Patents Examined by Thomas Quigley
  • Patent number: 9810221
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a machine for generating electrical energy comprises a housing and a shaft rotatable with respect to the housing. An impeller has blades for rotation with the shaft in response to receipt of material from a chute. A first generator assembly comprises first stator windings associated with the housing and a first magnet affixed to the shaft, such that if the impeller rotates an electromagnetic signal energizes the first stator windings based on the flow of material through the chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Brij N. Singh
  • Patent number: 9803733
    Abstract: A rotation device includes an output shaft, at least one rotatable rotary plate member arranged so that its rotation axis and the output shaft are coaxial, at least one weight member fixed to the rotary plate member, for biasing position of the center of gravity from the rotation axis of the rotary plate member, and at least one clutch mechanism arranged between the rotary plate member and the output shaft, for separating the rotary plate member and the output shaft with each other at a predetermined rotation angle. The clutch mechanism connects the rotary plate member with the output shaft when the center of gravity of the weight member descends, and separates the rotary plate member from the output shaft when the center of gravity of the weight member rises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Simple Tokyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Megumi Miyagawa, Keiko Kondo
  • Patent number: 9797380
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating electricity using solar panels to power compressor fans that force air into a nacelle that turns a spiral turbine. The turbine is connected to a gearing system that is connected to a generator. The generator is connected to a master control unit and a transformer. The master control unit decides whether to store the electricity in batteries, power the compressor fans or send the surplus electricity to the grid. The horizontal or vertical embodiments of the invention do not require a tower or the long blades connected to a hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventor: Bob Burkett
  • Patent number: 9797379
    Abstract: The invention is on the one hand a power generating apparatus exploiting wind energy, comprising a body (10), a main rotor unit (12) comprising a front rotating part being fitted with front blades being adjustable at an angle, and a rear rotating part being fitted with rear blades adjustable at an angle, said front rotating part and rear rotating part have rotation axes aligned parallel to each other, preferably being coincident with each other, a blade adjustment unit being adapted for adjusting of the front blades and the rear blades to rotate in opposite directions, a cable (18) enabling kiting of the body (10), a generator unit adapted for generating electric power from rotation of the front rotating part and the rear rotating part, and a wire adapted for conducting electric power generated by the generator unit, and the main rotor unit (12) is arranged in an opening (11) of and coupled to the body (10), and the main rotor unit (12) comprises blades being turnable into a covering position covering at leas
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: ELITE ACCOUNT KFT.
    Inventors: Endre Ori, Gabor Deme
  • Patent number: 9784243
    Abstract: A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system having an aerial wing, a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, an electrically conductive tether secured to the aerial wing and secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the turbine blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Damon Vander Lind, Thomas Van Alsenoy, Richard Wayne DeVaul
  • Patent number: 9777699
    Abstract: A gravity driven hydroelectric system, whereby hydroelectric power is developed from potential energy of dammed water driving a water turbine assembly. The hydroelectric power extracted from the water depends on volume and on a difference in height between a source and an outflow of the water. A penstock delivers the water to the water turbine assembly. The penstock has a housing secured by frame assemblies to a structure. The housing has electromagnetic coils that produce electricity from a rotation of turbine blades having magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Inventor: Robillard Decady
  • Patent number: 9755557
    Abstract: A field current limiting section includes a field current limitation instructing section for, when a field current limitation determining section determines that a determination value has reached a predetermined determination threshold value, generating a field current limiting instruction to a field current control section so as to limit field current to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined permissible value during a predetermined field current limitation time Tlim. A field current limitation releasing section outputs a field current limitation releasing instruction to the field current limiting section so as to release limitation of the field current during a predetermined field current limitation release time TC. When having received the field current limitation releasing instruction from the field current limitation releasing section, the field current limiting section releases limitation of the field current during the predetermined field current limitation release time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Akita, Masato Mori, Mitsunori Tabata
  • Patent number: 9745952
    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: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Inventor: Doug Westmoreland
  • Patent number: 9748886
    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: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Falcon Power, LLC
    Inventors: Harley C. McDonald, James L. Bailey, Matthew C. McDonald
  • Patent number: 9742331
    Abstract: A generation and distribution system includes an adjustable-speed prime mover and a doubly-fed asynchronous alternating-current (AC) generator driven by the prime mover and having a first poly-phase circuit, e.g., a stator, and a second poly-phase circuit, e.g., a rotor. The system further includes a first AC bus electrically coupled to the first poly-phase circuit configured to deliver AC power at a first AC voltage to multiple loads, and a second AC bus connected to the second poly-phase circuit configured to deliver AC power at a second AC voltage to another group of loads, the second AC voltage being lower than the first. The system includes a poly-phase transformer having first windings electrically coupled to the first AC bus and having second windings electrically coupled to the second AC bus, and a poly-phase AC-to-AC electronic converter circuit electrically coupled between the second poly-phase circuit and the second AC bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Jiaqi Liang, Zhiguo Pan, Li Qi, Anil Kondabathini
