Patents Examined by Pedro J. Cuevas
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Patent number: 10626844Abstract: The present invention provides a hydraulic drive train including a check valve provided in a return oil passage disposed between a branching position of a first branching oil passage and a branching position of a second branching oil passage, wherein at the time of starting of startup of the hydraulic drive train, the switching valve is closed, the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve is set to the initial opening degree, the on-off valve is opened, the boost pump is driven by the drive motor, and the hydraulic oil is supplied to the hydraulic pump, thereby assisting the rotational speed of the vanes by the hydraulic oil.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2018Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Shin Asano, Kensuke Futahashi, Yoshitomo Noda, Kyota Tokuyama, Sho Onodera, Yukihito Okuda
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Patent number: 10619620Abstract: Apparatus comprising a floating platform, a cylinder connected thereto, and a piston having a piston rod connected to a mooring at the sea floor. At least one penstock tube is in fluid connection at its lower end with a lower portion of the cylinder, below the piston. The penstock tube being provided along the cylinder and has an opening at the upper end arranged so that water pumped upwards in the at least one penstock tube will hit a water turbine arranged above the cylinder. The water turbine being in connection with a generator. The cylinder has an opening in an upper portion and in the lower portion thereof, provided with a one-way valve allowing water into the lower portion of the cylinder while the cylinder moves downwards, and when the platform rises, water will be refilled in the upper section through the opening.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2018Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: NOVIGE ABInventor: Jan Skjoldhammer
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Patent number: 10612518Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine includes: determining a value of a wind speed of an incident air mass at the wind turbine; if the determined value of the wind speed is greater than a first threshold value for the wind speed: reducing a rotational speed of a rotor of the wind turbine, and maintaining or increasing a generator torque acting upon the rotor; if the determined value of the wind speed is greater than a second threshold value for the wind speed, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value: reducing the rotational speed of the rotor, and reducing the generator torque acting upon the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Nordex Energy GmbHInventors: Michael Niss, Valeri Buller
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Patent number: 10612522Abstract: There is provided a hybrid turbine system comprising a plurality of flexible and thin film photovoltaic modules or panels attached to a plurality of blades of a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) for energy generation. Electrical performance of rotating photovoltaic modules or panels is enhanced since rotating photovoltaic modules are self-cooled by rotation of the blades of the wind turbine. It is experimentally shown that voltage of the photovoltaic modules decreases when the photovoltaic modules' temperature increases, and this decrease was modelled by four parameters namely ideality factor, reverse saturation current, short-circuit current, and material band gap. The present invention evidences that the proposed rotating photovoltaic modules increases the output voltage of the photovoltaic modules.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Abu Dhabi UniversityInventors: Anas I. Q. Al Tarabsheh, Muhammad Abdul Majeed Hareb, Mahmoud Raouf Kahla
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Patent number: 10615726Abstract: According to one embodiment, a power generation system includes a power generator, a displacement measuring part, and a converter. The power generator includes a movable part and converts mechanical energy of the movable part into electric power. The displacement measuring part measures a displacement of the movable part. The converter includes a switching circuit whose duty ratio is controlled based on the measured displacement, and converts a voltage level of the electric power.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Atsuro Oonishi, Hiroshi Takahashi, Takeshi Ueno
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Patent number: 10598048Abstract: There is disclosed an auxiliary rotation device 28 for a gas turbine engine 10. The auxiliary rotation device 28 comprises: an electric machine 30 configured to be coupled to a rotor of the gas turbine engine 10; and a dedicated electrical storage device 32 coupled to the electric machine 30. During a period of powered operation of the gas turbine engine 10 the electric machine 30 is configured to act as a generator so as to charge the dedicated electrical storage device 32. Following the period of powered operation of the gas turbine engine 10 the electric machine 30 is configured to act as a motor by discharging the dedicated electrical storage device 32 so as to cause the rotor to rotate for a period of time to provide even cooling of the rotor around its circumference. There is also disclosed a method of cooling a rotor of a gas turbine engine 10 using an auxiliary rotation device 28.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2018Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plcInventors: Michael P. Keenan, Stewart T. Thornton
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Patent number: 10598152Abstract: A method, system, apparatus, and/or device for generating electrical power from a solar cell and rotational energy from a blade of a wind turbine. The method, system, apparatus, and/or device a blade of a wind turbine, a solar cell, and a rotor system. The blade may be blade configured to catch wind from a surrounding area to rotate the blade and convert kinetic energy into rotational energy. The solar cell may be connected to an exterior surface of the blade. The solar cell may be configured to convert solar energy into electric energy. The rotor system may be electrically connected to the solar cell to receive the electric energy from the solar cell. The rotor system may be configured to remain stationary relative to the blade as the blade rotates about an axis. The rotor system is configured to send the electric energy to a power source.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2018Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Inventor: Geoffrey Peter
