Abstract: A thermoelectric energy storage system and method are provided for storing electrical energy by transferring thermal energy to a thermal storage in a charging cycle, and for generating electricity by retrieving the thermal energy from the thermal storage in a discharging cycle. The thermoelectric energy storage includes a working fluid circuit configured to circulate a working fluid through a heat exchanger, and a thermal storage conduit configured to transfer a thermal storage medium from a thermal storage tank through the heat exchanger. The working fluid includes a zeotropic mixture. The working fluid is in a mixed vapor and liquid phase and has continuously rising or continuously falling temperature during heat transfer due to the working fluid including the zeotropic mixture.

Abstract: An exemplary semiconductor module includes a substrate formed of a ceramic insulator, and at least one metallic layer formed on the substrate. The metallic layer includes a deepening for placing and fixing a contact element. The contact element is at least partially “L”-shaped and includes a first arm for fixing the contact element at the deepening, and a second arm for interconnecting the contact element with an external device. The deepening has a horizontal dimension which is about ?0.5 mm bigger than the horizontal dimension of the contact element.

Abstract: A method of determining a fault direction parameter of a fault on an AC transmission line of a power distribution system relative to a measurement location of the transmission line. The method includes measuring a time-dependent AC current of the transmission line at the measurement location to obtain time-domain current data indicative of the measured current, obtaining a time of the fault on the transmission line, identifying first and second times by identifying a periodically re-occurring feature of the current data, such that the fault time is between the first and second times, extracting, from the current data, an offset indicative parameter indicative of a time offset of the current at the fault time and between the first and second times, calculating an offset direction parameter by comparing the offset indicative parameter to a non-offset indicative parameter, and establishing the fault direction parameter based on the offset direction parameter.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for an industrial control system including a computer. The graphical user interface includes a display device. A plurality of process graphics including at least one software object for controlling and/or monitoring real world objects controlled by the control system are arranged such that elements of at least a portion of at least one software object may be displayed on the interface displayed on the display device. Computer program instructions generate and display in the graphical user interface a main view including a first process graphic in a window. The first process graphic is a member of a predetermined group of process graphics. The main view includes a designated view including at least one tab directly linked to other members of the predetermined group. Selecting one of the tabs allows the user to navigate to one of the predetermined group of process graphics.

Abstract: A converter assembly includes a DC-DC converter, an inverter, a DC link, an input capacitor, an inductor and a neutral conductor. The DC-DC converter includes at least one DC-DC converter unit. The input capacitor includes an input capacitor unit for each of the at least one DC-DC converter unit, where each of the input capacitor units has a midpoint. The neutral conductor is connected to a neutral point on an output side of the inverter. The inductor includes an inverter side inductor between each output terminal of the inverter means and the neutral point on output side of the inverter. The neutral conductor is connected to the midpoint of each of the input capacitor units.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting islanding conditions in an electric power network which includes a plurality of sub-networks. The sub-networks include at least one power electrical unit and are separable from each other and a main grid supplying the network by switching devices. The method includes determining topological information of at least one sub-network of interest, detecting islanding conditions in at least one sub-network of interest on the basis of the topological information by using separate detecting devices for each sub-network of interest, and sending, on the basis of the islanding conditions detected by using the detecting devices, a disconnect signal to at least one power electrical unit in at least one sub-network of interest.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments relate to a method for energy benchmarking a process plant having at least one component, and for diagnosing the process plant thereof. The method includes adapting a process model for the process plant determining energy consumption of the process plant based on design conditions or current operating conditions or both and performing optimization for estimating the energy benchmark. Further, the method also includes calculating indices for gap analysis and diagnosing the gap between the current energy consumption of the process plant and the estimated energy benchmark.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a gate drive circuit and a method for controlling a gate-controlled component. The gate drive circuit includes a PI controller that receives an input reference signal (vref,d/dt) controls a gate voltage of the gate-controlled component. The gate drive circuit also includes a first feedback loop for the PI controller adapted to provide feedback from a time derivative of a collector-to-emitter voltage (vCE) of the controlled component. The first feedback loop has a first gain (kv). A second is provided in the gate drive circuit feedback loop for the PI controller that provides feedback from the time derivative of the collector current (iC) of the controlled component. The second feedback loop has second gain (ki) and includes a clipping circuit that modifies the feedback signal in the second feedback loop during turn-on of the controlled component when the time derivative of the collector current is negative.

Abstract: Methods and systems for energy benchmarking for gap analysis are disclosed, for example, for a plant in a paper industry having at least one equipment. The method can include a) monitoring the performance parameter of one or more equipments of the plant and/or of one or more other plants and/or of the plant or other plants, the performance parameter being evaluated from design data or plant model or historical operating data or current operating data; b) comparing at least one performance parameter against at least one other performance parameter of the at least one equipment of the one plant or other plant, or of the one plant or at least one other plant or a combination thereof; c) selecting one of the performance parameters from the at least one or other performance parameters being compared; d) setting the value of the selected performance parameter as a benchmark; and e) controlling the plant based on the benchmark.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for monitoring in real time the operating state of an IGBT device, to determine a junction temperature and/or the remaining lifetime of an IGBT device. The system includes a differential unit configured to receive a gate-emitter voltage characteristic of the IGBT device to be measured and to differentiate the gate-emitter voltage characteristic to obtain pulses correlating with edges formed by a Miller plateau phase during a switch-off phase of the IGBT device. The system also includes a timer unit configured to measure the time delay between the obtained pulses indicating the start and end of the Miller plateau phase during the switch-off phase of the IGBT device, and a junction temperature calculation unit configured to determine at least one of the junction temperature of the IGBT device and/or the remaining lifetime of the IGBT device based on the measured time delay.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for localization in an industrial wireless sensor network by identifying a sensor node of a field device for localization, and determining the location information of the sensor node associated with the field device. The determined location information is stored in the field device, in one or more modules of the wireless network management component, and/or an operator portal. Operation can be indicated upon the joining of the field device into the network or during the commissioning of the industrial wireless sensor.