  • Patent number: 9731604
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for an auxiliary power unit. In one embodiment, an auxiliary power unit comprises a plurality of independent modules configured to be installed in respective different locations within a rail vehicle or other vehicle. Each module of the plurality of independent modules is configured to carry out one or more respective functions of the auxiliary power unit for providing auxiliary power in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hafiz Hassan Eisa, Mike Meltser, Alessandro Simoes Correa
  • Patent number: 9722520
    Abstract: A method for controlling a variable speed wind turbine generator is disclosed. The generator is connected to a power converter comprising switches. The generator comprises a stator and a set of terminals connected to the stator and to the switches of the power converter. The method comprises: determining a stator flux reference value corresponding to a generator power of a desired magnitude, determining an estimated stator flux value corresponding to an actual generator power, determining a difference between the determined stator flux reference value and the estimated stator flux value, and operating said switches in correspondence to the determined stator flux reference value and the estimated stator flux value to adapt at least one stator electrical quantity to obtain said desired generator power magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Anshuman Tripathi, Cao Shu Yu, Allan Holm Jörgensen, Lars Helle
  • Patent number: 9719483
    Abstract: A system for generating energy from a water current flowing in a body of water. For example, the system may have a generator assembly operable to generate energy in response to the flow of the current and an anchor assembly located at the bed of the body of water, where the generator assembly is attached to the anchor assembly, is held between the bed and the surface of the body of water, and is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis with respect to the anchor assembly. For another example, the generator assembly may include a housing that is held in an upstream orientation when in use, and an impellor assembly located within the housing and including a plurality of blades arranged to be contacted by the flow of the water when in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: OneSubsea IP UK Limited
    Inventor: Hans P. Hopper
  • Patent number: 9712094
    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: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Inventor: Bruno Bergman
  • Patent number: 9702347
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a wind turbine system for the collection of wind energy and the conversion thereof through staged-compression into highly compressed gas. The highly compressed gas is routed to a central tank, and then expanded into a plurality of concentric ring tanks, each storing gas at successively lower pressures. The cooling resulting from this expansion is utilized to cool hot compressed gas from an intermediate line of gas compressors, increasing the efficiency of the following compressors. This absorption of heat also improves the efficiency of the gas turbines driving electrical generators. The gas compressor in each wind turbine is located near ground level, and driven by a vertical shaft passing through the wind turbine support tower. One embodiment has conventional radially extending blades, and another embodiment has ducted blades to withstand higher winds. Both ground mounted and deep water adaptions for the wind turbines are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Inventor: Charles Martin Chavez Madson
  • Patent number: 9702908
    Abstract: A method for operating a power generation system coupled to a power grid during a grid unbalance event, a method for determining an injection current to be supplied into a power grid by a power generation system, and a method for addressing an asymmetric grid fault in a power grid connected to a power generation system are provided. The methods may be carried out based on a reactive or an active power/current priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
    Inventors: Amit Kumar Gupta, John Godsk Nielsen, Liang Yang
  • Patent number: 9698715
    Abstract: A method and a system for generating auxiliary power for an islanded wind turbine are described, wherein the wind turbine may comprise a generator configured to provide power to a main grid. The method comprises: detecting an island mode of operation wherein said wind turbine is electrically disconnected from said main grid; in response to said disconnection, adjusting the rotational speed of said wind turbine to a value within a range of low rotational speeds; converting said generator output to a value suitable for charging said auxiliary power distribution system; and, connecting the output of said converter to said auxiliary power distribution system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: XEMC DARWIND B.V.
    Inventor: Florentius Johannes Bodewes
  • Patent number: 9683543
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a wave activated power generation system that converts the vertical movement of one or more power generation buoys resulting from interaction with waves into energy producing gyrations via a rack and pinion mechanism. The square-shaped power generation buoys are manufactured from fiber-reinforced plastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Inventor: Tsukasa Nozawa
  • Patent number: 9677415
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine comprising an electrical machine 30, 130, 200, 210, the electrical machine 30, 130, 200, 210 having an axis of rotation that is canted with respect to the main rotational axis of the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Fermin Moliner-Cantos
  • Patent number: 9677542
    Abstract: A method for operating a direct drive wind turbine including determining a temperature difference between at least two components of a bearing, comparing the temperature information with an upper threshold temperature difference between the at least two components of the bearing, limiting rotational speed of a rotor and/or an at least one rotatably supported wind turbine component coupled to the rotor to a value unlike zero yet, below a wind turbine specific nominal rotational speed of the rotor and/or below the wind turbine specific nominal rotational speed of the at least one rotatably supported wind turbine component coupled to the rotor and/or limiting electric power output of the generator to a value unlike zero yet, below a wind turbine specific nominal electric power output of the generator, if the temperature difference between the at least two components of the bearing increases above the upper threshold temperature difference, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Samuel H. Hawkins