Patents Examined by Nicholas Ponomarenko
  • Patent number: 8890353
    Abstract: Hydroconveyors are described which utilize magnetic levitation or magnetic suspension to support a collection of conveyor elements. The hydroconveyors are located above or partially within a flowstream such as a river. Additional versions of the hydroconveyors are described which include velocity increasing waterways located upstream of an end of the hydroconveyor. The various hydroconveyors can be used in conjunction with electrical generators to provide electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Inventor: Frank Patrick Cunnane
  • Patent number: 8884455
    Abstract: A wave energy converter comprises a rotor, which is designed to convert a wave movement of a body of water, in which the wave energy converter is arranged, into a rotational movement of the rotor, wherein a mean density of at least one rotating component of the rotor can be adjusted and/or is lower than the mean density of the fluid surrounding the rotor in the body of water. The disclosure likewise relates to a corresponding control device and an operating method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Reimer, Nicolas Houis, Nik Scharmann, Benjamin Hagemann, Markus Perschall, Alexander Poddey, Yukio Kamizuru, Michael Hilsch, Johannes Nitzsche, Jasper Behrendt
  • Patent number: 8884457
    Abstract: An energy generating system includes a first pair of elongate arms, having proximal and distal ends, configured for substantially symmetrically opposing reciprocal swinging motion in a substantially horizontal plane. A first pair of substantially vertical sails are each attached at the distal end of one of the elongate arms, the sails being configured to drive opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the arms in response to a flow of fluid therepast. A first generator assembly is attached to the proximal ends of the first pair of arms, and is configured to generate electrical energy from the substantially symmetrical opposing reciprocal swinging motion of the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Johnathan M Jones
  • Patent number: 8872370
    Abstract: A tool cover for receiving a tool housing of a pneumatic tool is disclosed. The tool cover supports and aligns an inductor element of a stator with magnets of a rotor within the tool housing. The tool cover also supports a circuit to which the inductor element is electrically connected, where the circuit comprises a power conditioner for receiving current from the inductor element and conditioning the current to be acceptable for supply to a load that comprises one or more logic processing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: H & S Autoshot Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Volt Aire Corporation
    Inventor: Jon J. Leininger
  • Patent number: 8872362
    Abstract: A sole for footwear including a body having a length, a body portion of the body that is capable of expansion and contraction, and a drive generator located in the body for generating drive to drive a driven device in the body. The drive generator has an elongate drive member arranged to slide relative to the body portion in a direction along the length of the body, upon expansion and contraction of the body portion, for driving the driven device as the sole bends and unbends during use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Cedar Technologies International Ltd.
    Inventors: Neville Ka Shek Lee, Chi Kit Chan, Samuel Sing-Kwong Hui
  • Patent number: 8866323
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind power plant in case of a frequency drop in a utility grid to which the wind turbines are connected is provided. The method includes combining demand response, inertial response and spinning reserve for given wind speeds in order for wind power plants to deliver fast aggregate under frequency response for a wide wind speed range with minimal recovery time and minimal production loss at each wind speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Kaj Skov Nielsen
  • Patent number: 8866449
    Abstract: A new and useful electrical machine includes a stator including a stator winding and a primary transformer coil. A rotor is operatively connected to rotate relative to the stator, wherein the rotor includes a plurality of embedded permanent magnets. An excitation coil is wound on the rotor and is operatively connected to form a rotating transformer with the primary transformer coil. An inverter/active rectifier component is operatively connected to the stator winding and the primary transformer coil to control the stator winding based on excitation in the stator winding from the excitation coil and permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory I. Rozman, Jacek F. Gieras, Steven J. Moss
  • Patent number: 8866324
    Abstract: Provided is a system for controlling temperature of a gear box for a wind power generator gear box. The system for controlling a temperature according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the gear box; a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust the temperature of the gear box in accordance with the temperature of the gear box which is measured by the temperature sensor; a pitch adjustment unit configured to adjust a pitch angle of the blade; and a control unit configured to control the pitch adjustment unit so that the blade is rotated at a rotating speed for heating when the measured temperature of the gear box is lower than a range of a normal operating temperature of the gear box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Heavy Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Inchul Ha
  • Patent number: 8866317
    Abstract: A system that converts environmental vibrational energy into electrical energy includes a transducer that undergoes oscillating movement in response to the vibrational energy in order to produce an oscillating electrical signal. Power electronics process the oscillating electrical signal. A control system (including at least one control element of the power electronics, at least one sensor and control electronics) carries out a control scheme that dynamically varies the dampening of the oscillating movement of the transducer over time. The control scheme is based upon a predetermined parametric relation involving a plurality of variables derived from the properties measured by the at least one sensor. In several embodiments, the plurality of variables includes a first variable representing excitation frequency of the transducer. In another embodiment, the predetermined parametric relation represents relative phase between two variables derived from the properties measured by the at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Murat Ocalan
  • Patent number: 8860382
    Abstract: A method for damping torsional oscillations in a drive train component, in particular a gearbox, in particular in a power production plant, includes adjusting a load on the output side in the drive train as a function of a difference between a rotational speed of an input shaft of the drive train component and a rotational speed of an output shaft of the drive train component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Freier, Andreas Vath, Sebastian Grimm
  • Patent number: 8860240
