Patents Examined by Thomas Quigley
  • Patent number: 10560043
    Abstract: A floating power generator having a water wheel and electrical generator. The floating power generator can comprise a variable speed drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Inventor: Bruno Bergman
  • Patent number: 10190570
    Abstract: The TRAVELING WAVE PROPELLER, PUMP AND GENERATOR 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. In a fluid medium, the traveling waves of sinusoidal deformations may exert force on the fluid causing the fluid to move and/or creating thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Pliant Energy Systems LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin Pietro Filardo
  • Patent number: 10193481
    Abstract: A variable speed wind turbine is arranged to provide additional electrical power to counteract non-periodic disturbances in an electrical grid. A controller monitors events indicating a need to increase the electrical output power from the wind turbine to the electrical grid. The controller is arranged to control the wind turbine as follows: after an indicating event has been detected, the wind turbine enters an overproduction period in which the electrical output power is increased, wherein the additional electrical output power is taken from kinetic energy stored in the rotor and without changing the operation of the wind turbine to a more efficient working point. When the rotational speed of the rotor reaches a minimum value, the wind turbine enters a recovery period to re-accelerate the rotor to the nominal rotational speed while further contributing to the stability of the electrical grid by outputting at least a predetermined minimum electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventor: Germán Claudio Tarnowski
  • Patent number: 10184446
    Abstract: A wind turbine system utilizes an air deflector configured inside of an air scoop extending along a circular track around the air deflector to capture the prevailing wind and direct it up through an air rotor. The air rotor is configured with a plurality of fins in the air rotor channel and the flow of air past the fins spins the air rotor. A rotor of an electrical generator is coupled with the air rotor and spins with respect to a stator, fixed to the wind turbine frame, to produce electricity. The air scoop rotates about the wind turbine as a function of the prevailing wind and may be controlled by a controller that is coupled with one or more of the wheels of the air scoop. A plurality of baffles may be configured under the fins to direct the air and over the fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Inventor: David A Schuff
  • Patent number: 10184397
    Abstract: A system includes a first mobile body configured to support a turbine engine and an air intake section coupled to the turbine engine. The system also includes a second mobile body configured to support a generator. The first and second mobile bodies are configured to guide a removable coupling between the turbine engine and the generator. The system also includes a third mobile body configured to support one or more partially assembled components associated with the turbine engine and the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Kenneth Robert Austin, Vineet Sethi, Raymond Kalok Fong, Jose Emmanuel Guillen, Robert Allen Baten, Donald Gordon Laing
  • Patent number: 10161385
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for supplying the electric power of a wind park comprising several wind turbines into an electric power supply grid, wherein each of the wind turbines provides an electric turbine output and the sum of all provided turbine outputs is supplied to the electric power supply grid as wind park output, and a turbine target value is specified for each of the wind turbines as a specification of the turbine output that is to be provided, and the turbine target value is controlled via a controller based on a control deviation, as a comparison of the supplied wind park output and a target value of the wind park output that is to be supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Wobben Properties GmbH
    Inventors: Kai Busker, Alfred Beekmann
  • Patent number: 10156222
    Abstract: The various embodiments disclosed herein provide a generalized system for extracting gravitational energy from the planet and provide for a general, pollution free, mass lifting and energy conversion system in which the laws of fluid flow, and in particular buoyancy and gravity are utilized to lift an arbitrary mass to a higher gravitational potential energy, where upon the increased potential energy can be converted to other forms of energy. Novel and non-obvious features of the fluid interface device, used to insert the buoyant object into the buoyant fluid, insure that the insertion energy is less than the potential energy gained by the object. The net increase in potential energy can be converted to other forms of energy such as electrical power or mechanical energy. It is shown in that energy gain is effectively extracted from the gravitational field of the planet without breaking the laws of conservation of energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Inventor: Doug Westmoreland
  • Patent number: 10145354
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for power transfer system for a wave energy converter. The system includes a plurality of hydraulic cylinders including a first cluster of input cylinders and a second cluster of output cylinders. The input cylinders are coupled to an underwater structure and are configured to receive an input force from a relative motion between a buoy housing and the underwater structure. The output cylinders are configured to transfer an output force to an electric generator. The power transfer system further includes a hydraulic connection between the input cylinders and the output cylinders. The hydraulic connection is configurable to switch a portion of the hydraulic cylinders into and out of the hydraulic connection between the input cylinders and the output cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: OSCILLA POWER INC.
