Patents Examined by Thomas K Quigley
  • Patent number: 11894738
    Abstract: A turbomachine equipped with an embedded electric machine having a segmented and movable stator is provided. In one aspect, a turbomachine defines a radial direction and includes a rotating component, actuators, and an electric machine. The electric machine includes a rotor assembly rotatable with and operatively coupled with the rotating component. The electric machine also includes a stator assembly having a stator split into stator segments. Each one of the stator segments is movable by one of the actuators between a first position and a second position along the radial direction, the stator segments each being closer to the rotor assembly along the radial direction when in the first position than when in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Darek Tomasz Zatorski, Mohamed Osama
  • Patent number: 11891981
    Abstract: A generator-gearbox arrangement for a wind turbine includes a generator having a stator and a rotor interacting with one another, a functional component arranged on an end side of the generator and including an extension which points toward the rotor, and a magnetic rail brake arrangement including component parts fastened to the extension. The magnetic rail brake arrangement is designed to apply a braking action which is based on an operating principle of electromagnetic attraction between the magnetic rail brake arrangement and at least one of the rotor and the functional component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Flender GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Jöckel
  • Patent number: 11888421
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an electric generator and motor transmission system that is capable of operating with high energy, wide operating range and extremely variable torque and RPM conditions. In accordance with various embodiments, the disclosed system is operable to: dynamically change the output “size” of the motor/generator by modularly engaging and disengaging rotor/stator sets as power demands increase or decrease; activate one stator or another within the rotor/stator sets as torque/RPM or amperage/voltage requirements change; and/or change from parallel to series winding configurations or the reverse through sets of 2, 4, 6 or more parallel, three-phase, non-twisted coil windings with switchable separated center tap to efficiently meet torque/RPM or amperage/voltage requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Falcon Power, LLC
    Inventors: James L. Bailey, Harley C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 11879433
    Abstract: A method (1000-1001) for operating a wind turbine (100) including a rotor (106) having rotor blades (108) and a power conversion system (118, 210, 234) mechanically connected with the rotor (106), configured to convert input motive power into electrical output power, and electrically connected to a network (242) for feeding the electrical output power (P) to the network is provided. The method includes determining (1100) a current frequency (f) of the network (242), and, when the current frequency (f) is equal to or lower than a threshold frequency (fthresh), operating (1300) the power conversion system (118, 210, 234) at an electrical output power (P) which is increased by an electrical output power increase (PI) in accordance with a monotonic function (PI(f)) of the current frequency (f) limited to a maximum value (PImax).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventor: Christoph Schulten
  • Patent number: 11879434
    Abstract: A wind turbine control apparatus, method and non-transitory computer-readable medium are disclosed. The wind turbine control apparatus comprises a generator connected to a wind turbine with a drive train. The drive train comprises a rotor, a low speed shaft, a gear box, a high speed shaft, and a controller module. The controller module is configured to obtain a maximum power within a large range of varying wind velocities by operating the rotor at a neural network determined optimal angular speed for the current wind velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Mohammad Kamal Hossain, Meer Abdul Mateen Khan
  • Patent number: 11879432
    Abstract: A controller structure for a wind turbine having an aerodynamic rotor with at least one rotor blade, wherein the controller structure is designed to control a rotation speed of the rotor of the wind turbine, wherein the controller structure is designed as a cascade control arrangement and has an outer control loop and an inner control loop, wherein the inner control loop receives an input signal which comprises a change in the rotation speed, an acceleration of the rotation speed, a function of the change in the rotation speed and/or a function of the acceleration of the rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Enno Von Aswege
  • Patent number: 11867158
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to wind turbines comprising a tower, a nacelle mounted on the tower, a wind turbine rotor with a plurality of blades, and a wind turbine generator operatively coupled with the wind turbine rotor. The wind turbine further comprise one or more auxiliary wind energy converters arranged with the nacelle. The present disclosure further relates to methods for providing power to an auxiliary system of a wind turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Pedro Palomares Rentero, Alio Medina Diaz, Victor Manuel García Molina, Xavier Santacruz Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 11867153
