Patents Examined by Nicholas Ponomarenko
  • Patent number: 8766603
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for an inverter generator having a first, second and third windings wound around an alternator driven by an engine, and first, second and third inverters adapted to convert alternating current outputted from the first, second and third windings into direct current and invert the converted direct current into single-phase alternating current in a desired frequency so as to supply to the electric load, there is provided with an actuator (stepper motor) to open and close a throttle valve of the engine, and it is configured to detect output powers (effective powers) of the first, second and third inverters, to determine a target engine speed based on the detected output powers, and to control an operation of the actuator so that the engine speed converges at the determined target engine speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shoji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8759995
    Abstract: The control method of a wind turbine generator increases the speed range of wind turbine generators, maximizing the operation and efficiency thereof, in addition to lengthening their service life, on minimizing the extreme and fatigue loads to which the wind turbine generators are subject, and which are due mainly to the stops and disconnections thereof as a result of strong gusts of wind. More specifically, the control method of the present invention stands out essentially for being based on the control of the reactive current circulating through the electric generator, said reactive current control being carried out in accordance with the rotational speed (?g) for the purpose of reducing the voltage at the converter terminals on the generator side, or rotor voltage (VR), which ultimately allows a transitional increase in the speed range of the wind turbine generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Acciona Windpower, S.A.
    Inventors: José Miguel García Sayés, Teresa Arlabán Gabeiras, Miguel Núñez Polo
  • Patent number: 8759990
    Abstract: An energy harvesting device includes a MEMS composite transducer. The MEMS composite transducer includes a substrate. Portions of the substrate define an outer boundary of a cavity. A MEMS transducing member includes a beam having a first end and a second end. The first end is anchored to the substrate and the second end cantilevers over the cavity. A compliant membrane is positioned in contact with the MEMS transducing member. A first portion of the compliant membrane covers the MEMS transducing member. A second portion of the compliant membrane is anchored to the substrate. The compliant member is configured to be set into oscillation by excitations produced externally relative to the energy harvesting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: James D. Huffman, Gary A. Kneezel
  • Patent number: 8759996
    Abstract: Apparatus and method is disclosed for generating usable power derived from oscillatory hydro-kinetic energy available in the movement of waves having a given height and being spaced apart by a predetermined distance at the surface of a body of water. Apparatus and method is disclosed for generating usable power derived from hydro-kinetic energy available in a body of water moving in at least one direction of movement, the at least one direction being substantially horizontal or substantially vertical. Apparatus and method is disclosed for generating usable power derived from hydro-gravitational forces available at a site having a source of water at a first elevation higher than a second elevation at a selected location where the usable power is to be derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventor: SaeHeum Song
  • Patent number: 8760127
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a system for controlling a temperature of a generator is provided, wherein the system includes a fluid supply in fluid communication with the generator and a heat exchange apparatus in fluid communication with the fluid supply, the generator and a cooling fluid source. The system also includes a first sensor configured to determine a first temperature of a fluid flowing from the heat exchange apparatus to the generator, a second sensor configured to determine a second temperature of the fluid flowing from the generator to the fluid supply and a controller configured to determine an operating limit temperature for the fluid based on the determined first and second temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Balamurugan Sridharan, James Daniel Antalek, Steven Craig Kluge, Rebinth Jose Robin, John Russell Yagielski
  • Patent number: 8749082
    Abstract: A wind energy installation, monitoring device, and method. An exemplary wind energy installation includes a rotor including at least one blade and a generator configured to be driven by the rotor to produce electrical energy. The installation also includes a pitch device configured to vary the at least one blade of the rotor. The pitch device includes a power supply unit with a battery, an actuating drive, a monitoring unit, and a load module configured to switch the actuating drive between an operating mode and a test mode. In the test mode, the actuating drive forms a preselectable defined load for the battery. Accordingly, a high and reproducible load not dependent upon environmental conditions may be applied to conduct a stress test, even during ongoing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Senvion SE
    Inventors: Heinz-Hermann Letas, Matthias Peters
  • Patent number: 8742732
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide a method of controlling a doubly-fed electric generator using a frequency converter having a torque and flux controller. The frequency converter is connected to a rotor of the generator. The frequency converter calculates a stator flux positive sequence component from a stator flux. A rotor flux amplitude reference and an estimated torque is then calculated by using the stator flux positive sequence component. The frequency converter selects a voltage vector to steer the rotor flux by using the rotor flux amplitude reference and the estimated torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Reijo Kalevi Virtanen