    Inventors: Timothy R Mundon, Jeff Campbell
  • Patent number: 10113533
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for operating a wind turbine in response to one or more grid events or faults occurring in a power grid. The method includes monitoring, via one or more sensors, a grid voltage of the power grid so as to detect one or more grid events occurring in the power grid. In response to detecting at least one grid event, a controller determines an operating catch point for the wind turbine component and applies a torque demand to the wind turbine component when the operating catch point is reached. Further, the torque demand may be based on an initial torque demand acting on the wind turbine component before the one or more grid events occurred. Therefore, applying the torque demand to the wind turbine component is configured to reduce oscillations occurring in the component caused by one or more grid faults.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Detlef Menke
  • Patent number: 10113529
    Abstract: An apparatus for converting wave energy into electrical energy including a float element excited at a defined frequency by the waves. A power extraction system collaborates with the float element to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, the mechanical energy coming from the movement of the float element excited by the waves. The power extraction system takes the form of a frequency amplifier made up of at least two piezoelectric motors each composed of at least one piezoelectric post excited at a frequency higher than that of the float, and a member for activating said piezoelectric motors acting on the piezoelectric motors so as to squash said piezoelectric posts. Each piezoelectric motor has a mechanical amplification device connected to rollers and includes a) jaws able to apply mechanical stress to the posts, b) a lever acting on the jaws with a proximal end connected to said jaws and a distal end connected to a roller in contact with the member so as to activate said piezoelectric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Inventor: Gilles Grosso
  • Patent number: 10107264
    Abstract: A medium voltage wind power generation system comprises a first boost device and a wind power generation device; the first boost device has a medium voltage side and a high voltage side, and the high voltage side of the first boost device is electrically connected to a grid; the wind power generation device comprises wind generators, rotor side converters and line side converters; the wind generators comprise stator windings and rotor windings; the stator windings are coupled to the medium voltage side of the first boost device; the rotor side converters are coupled to the rotor windings; one end of the line side converters are coupled to the rotor side converters, and the other end thereof is coupled to the medium voltage side of the first boost device via a second boost device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO.,LTD.
    Inventors: Changyong Wang, Fei Lu
  • Patent number: 10094362
    Abstract: A primary tube with input and output ends is positioned between wheels of a wheeled vehicle. The primary tube is adapted to be deformed in response to the passage of the wheeled vehicle. A secondary tube is operatively coupled with the primary tube. An air/fluid/gas collection tank is operatively coupled with the secondary tube and the output end of the primary tube thereby forming a closed loop path of travel within and through the primary and the secondary tubes and the air/fluid/gas collection tank. A mechanical device is located laterally spaced from the wheeled vehicle in operative proximity to the air/fluid/gas collection tank. A power tube couples the mechanical device and the air/fluid/gas collection tank. The mechanical device is a mechanical conversion device chosen from the class of mechanical conversion devices consisting of turbines, generators and alternators. The wheeled vehicle is moved over the primary tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Inventor: Jack R. Harper
  • Patent number: 10094355
    Abstract: [Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a water turbine power generator comprising a power generation mechanism provided with a water turbine unit and a power generator unit, and a locking mechanism for engaging the power generation mechanism with a support member, which is free from various drawbacks such as increase in size of the locking mechanism, difficulty of detaching the locking mechanism from a damming board forming the support member when the water turbine power generator is serviced, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Kyowa Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kanemoto, Isao Samura
  • Patent number: 10082126
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a wave energy conversion apparatus for converting wave energy into a power output, comprising a floatable compliant vessel having a plurality of linear generators having ends which are interconnected at a plurality of pivot joints to provide a compliant frame structure, the plurality of linear generators being configured to produce a power output by being respectively compressed and elongated changing the relative positions of the pivot joints, an outer flexible membrane supported by and enclosing the compliant frame structure thereby defining an inner space of the floatable compliant vessel, and a power circuit arranged within the inner space and operationally connected to the linear generators to receive the power output generated by the linear generators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Haaheim Invent
    Inventor: Øyvind Haaheim
  • Patent number: 10084404