    Abstract: A method and device for controlling output power in a primary frequency modulation process of a wind turbine are provided by the present disclosure. The method includes predicting a rotational speed of the wind turbine; determining frequency modulation remaining time based on the predicted rotational speed, the frequency modulation remaining time being time for which the wind turbine is able to continue to output frequency modulation power as the output power used for the primary frequency modulation without affecting a recovery of the wind turbine after the primary frequency modulation; controlling the output power based on the determined frequency modulation remaining time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Peter Fogh Odgaard, Mengting Yu
  • Patent number: 11863113
    Abstract: The present disclosure refers to a method for controlling the speed of a reciprocating load motor, wherein the motor speed is a function of two input variables, namely a user defined speed set-point and a load dependent input variable. According to the disclosure, the load dependent input variable is a function of the motor current. The disclosure also refers to a variable frequency drive for controlling the speed of a reciprocating load motor, wherein the drive is programmed to perform the presently described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: DANFOSS POWER ELECTRONICS A/S
    Inventors: Steve Michael Meyer, Per Maersk Jørgensen
  • Patent number: 11852190
    Abstract: A plain bearing bush includes a cylindrical main body having a first shell surface and a second shell surface. The first and second shell surfaces include a plurality of exchange bores for a lubricant. At least one of the exchange bores has a first diameter on the first shell surface and a second diameter on the second shell surface, with the second diameter being greater than the first diameter for an increase in a load-bearing capability of the plain bearing bush. Two of the exchange bores are arranged in axial spaced-apart relation and connected to one another by a pocket depression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Flender GmbH
    Inventors: Philipp Leuer, Robert Prusak, Eugen Schlegel
  • Patent number: 11841004
    Abstract: A controller structure for a wind turbine having an aerodynamic rotor with at least one rotor blade, wherein the controller structure is designed to control a rotation speed of the rotor of the wind turbine, wherein the controller structure is designed as a cascade control arrangement and has an outer control loop and an inner control loop, wherein the inner control loop receives an input signal which comprises a change in the rotation speed, an acceleration of the rotation speed, a function of the change in the rotation speed and/or a function of the acceleration of the rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventor: Enno Von Aswege
  • Patent number: 11835033
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a wind power installation, to an associated wind power installation and to a wind farm. The method comprises the following steps: determining at least two, preferably at least three and particularly preferably all the environmental parameters of the environment of the wind power installation selected from the list consisting of: turbulence intensity, air density, air temperature and shear; providing boundary conditions for operating the wind power installation, the boundary conditions containing at least one from a load boundary condition, a noise level boundary condition and a power boundary condition; adapting an operational control, in particular an operating point and/or an operating characteristic, of the wind power installation on the basis of a combination of the changes in the determined environmental parameters taking into consideration the boundary conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Annika Länger-Möller, Andreas von Albedyll, Christoph Scheit
  • Patent number: 11795900
    Abstract: The VEHICLE WITH TRAVELING WAVE THRUST MODULE APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS include force or forces applied to an arc-like flexible sheet-like material to create a deformed crenated strip fin with strained-deformations. The strained-deformations take on a sinusoid-like form that express the internal energy state of the flexible sheet-like material after it has been configured into a crenated strip fin. After being incorporated into a mechanism with couplings that prevent the crenated strip fin from returning to its un-strained state, the strained-deformations persist. Actuators may be used to sequentially rotate vertebrae attached to the fins causing the travel of sinusoid-like deformations along the fins. The fin, fin actuator or actuators, power source and central controller may be incorporated into a thrust module. Two thrust modules coupled to a central body via roll actuators and flexible coupling members may form a vehicle with exceptional maneuverability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Pliant Energy Systems LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Pietro Filardo, Daniel S. Zimmerman, Michael I. Weaker
  • Patent number: 11788504
    Abstract: A buoyant wave energy device is disclosed that incorporates an open-bottomed tube of substantial length in which is partially enclosed a first body of water that oscillates in response to wave action. The device incorporates a buoy to which an upper end of the tube is connected and inside of which is trapped a second body of water of substantial mass. A differential phase in the oscillations of the water trapped in the tube, and the oscillations of the buoy of augmented mass, result in the periodic compression of a pocket of air trapped at the top of the tube, and in the subsequent expulsion of pressurized air through a turbine, thereby generating electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: LONE GULL HOLDINGS, LTD.