  • Patent number: 8742614
    Abstract: The invention is a power generator using intermittent fluid flow. The invention facilitates the harnessing of electric power from intermittent wind sources. The apparatus includes panels that are pivotally attached to a frame at a substantially horizontal orientation or are at an acute angle to the horizontal. As wind blows, the panels lift upward relative to the horizontal. Alternatively, the panels may be vertical and attached to an inclined track where the panels move up the track as the wind blows. This motion is transferred to a permanent magnet alternator either via the rotation of a shaft at the pivot point or via a connector rod attached to a leading edge of the panel. The motion may also be transferred by actuating a hydraulic cylinder. This motion pressurizes the cylinder and the pressurized hydraulic fluid may later be transferred into electric power via a hydraulic generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Inventor: John A. Saavedra
  • Patent number: 8736234
    Abstract: A power converter control apparatus includes a power converter part having a bridge circuit formed of a switching element and a field circuit controlling conduction of a field winding in an AC generator, and a control apparatus part having a field current detector, a temperature detector detecting a temperature of a generator part, the power converter part, or the control apparatus part, a field current instruction computation portion computing a field current instruction value of the generator, a temperature rise suppression portion computing a generated current suppression value on the basis of an output of the temperature detector and computing a field current suppression value on the basis of the computed generated current suppression value, a field current instruction selection portion selecting the field current instruction value or the field current suppression value whichever is the smaller, and a field current control portion controlling a field current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Nakajima, Masato Mori, Kenichi Akita, Mitsunori Tabata
  • Patent number: 8736235
    Abstract: A power-generation motor control system is a control system that controls a power-generation motor provided with an armature and a magnetic-field winding, and is characterized in that when the power-generation motor is operated as a motor, before a power source energizes the armature, a preliminary excitation current, with the value of which the induction voltage across the armature does not exceed the voltage of the power source, is applied to the magnetic-field winding in accordance with the rotation speed of the power-generation motor so that preliminary excitation of the power-generation motor is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunori Tabata, Masato Mori, Kenji Nakajima, Kenichi Akita
  • Patent number: 8723349
    Abstract: An apparatus for powering an aircraft by generating power from a pressure spool of a turbine engine. AC power can be extracted from the turbine engine by a generator having an integrated autotransformer unit, and converted to DC power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hao Huang, Xiaochuan Jia, David Dimitri Karipides
  • Patent number: 8723486
    Abstract: A device for controlling an on-vehicle power generator is provided with switching means, detecting means, voltage control means, startup control means and normal state control means. The voltage control means controls the output voltage of the power generator together with the switching means. The detecting means detects state of the power generation including a startup state where the engine is in startup condition and a normal state where normal power generation has been performed. The startup control means controls the voltage control means to start/stop of the power generation based on the frequency of the phase voltage of the power generator in the startup state. The normal state control means controls the voltage control means in the normal state such that the normal state control means controls the voltage control means to continue the power generation or stops the power generation based on the frequency of the phase voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yousuke Horita, Takahiko Tashiro
  • Patent number: 8723345
    Abstract: A portable generator comprises a fluid pressure generator, a fluid pressure cylinder, a gas power generator, a gas generator, and a charger. The fluid pressure generator is for generating a fluid pressure by pumping, and the fluid pressure generator includes an airbag for compensating a volume change by the pressurized moving of the non-compressible fluid. The fluid pressure cylinder is connected to the fluid pressure generator and comprising a fluid pressure piston, a gas piston, and a piston rod connecting the fluid pressure piston and the gas piston. The gas power generator comprises a high pressure gas chamber, the piston rod, the gas piston of the fluid pressure cylinder, and a cycle path. The gas generator is for generating electricity with a flow of the high pressure gas moving in the high pressure gas chamber as a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Inventor: Byung-Youl Choi
  • Patent number: 8716983
    Abstract: A vehicle generator includes armature windings, rectifier module groups, an upper MOS on-timing determining section, a lower MOS on-timing determining section, a rotational speed calculating section, a target electrical angle setting section for setting a value of a target electrical angle, an upper MOS off-timing determining section, a lower MOS off-timing determining section, and drivers for driving high-side and low-side MOS transistors constituting upper and lower arms. The target electrical angle represents a margin period between when the low-side MOS transistor was turned off a half cycle ago and the moment when the lower arm on-period has ended. The upper MOS off-timing determining section and the lower MOS off-timing determining section set off timings of the MOS transistors such that the margin period is equivalent to the set value of the target electrical angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Harumi Horihata
