltage is adjusted to regulate torque of the electrical machine by adjusting stator current of the electrical machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ABB TECHNOLOGY AG
    Inventors: Zhiguo Pan, Darren Dale Tremelling
  • Patent number: 9024458
    Abstract: An energy storage and recovery system employs air compressed utilizing power from an operating wind turbine. This compressed air is stored within one or more chambers of a structure supporting the wind turbine above the ground. By functioning as both a physical support and as a vessel for storing compressed air, the relative contribution of the support structure to the overall cost of the energy storage and recovery system may be reduced, thereby improving economic realization for the combined turbine/support apparatus. In certain embodiments, expansion forces of the compressed air stored within the chamber, may be relied upon to augment the physical stability of a support structure, further reducing material costs of the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: LightSail Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Crane, Danielle A. Fong, Edwin P. Berlin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7081738
    Abstract: A generating device that includes an AC/DC conversion unit having a rectifier circuit that rectifies an output of a magneto rotor and applies the output to a battery, and an inverter circuit that converts a voltage of the battery into an AC control voltage and applies the AC control voltage to an armature coil of the magneto generator, performs chopper control that controls switch elements of the inverter circuit so as to interrupt an output current of the magneto generator to control the output of the magneto generator when a rotational speed of the magneto generator is lower than a set speed, and performs drive control that applies the AC control voltage from the battery through the inverter circuit to the armature coil when the rotational speed becomes higher than the set speed, and changes a phase angle of the AC control voltage to control the output of the magneto generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Kokusan Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Muramatsu, Hideaki Suzuki, Masanori Nakagawa, Masakatsu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7075189
    Abstract: A wind energy conversion system optimized for offshore application. Each wind turbine includes a semi-submersible hull with ballast weight that is moveable to increase the system's stability. Each wind turbine has an array of rotors distributed on a tower to distribute weight and loads and to improve power production performance where windshear is high. As much of the equipment associated with each rotor as possible is located at the base of the tower to lower the metacentric height. The equipment that may be emplaced at the bottom of the tower could include a power electronic converter, a DC to AC converter, or the entire generator with a mechanical linkage transmitting power from each rotor to the base of the tower. Rather than transmitting electrical power back to shore, it is contemplated to create energy intensive hydrogen-based products at the base of the wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Ocean Wind Energy Systems
    Inventors: Phyllis R. Heronemus, William Heronemus