    Inventors: Garth Alexander Sheldon-Coulson, Brian Lee Moffat, Daniel William Place
  • Patent number: 11777345
    Abstract: A stator of a directly driven wind power generator includes a stator support including flanges with bores and stator segments positioned on the flanges, when viewed in a circumferential direction. Each stator segment includes a segment support having recesses. At least two securing devices for each of the stator segments secure the stator segment to the flanges. Each securing device includes a bore part insertable in a corresponding one of the recesses, a shim, and an alignment pin insertable in a corresponding one of the bores of the flanges, so that the stator segment is positioned and secured vertically via the bore part and the alignment pin and via the shim to thereby realize a uniform air gap between the stator and a rotor of the wind power generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Flender GmbH
    Inventors: Attila Koeszegi, Andreas Lindmeier, Dominik Ratzisberger, Franz Xaver Michael Schober, Christoph Schwarzbauer, Lei Yue
  • Patent number: 11773831
    Abstract: A system is provided for generating electrical energy from passage of a vehicle over a road surface. The system comprises a pressure receiver connected to a rotatable shaft associated with a primary transmission unit. The pressure receiver is adapted for swinging motion over the road surface, so that upon pressure being applied to the pressure receiver by the moving vehicle the receiver swings in the direction of vehicle movement, wherein kinetic energy of vehicle motion is transferred to the shaft resulted in its rotation causing operation of a primary energy transmission unit consisting of the driving sprocket and a driven sprocket-follower wheel assembly which is coupled by a leading transmission arrangement an electrical generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: Arsen Sargsyan
  • Patent number: 11767821
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for responding to a friction coefficient signal of a pitch bearing of a pitch drive mechanism of a wind turbine and/or for controlling the pitch drive mechanism(s) and/or a bank of ultracapacitors. The method and system include: accessing high-frequency measurement data of the at least one pitch bearing; estimating, via a torque balance model implemented by a controller, a frictional torque of the at least one pitch bearing based, at least in part, on the high-frequency measurement data; estimating, via the controller, a friction coefficient signal of the at least one pitch bearing based, at least in part, on the frictional torque; comparing the friction coefficient signal with a friction threshold; determining whether the friction coefficient signal deviates from the friction threshold based, at least in part, on the comparison; and, if so, acting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
    Inventors: Vidya Sagar Meesala, Misha Gupta, Pranav Agarwal, Manthram Sivasubramaniam, Justin Edwin Barton, Frederick Wilson Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11754046
    Abstract: To provide a rotating pedestal capable of directing a wind power generation apparatus with high accuracy in the direction from which wind comes, regardless of the presence or absence of a duct is an object. Provided is a rotating pedestal comprising: a bearing that rotatably supports a wind power generation apparatus; a control device that determines a rotational angle based on information regarding a wind direction and a wind speed in a vicinity of the wind power generation apparatus, the information being transmitted from an anemometer installed to be able to measure the wind direction and the wind speed in the vicinity of the wind power generation apparatus; and a motor that rotates the bearing based on the rotational angle determined by the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Kuninori Tsuda
  • Patent number: 11757332
    Abstract: An apparatus may generate energy in response to a vehicle wheel rotation. The apparatus may include a roller, a shaft, and a generator. The roller may rotate in response to a movement or motion of the wheel and may apply a friction to the wheel to decrease a rotational velocity of the wheel. The shaft may rotate in response to a rotation of the roller. The generator may generate an electrical output based on rotation of the shaft and convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Anthony Macaluso
  • Patent number: 11725623
    Abstract: A buoyant wave energy device is disclosed that incorporates an open-bottomed tube of substantial length in which is partially enclosed a first body of water that oscillates in response to wave action. The device incorporates a buoy to which an upper end of the tube is connected and inside of which is trapped a second body of water of substantial mass. A differential phase in the oscillations of the water trapped in the tube, and the oscillations of the buoy of augmented mass, result in the periodic compression of a pocket of air trapped at the top of the tube, and in the subsequent expulsion of pressurized air through a turbine, thereby generating electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Lone Gull Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: Garth Alexander Sheldon-Coulson, Brian Lee Moffat, Daniel William Place