Patents by Inventor Charles F. Blair

Charles F. Blair has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10439431
    Abstract: A method reduces inrush currents in a transformer-less rectifier UPS system when an input circuit breaker of the UPS system is closed from an open position. The circuit breaker is coupled between an AC power input and an AC input of a rectifier of the UPS system and a DC output of the rectifier is coupled to a DC bus of the UPS system. Before the circuit breaker is closed, the DC bus is charged to a DC voltage having a level that is equal to a peak AC voltage level of a line-line AC voltage of AC input power to the UPS system. The rectifier is operated as an inverter to provide an AC output voltage at the AC input of the rectifier that is equal to an AC voltage at the AC power input and when it is equal, the circuit breaker is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Vertiv Corporation
    Inventors: Charles F. Blair, Terry D. Bush, Xian Chen
  • Patent number: 10404094
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a load sharing system having a plurality of power supplies for powering a plurality of corresponding loads. Each one of the power supplies is associated with at least one of the loads. A power bus is also provided. A plurality of inductors is connected to the power bus. Each one of the inductors is further connected to at least one of the loads and to at least one of the power supplies, such that each adjacent pair of the inductors is connected in parallel relative to at least one of the loads. Each of the inductors has an inductance value sufficient so that if a fault develops on the power bus it serves to isolate the power supplies from the power bus. The inductance value further is such that if any one of the power supplies fails, the specific pair of inductors coupled in parallel to the load associated with the failed power supply allows the load to draw power over the power bus from other ones of the power supplies through the specific pair of inductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Vertiv Corporation
    Inventors: Terry D. Bush, Charles F. Blair, Gregg J. Nelson
  • Patent number: 10340733
    Abstract: A common mode choke in a 3-wire transformer free UPS system with which different rectifier and bypass power sources are used is eliminated by using different types of PWM control depending on whether the inverter is paralleled with the bypass power source. When the inverter is paralleled with the bypass power source, a type of PWM control is used that does not have common mode voltage injection. When the inverter is not paralleled with the bypass power source, a type of PWM control is used that has common mode voltage injection. In an aspect, the PWM control that does not have common mode voltage injection is sine-triangle PWM and the PWM control that has common mode voltage injection is space-vector PWM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Vertiv Corporation
    Inventors: Edwin Shires, Terry D. Bush, Brian P. Heber, Charles F. Blair
  • Patent number: 9915687
    Abstract: A real current meter reads current from a current probe coupled around power lines of a transformer-based UPS system coupled to a transformer having a high resistance ground with a HRG resistance and determines a real current component of the current read from the current probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Liebert Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Martin, Terry D. Bush, Charles F. Blair
  • Publication number: 20170244277
    Abstract: A method reduces inrush currents in a transformer-less rectifier UPS system when an input circuit breaker of the UPS system is closed from an open position. The circuit breaker is coupled between an AC power input and an AC input of a rectifier of the UPS system and a DC output of the rectifier is coupled to a DC bus of the UPS system. Before the circuit breaker is closed, the DC bus is charged to a DC voltage having a level that is equal to a peak AC voltage level of a line-line AC voltage of AC input power to the UPS system. The rectifier is operated as an inverter to provide an AC output voltage at the AC input of the rectifier that is equal to an AC voltage at the AC power input and when it is equal, the circuit breaker is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: Liebert Corporation
    Inventors: Charles F. BLAIR, Terry D. BUSH, Xian CHEN
  • Publication number: 20160336796
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a load sharing system having a plurality of power supplies for powering a plurality of corresponding loads. Each one of the power supplies is associated with at least one of the loads. A power bus is also provided. A plurality of inductors is connected to the power bus. Each one of the inductors is further connected to at least one of the loads and to at least one of the power supplies, such that each adjacent pair of the inductors is connected in parallel relative to at least one of the loads. Each of the inductors has an inductance value sufficient so that if a fault develops on the power bus it serves to isolate the power supplies from the power bus. The inductance value further is such that if any one of the power supplies fails, the specific pair of inductors coupled in parallel to the load associated with the failed power supply allows the load to draw power over the power bus from other ones of the power supplies through the specific pair of inductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Terry D. BUSH, Charles F. BLAIR, Gregg J. NELSON
  • Publication number: 20160282390
    Abstract: A real current meter reads current from a current probe coupled around power lines of a transformer-based UPS system coupled to a transformer having a high resistance ground with a HRG resistance and determines a real current component of the current read from the current probe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: James K. MARTIN, Terry D. BUSH, Charles F. BLAIR
  • Publication number: 20160094209
    Abstract: A DC offset voltage in an AC input voltage to a transformer and associated saturation current are eliminated by the placement of an anti-parallel diode pair circuit in series between a source of the AC input voltage and a primary winding of the transformer. The anti-parallel diode pair circuit has an input coupled to an output by parallel connected oppositely biased branch diode circuits. Each branch diode circuit has at least one diode where the diode of one such branch diode circuit is biased in one direction and the diode of the other such branch diode circuit is biased in an opposite direction and each branch diode circuit has the same number of diodes as the other branch diode circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Applicant: LIEBERT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Terry D. BUSH, Charles DUNN, James MILLER, Charles F. BLAIR
  • Publication number: 20150244206
    Abstract: A common mode choke in a 3-wire transformer free UPS system with which different rectifier and bypass power sources are used is eliminated by using different types of PWM control depending on whether the inverter is paralleled with the bypass power source. When the inverter is paralleled with the bypass power source, a type of PWM control is used that does not have common mode voltage injection. When the inverter is not paralleled with the bypass power source, a type of PWM control is used that has common mode voltage injection. In an aspect, the PWM control that does not have common mode voltage injection is sine-triangle PWM and the PWM control that has common mode voltage injection is space-vector PWM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: LIEBERT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edwin SHIRES, Terry D. BUSH, Brian P. HEBER, Charles F. BLAIR
  • Patent number: 7453235
    Abstract: A modular uninterruptible power supply is disclosed, which provides complete redundancy for all components required for UPS operation. Novel aspects of the invention include design of the modules and their interconnection and interoperability, as well as improved operation techniques applicable to UPS systems generally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Liebert Corporation
    Inventors: Charles F Blair, Mark Gabel, Christopher Crawford, Dennis Weber, John R Birchmeier, Brad Reinbolt
  • Publication number: 20040160214
    Abstract: A modular uninterruptible power supply is disclosed, which provides complete redundancy for all components required for UPS operation. Novel aspects of the invention include design of the modules and their interconnection and interoperability, as well as improved operation techniques applicable to UPS systems generally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Applicant: LIEBERT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles F. Blair, Mark Gabel, Christopher Crawford, Dennis Weber, John R. Birchmeier, Brad Reinbolt
  • Patent number: 6700351
    Abstract: A modular uninterruptible power supply is disclosed, which provides complete redundancy for all components required for UPS operation. Novel aspects of the invention include design of the modules and their interconnection and interoperability, as well as improved operation techniques applicable to UPS systems generally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Liebert Corporation
    Inventors: Charles F. Blair, Mark Gabel, Christopher Crawford, Dennis Weber, John R. Birchmeier, Brad Reinbolt
  • Publication number: 20010033502
    Abstract: A modular uninterruptible power supply is disclosed, which provides complete redundancy for all components required for UPS operation. Novel aspects of the invention include design of the modules and their interconnection and interoperability, as well as improved operation techniques applicable to UPS systems generally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventors: Charles F. Blair, Mark Gabel, Christopher Crawford, Dennis Weber, John R. Birchmeier, Brad Reinbolt