    Abstract: A motor/generator/transmission system includes: an axle; a stator ring having a plurality of stator coils disposed around the periphery of the stator ring, wherein each phase of the plurality of stator coils includes a respective set of multiple parallel non-twisted wires separated at the center tap with electronic switches for connecting the parallel non-twisted wires of each phase of the stator coils all in series, all in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel; a rotor support structure coupled to the axle; a first rotor ring and a second rotor ring each having an axis of rotation coincident with the axis of rotation of the axle, at least one of the first rotor ring or the second rotor ring being slidably coupled to the rotor support structure and configured to translate along the rotor support structure in a first axial direction or in a second axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: FALCON POWER, LLC
    Inventors: Harley C. McDonald, James L. Bailey, Matthew C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 10072530
    Abstract: A hybrid power generation system using solar energy and bioenergy, including a solar thermal boiler system, a biomass boiler system, and a turbogenerator system. The solar thermal boiler system includes a trough solar collector, a heat collector, an oil circulating pump, a storage tank for storing heat transfer oil, a solar thermal heater, a solar thermal evaporator, a main pipe transporting saturated steam, and an auxiliary boiler. Heat transfer oil output from a solar light field of the solar thermal boiler system is transmitted through and transfers heat to the solar thermal evaporator and the solar thermal heater, and the heat transfer oil returns to the storage tank for storing heat transfer oil. The heat transfer oil in the storage tank is pumped to the solar light field via the oil circulating pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: WUHAN KAIDI ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yilong Chen, Yanfeng Zhang, Wenyan Liu
  • Patent number: 10060647
    Abstract: An electrical energy generation system can include a housing, an electrical generator supported by the housing, a turbine operatively connected to the electrical generator, and a hollow frustum positioned in the housing and spaced apart from the turbine. The frustum can be configured to receive airflow via a lower opening and to direct the airflow toward the turbine with increased velocity. Another electrical energy generation system can include an electrical generator, a turbine operatively connected to the electrical generator, and an enclosed passageway configured to increase a speed of an airflow from an artificial source toward the turbine. The enclosed passageway can be positioned to support the turbine. The systems can include one or more baffle elements to straighten the airflow along a direction aligned with a rotational axis of the turbine. Electrical energy generation systems harvest waste or exhaust air from rooftop vent or fan assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Primo Wind, Inc.
    Inventor: Edward McMahon
  • Patent number: 10054103
    Abstract: A rolling-door-type load regulating device and an ocean energy power generating device using the same are described herein. The rolling-door-type load regulating device includes a water guiding unit, a roller spindle, and a driver. The water guiding unit includes at least two water guiding plates connected in parallel. The roller spindle is fixed to one end of the water guiding unit. The driver is connected with the roller spindle and drives the roller spindle to rotate to spread or retract the water guiding unit. The rolling-door-type load regulating device in the invention can regulate the load suffered by the hydraulic turbine. Therefore, the power generated by the ocean energy power generating device can be stably output and be directly used, thereby solving the problem that the output power of the conventional ocean energy power generator has wide fluctuations and poor stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Hangzhou Lindong New Energy Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Lin, Changzheng Huang, Zhenghan Chen, Qiancheng Xu
  • Patent number: 10044304
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a turbogenerator system when a power electronics circuit of the turbogenerator system is unable to provide a sufficient load on the turbogenerator to prevent the turbogenerator from accelerating uncontrollably is described. The apparatus comprises a monitor including a first sensing device operable to detect a condition of the turbogenerator, and a brake controller responsive to a turbogenerator detection output from the first sensing device to issue a first brake control signal for operating a brake circuit to prevent the turbogenerator from accelerating uncontrollably and a second brake control signal for operating the brake circuit to permit resumption of normal operation of the turbogenerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Bowman Power Group Limited
    Inventors: John Lyons, Stephen Cusworth, Jonathon McGuire, Shinri Szymko, Toby King
  • Patent number: 10033248
    Abstract: The invention is an apparatus for generating power using inertia of a load in a moving vehicle. The apparatus includes a vessel having a volume that is capable of an expansion and a contraction, and containing a fluid under a pressure. The fluid is released from the vessel as a force is exerted by the load of the vehicle against the vessel. The apparatus includes a reservoir, operably connected to the vessel by fluid conduit. The reservoir contains the fluid under pressure until an optimum pressure is reached at which point the reservoir releases the fluid to a power generator. The power generator then generates electrical power. Excess fluid released from the power generator then returns to the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: LOOK FOR THE POWER, LLC
    Inventor: John A. Saavedra