    Abstract: The Wind Wing Electric Generator is a apparatus for inexpensively converting oscillating rotating mechanical energy into electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Inventor: Andrew Lovas
  • Patent number: 8854017
    Abstract: A method for controlling a generator having a rotor with a plurality of magnets and a first stator winding and a second stator winding, electrically separate from the first stator winding is provided. The rotor rotates around a rotation axis perpendicular to a radial direction relative to the stator windings. The method includes allowing flow of a first electric current through the first stator winding, thereby generating a first radial force having a first magnitude and acting between the first stator winding and the rotor, and allowing flow of a second electric current through the second stator winding, thereby generating a second radial force having a second magnitude and acting between the second stator winding and the rotor, wherein the first magnitude is different from the second magnitude resulting in a net generator generated radial force generated by the first stator winding and the second stator winding at the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Heng Deng, Thomas Esbensen, Gustav Hoegh
  • Patent number: 8853878
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, a combustor, a turbine, a power turbine shaft, and a gas producer shaft. The compressor includes a compressor rotor assembly including a plurality of compressor disk assemblies. The turbine includes a turbine rotor assembly including a power turbine section and a gas producer section. The power turbine shaft is coupled to the power turbine section and is configured to couple to a first driven apparatus. The gas producer shaft is coupled to the gas producer section and the compressor rotor assembly, and is configured to couple to a second driven apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Chappell White
  • Patent number: 8853877
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wind farm having a power output constraint is disclosed. The method may include operating a plurality of wind turbines within the wind farm. Each wind turbine may include a baseline power output and a maximum power output. The baseline power output may be defined by a control-limited power curve as a function of wind speed. In addition, the method may include comparing a total power output for the wind farm to the power output constraint of the wind farm, controlling the operation of at least one wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines to provide an increased power output for the at least one wind turbine when the total power output is less than the power output constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jonathan Henry Zalar, Thomas Frank Fric
  • Patent number: 8853880
    Abstract: An eddy carrier type wind power collection device includes a floating body and two air guiding tubes. The floating body including a compartment filled with an uprising gas having a density lower than that of air. The floating body includes a wind shear portion. The floating body further includes a floating assembly for controlling the pressure and temperature of the uprising gas. The air guiding tubes extend through the compartment of the floating body. Each air guiding tube has an air inlet and an air outlet. The air outlet includes a peripheral wall having a windward section and a guiding section. The peripheral wall of the air outlet has a cutout portion formed between the windward section and the guiding section. An air channel is formed between and in communication with the air inlet and the air outlet. A wind power generating assembly is mounted in each air channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: National Pingtung University of Science & Technology
    Inventors: Chang-Hsien Tai, Uzu-Kuei Hsu, Shi-Wei Lo
  • Patent number: 8847558
    Abstract: A setpoint for a mechanical torque of a generator in a recuperation system of a motor vehicle is specified, and a generator current of the generator for setting the specified mechanical torque of the generator is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8847560
    Abstract: A power supply circuit for supplying electrical energy in an aircraft, the circuit including a power supply generator configured to be driven in rotation by the engine of the aircraft to power electrical equipment of the aircraft engine. The power supply generator includes an asynchronous machine connected to an excitation device. The asynchronous machine includes a rotor configured to be driven in rotation by the engine and a stator connected to the electrical equipment. The excitation device is configured to cause a reactive current of flow in the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hispano-Suiza
    Inventor: Eric De Wergifosse
  • Patent number: 8847559
    Abstract: A generator system includes an AC generator having one or more phases, a transformer having the same number of phases as the generator, and for each phase of the AC generator, a capacitive element having a first terminal electrically connected to an output winding of the AC generator and a second terminal electrically connected to a primary winding of a respective phase of the transformer. A method of operating a generator system includes conveying current between an output winding of each phase of an AC generator and a primary winding of a respective phase of a transformer via a respective series-connected capacitive element having a first terminal electrically connected to the output winding and a second terminal electrically connected to the primary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Inventor: Robert Ryan Jameson Horne
  • Patent number: 8847417
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a combination heater and electrical generator designed to allow continual use of the heating system in the absence of an external source of electricity. The system shares fuel and electrical inputs and also shares exhaust outputs so to facilitate ease of use installation as well as affording a small installation footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Everlite Hybrid Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Stewart Kaiser
  • Patent number: 8841793
    Abstract: The hydroelectric device contains two base members, a hoist member, a paddle wheel member, and a power generation member. The base members are for the installation of the other members. The host member contains a pair of arm elements rotatably connected to the base members. The paddle wheel member contains an axle whose two ends are pin-joined to the arm elements, respectively. Therefore, the axle is rotatably configured across the arm elements, and across the base members. An end of the axle is configured with a first transmission element. The power generation member has a second transmission element at its input end engaged by the first transmission element. When the axle is turned and the first transmission element spins synchronously, the second transmission element of the power generation member is engaged to spin synchronously and the power generation member is driven to produce electricity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Inventor: Ben Wang