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Patent number: 10590907Abstract: A device for retrieving energy of flowing water for the riverside is disclosed. The device uses a rotating disk to respectively connect with a first blade and a second blade through two rotating bodies. The first blade and the second blade are respectively located at the first position of an upstream side and the second position of a downstream side. Water pushes the first blade under the surface of water to swing from the first position to the second position, thereby rotating the rotating disk by a rotating distance. Thus, the second blade originally arranged over the surface of water reversely swings to the first position. Then, the second blade sinks in the water. Water pushes the second blade to swing to the second position, and the first blade rises and leaves the surface of water to swing to the first position.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN NORMAL UNIVERSITYInventors: Jung-Hsuan Chen, Chin-Guo Kuo, Chao-Fu Shu
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Patent number: 10590906Abstract: A device transducing fluid dynamic energy into electrical energy, usable as a flow meter or energy harvester, includes a mechanical interaction element with a fluid flow, which is brought into oscillation or vibration by the fluid flow, by way of one or more elastic suspension elements; a magnetic induction electromotive force generator, dynamically connected to the mechanical interaction element by the fluid flow, which crosses an electric conductor, moved in the magnetic field by the oscillating or vibrating motion of the mechanical interaction element, thus generating an induced current in the conductor; and a collection unit for the electrical signal generated by induction. The mechanical interaction element is suspended to oscillate around an axis transversal to the flow direction and corresponding to a transversal axis half way along the mechanical interaction element.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Inventors: Enrico Espinosa, Ferdinando Basile, Paola Demartini, Lorenzo Ricotti
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Patent number: 10584671Abstract: A brushless starter generator includes a main electric machine and an exciter comprising a stator, comprising a direct-current stator winding and an alternating-current stator winding, and a rotor comprising rotor windings; an alternator regulator that is intended to be connected to the direct-current stator winding via first and second direct-current electrical lines and intended to supply electrical power to the direct-current stator winding when the starter generator is operating in generator mode in order to generate a voltage at the output of the stator of the main electric machine and an SBU starter regulator supplying electrical power to the alternating-current stator winding and the stator windings of the main electric machine when the starter generator is operating in starter mode. The starter generator comprises an electrical connection device that is arranged and configured to establish an electrical connection between the two electrical lines.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2017Date of Patent: March 10, 2020Assignee: THALESInventors: Marc Tunzini, Eric Le Guerroue, Stanislas Bedjai
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Patent number: 10581354Abstract: A method for detecting a fault in a generator unit that has an electrical machine including a rotor winding and a stator winding and a rectifier connected thereto, via which the electrical machine is connected to an electrical system of a motor vehicle. Whether or not the fault exists is determined as a function of an excitation current traversing the rotor winding of the electrical machine and as a function of a setpoint value of the excitation current.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2016Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Zoltan Ersek
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Patent number: 10579017Abstract: Computer-processor controlled energy harvester system optimized for use on mobile platforms. The system uses a plurality of oscillating weight type energy collectors, each configured to store the energy from changes in the system's ambient acceleration as stored mechanical energy. The energy collectors are configured to move between a first position where the energy collector stores energy, to a second position where the energy collectors release stored energy to a geared electrical generator shaft, thus producing electrical energy, often stored in a battery. A plurality of processor controlled electronic actuators control when each energy collector stores and releases energy. The processor can use battery charge sensors, and suitable software and firmware to optimize system function. To facilitate use on mobile platforms, the processor also uses input from a 3-axis accelerometer to dynamically reconfigure the energy collectors according to the present major directions of ambient acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2019Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: RISING STAR PATHWAY, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATIONInventors: Alisa Zhou, Cindy Jingru Wang, Kevin Zhang, Jiarong Chen, Mengcheng Han, Owen Xu Li, Zeru Li
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Patent number: 10581296Abstract: A generator rotor for a generator, in particular a slowly rotating generator, of a wind turbine or a hydroelectric power plant. The rotor generator comprises a rotor belt for holding a plurality of pole shoes, a hub flange for fixing the generator rotor to a shaft, in particular a main shaft or a transmission shaft, of the wind turbine, or for fixing to a number of turbine blades of the hydroelectric power plant, and a carrier structure which is respectively non-rotatably connected to the rotor belt on the one hand and to hub flange on the other hand, wherein the rotor belt comprises a metallic material having a first degree of damping (D1) and at least one of: the carrier structure or the hub flange partially or completely comprises a material having a second degree of damping (D2), wherein the second degree of damping (D2) is higher than the first degree of damping (D1).Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2017Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbHInventor: Bernd Boettcher