Abstract: DC-DC converter systems are disclosed. DC-DC converter systems may include an input, an output, a resonant switched-capacitor DC-DC converter, and a second DC-DC converter. The resonant switched-capacitor DC-DC converter may include a first input side and a first output side. The second DC-DC converter may include a second input side and a second output side. The first input side may be connected to the input, the second input side may be connected to an input voltage, and the first and second output sides may be connected in series to the output. In some examples, the second DC-DC converter may be a buck-boost DC-DC converter.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for controlling electrical machines including a controller component which receives a first signal providing a measured parameter of the electrical machine and a second signal providing a reference parameter of the electrical machine, using the first and second signals being used to produce a first control signal. A first filter component receives the first signal from the electrical machine and uses the first signal to produce a second control signal. A second filter component receives a third signal which relates to a reference parameter of a second electrical machine and uses the third signal to produce a third control signal. The system and second control signals are used to produce a first output control signal for provision to the first electrical machine, and the first and third control signals are used produce a second output control signal for provision to the second electrical machine.

Abstract: A method of determining a fault parameter of a fault on an AC transmission line 10 of a power distribution system 1 relative to a measurement location 12 of the transmission line 10 comprising: measuring a time-dependent current of the transmission line 10 at the measurement location 12; transmitting a current signal indicative of the measured current to a decision logic section 36, the current signal comprising a plurality of pre-fault current values and a plurality of post-fault current values; determining, by the decision logic section 36, a plurality of phase difference values indicative of respective phase differences between respective pre-fault current values and respective post-fault current values; accumulating the plurality of phase difference values into an accumulated phase difference parameter; obtaining the fault parameter by comparing the accumulated phase difference parameter to a threshold value; and outputting the determined fault parameter.

Abstract: A mold for molding a UV cured article in an inner volume thereof, the mold including a mold wall surrounding the inner volume, the mold including a UV-transparent polymer and UV radiation deflecting particles immersed in or adhered to a surface of the mold wall. Also provided is an apparatus including the mold and a process for molding a UV cured article.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a communication network interconnecting a plurality of synchronized nodes, where regular frames including time-critical data are transmitted periodically or cyclically, and sporadic frames are transmitted non-periodically or occasionally. For example, each node can transmit a regular frame at the beginning of a transmission period common to, and synchronized among, all nodes. Another node then receives regular frames from its first neighboring node, and forwards the frames within the same transmission period and with the shortest delay, to a second neighboring node. Furthermore, each node actively delays transmission of any sporadic frame, whether originating from an application hosted by the node itself or whether received from a neighboring node, until forwarding of all received regular frames is completed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibration of a robot on a platform and a robot, in relation to an object using a measuring unit mounted on the robot including placing CAD models so that the robot reaches the object, manipulating the CAD models to move the measuring unit to a pose in relation to the platform allowing measurement of a feature on the object, storing the pose, and generating a CAD model of the feature. The real robot is moved to the pose, the real platform is moved where measurements of the feature can be made, 3D measurements of the feature are performed and based thereon generating a second CAD model, performing a best fit between the CAD models, and calculating a 6 degrees of freedom pose difference between the CAD models, and instructing the mobile platform to move to compensate for the pose difference.

Abstract: A fiber optic thermometer is provided that uses a birefringent polarization maintaining sensing fiber as well as a single-mode transmission fiber for transmitting the optical signals between the sensing head and an optoelectronic module. The optoelectronic module contains two light sources operating at different spectral ranges. The unpolarized light from the light sources is sent through the transmission fiber, sent through a polarizer, and coupled into both birefringence axis of the sensing fiber. The waves are reflected at a reflector at a remote end of the sensing fiber, whereupon it returns through the sensing fiber, the polarizer and the transmission fiber. By analyzing the returned signal for both spectral ranges, a robust temperature signal can be derived. This thermometer design obviates the need for using a polarization maintaining fiber and polarization maintaining connectors between the optoelectronic module and the sensor head.

Abstract: An exemplary method and apparatus for detecting islanding conditions of a distributed grid are disclosed, wherein transfer of power through a power electrical unit is controlled on the basis of a control reference. The apparatus includes a first stage and a second stage performing a respective portion of the method. The first stage injects a reactive component to the control reference, and, for at least one electrical quantity of the grid, determines a change in the quantity induced by the injected component, and determines, on the basis of the change in the electrical quantity, whether to move to the second stage of the method.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for detecting a frequency of a measured three-phase voltage. The method includes measuring a three-phase voltage, forming a discrete model for a periodic signal, the discrete model including the three-phase voltage and a difference between positive and negative voltage components of the three-phase voltage, forming a discrete detector based on the discrete model, detecting a fundamental wave component of the voltage and the difference between the positive and negative voltage components of the three-phase voltage from an error between the measured voltage and detected fundamental wave component of the voltage by using the discrete detector and a sampling time together with a detected frequency of the measured voltage. The detected frequency is detected from a detected difference between positive and negative voltage components of the measured voltage and from an error between the measured voltage and the detected fundamental wave component of the voltage.