  • Patent number: 8716984
    Abstract: A method and generator for modifying interactions between a load and the generator are described. The method includes applying output power to the load using a power amplifier, controlling a level of the output power responsive to a power control setting, and adjusting a conduction angle of the power amplifier to reduce a level of sensitivity of the power amplifier to variations of an impedance of the load. The generator includes a compensation subsystem coupled to the power amplifier that controls a conduction angle of the power amplifier to enable a sensitivity of the power amplifier to be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Mueller, Michael Lynn Westra, Jeremy Richardson, Gideon Van Zyl
  • Patent number: 8716880
    Abstract: A system for converting kinetic wave energy from a dynamic fluid into electrical power, the system including a structural housing containing a piezokinetic assembly having a plurality of electromechanical coupled elements, and a dynamic assembly, coupled to the piezokinetic assembly; and charge storage devices or power consumption devices in an electronics module coupled to the piezokinetic assembly. When the exposed to the dynamic fluid medium, the dynamic fluid medium's wave energy couples with the structural housing causing a resulting displacement of the dynamic assembly contained therein. The displacement of the dynamic assembly causes a plurality of the electromechanical coupled elements to simultaneously flex, generating an electrical charge which may be either stored in the charge storage device or which may directly power the power consumption device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventors: Gareth J. Knowles, Ross Bird
  • Patent number: 8710807
    Abstract: A generator has a field coil of a rotor, an armature coil of a stator, a control device supplying an exciting current to the field coil when detecting rotation of the rotor, and a control circuit alternately setting an upper arm transistor and a lower arm transistor in on state in a rectifier module to generate a phase voltage. The control device detects the rotation from a periodic change in a sign of the difference between the phase voltage and a reference voltage. When the rectifier module is overheated, the control circuit sets the upper arm transistor in the off state and sets the lower arm transistor in the on state to almost fix the phase voltage, the control device detects no rotation and stops supplying the exciting current, and the rectifier module generates no phase voltage to decrease temperature of the rectifier module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Harumi Horihata, Hideaki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 8710694
    Abstract: The inventive technology described herein generally relates to the field of wind power generation. More specifically, methods and apparatus for an RPM controlled power generation system utilizing perhaps multiple generators coupled through a radius adjustable coupler to at least one rotational movement element. This coupled connection may be static or dynamically adjustable across the surface of the rotational movement element so as to maintain an electrical output at a constant generator rotation(s) per minute (RPM) according to the varying rotational velocity along the radius of the rotational movement element. In some embodiments such coupled generators may be controlled through the implementation of a variety of novel RPM adjusting applications directed to system elements so as to increase electrical output yield while maintaining a constant or near constant generator rotation(s) per minute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Airgenesis, LLC
    Inventor: Danny J. Smith
  • Patent number: 8710688
    Abstract: A platform-like device for generating electricity from moving fluids has two has at least two fluid turbines coupled to one another through a frame. The fluid turbines are adapted to rotate in opposite directions. The fluid turbines also provide buoyancy for the platform so that the platform is self supporting in the water. The fluid turbines preferably have helicoid flights (screw-like threads) mounted to generally prolate casings. The fluid turbines preferably connect to electric generators through belt, chain-drive, or other transmission systems. The platform may additional support a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Natural Power Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: John Pitre
  • Patent number: 8710691
    Abstract: A wind-driven electricity generating system for a vehicle being at least partially electrically-powered by a battery. The wind-driven system includes an air intake unit having a plurality of inner walls forming at least one airflow channel. The airflow channels includes an air scoop forming an inlet opening, and an air exhaust forming an outlet opening, wherein the air scoop faces the forward moving direction of the vehicle, and positioned in airflow communication with the inlet opening. The wind-driven system further includes at least one turbine positioned in airflow communication with respective air outlet opening, and an electric generator operatively coupled with said at least one turbine. The air intake unit is preferably attached to the vehicle roof. The electric generator is operatively connected to the battery of the vehicle, thereby at least partially recharging the battery, when the vehicle is in forward motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventor: Rahamim Haddad