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Patent number: 10576837Abstract: An electric drive unit is provided having an electric motor-generator coupled with a torque converter. Vehicles and machines employing the same, as well as methods of using the same, are also disclosed. The motor-generator may be configured to selectively drive a rotatable shaft with a motor output torque and generate electrical power from rotation of the rotatable shaft. The electric drive unit may further include a torque converter having an input and an output separated by a fluid coupling. The fluid coupling may be configured to selectively multiply torque received at the input such that a drive unit output torque at the output is selectively increased in at least a predetermined rotational speed range of the electric motor-generator.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2018Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Dongxu Li, Chengwu Duan, Chunhao J. Lee, Lei Hao, Norman K. Bucknor, Michael A. Potter, Farzad Samie
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Patent number: 10570885Abstract: Controlling a wind turbine during a grid fault where the grid voltage drops below a nominal grid voltage. After detection of a grid fault, the total current limit for the power converter output is increased to a total maximum overload current limit. Depending on whether active or reactive current generation is prioritized, an active or reactive current reference is determined. The active current reference is determined in a way so that a reduction in active power production due to the grid voltage drop is minimized and based on the condition that the vector-sum of the active output current and the reactive output current is limited according to the total maximum overload current limit, and a maximum period of time is determined in which the power converter can be controlled based on the active/reactive current references. Afterwards the power converter is controlled based on the active and reactive current references.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2018Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/SInventors: Ciprian Biris, Uffe C. Merrild, Leif Svinth Christensen, Martin Ansbjerg Kjær
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Patent number: 10566799Abstract: A method for feeding electrical power into an electrical supply network by means of at least one wind farm respectively connected to the supply network via a network connection point, wherein the supply network is to be operated at a network frequency, and each wind farm has a plurality of wind power installations, comprising the steps of determining whether the electrical supply network is operating, starting the at least one wind farm in a black-start mode for the purpose of producing electrical power for feeding into the supply network if the supply network is not operating, operating the at least one wind farm in black-start operation in which electrical power is fed into the supply network and the supply network is operated thereby, wherein the network frequency is specified by the feeding-in of the electrical power in the black-start mode and/or during black-start operation.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2018Date of Patent: February 18, 2020Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbHInventors: Alfred Beekmann, Matthias Bartsch, Marcel Kruse
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Patent number: 10556495Abstract: A power apparatus includes a drive motor, a motor shaft mechanically connected to a wheel of a vehicle, an engine, a crankshaft mechanically connected to the motor shaft and configured to output torque of the engine, a clutch disposed on a power transmission path between the crankshaft and the motor shaft, a controller configured to start-control the engine with the torque of the drive motor, and a magnetic deceleration mechanism which reduces torque of the drive motor necessary for starting the engine by magnetically reducing the rotational speed of the crankshaft during start control. When starting the engine, the controller excites the magnetic deceleration mechanism in a state where the clutch is released.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2018Date of Patent: February 11, 2020Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Satoyoshi Oya
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Patent number: 10554160Abstract: A system and method of operating a pumped storage power plant using a double fed induction machine with a frequency converter in a rotor circuit is disclosed. A current target value for the rotor current frequency is determined based on a target power to be transmitted between an electrical grid and the double fed induction machine depending on measured actual operating variables. A current inadmissible synchronous deadband is determined depending on variables characterizing a current state of the pumped storage power plant. The synchronous deadband is determined by a permissible minimum required rotor current frequency or speed difference of the rotor speed from the synchronous speed for the stationary operation. The converter is controlled to generate voltages and currents with the current target value of the rotor current frequency if the current target value of the rotor current frequency or speed does not fall in the current inadmissible synchronous deadband.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2018Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LIMITEDInventors: Kai Alexander Rothenhagen, Piotr Sadowski
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Patent number: 10547259Abstract: Embodiments of a method, controller and system include an electric generating system with interleaved direct current DC-DC converter are provided. The embodiments include a controller, a permanent magnet generator (PMG), wherein the PMG provides a 6-phase PMG, and a rectification stage coupled to the PMG. The embodiments also include a boost converter stage coupled to the rectification stage, wherein the boost converter stage comprises four phases, a DC link capacitor coupled to the boost converter stage, and an output filtering stage coupled to the DC link capacitor.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATIONInventors: Gregory I. Rozman, Steven J. Moss
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Patent number: 10547258Abstract: An electric machine coupled to rotating machinery includes a rotor and a stator, and the method of control of an electric machine and an electric machine control system. The method includes sensing one or more parameters indicative of one or more resonance conditions of the rotating machinery, and comparing the sensed parameter to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the rotating machinery is operating at the resonance condition. Where the rotating machinery is determined to be operating at the resonance condition, adjusting a magnetic field of one or both of the rotor and the stator to provide a predetermined torque to the rotating machine, to modulate the stiffness of the rotational machinery, and thereby move the resonance condition away from the current rotating machinery conditions.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD & CO KGInventors: Lucia Ciciriello, Kevin Smith