Patents by Inventor Craig J. Nordby

Craig J. Nordby 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: 9026325
    Abstract: This invention relates to the field of very high current integrated power systems and defines a system where an alternating current inductive generator (13), controlled by a generator voltage regulator (14), is coupled to alternating current inductive load (11), controlled by an alternating current inductive load controller (12), all controlled by a supervisory control and data acquisition system (17) with externally adjustable power rate constraints (21) that define a new anticipatory mode integrated power system (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas D. Roettger, Mohamed Belkhayat, Craig J. Nordby, Joseph M. Maurio, William Patalon
  • Patent number: 5818194
    Abstract: A blower motor unit having a variable speed motor and that is suitable for direct, drop-in replacement in a residential HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that employs a PSC motor. The blower motor unit is provided with a neutral input and two hot AC line connections, one for connection to the heating power source and the other to the cooling power source. The blower motor unit senses which of the inputs is energized by sensing either voltage or current on at least one of the inputs, selects one of at least two reference signals in accordance with which input is energized, and presents the control input of the replacement variable speed motor with the selected reference signal, thereby controlling the speed of the variable speed motor. This motor control unit, and the method by which it selects one of two signals for application to a control input of a motor, are also independently useful to control any type of motor having at least two modes of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventor: Craig J. Nordby
  • Patent number: 5736823
    Abstract: Air handling apparatus (10) delivers a volume of air at a generally constant flow rate regardless of changes in the operating conditions of a system with which the apparatus is used. A blower (12) pushes air from one point to another. The blower is operated by a blower motor (14). A switch (16) controls application of power to the motor. Sensors (20) are used to sense the current drawn by the motor and the motor's operating speed. A flow controller (22) establishes a desired air flow rate to be provided by the blower. A processor (18) is responsive to the sensed current (I), motor speed (S), an input (C) from the flow controller, and constants (K1-K4) related to performance characteristics of the blower to determine a torque required by the motor to produce a predetermined air flow rate. The torque value is determined as a function of the combined motor speed input from the sensor and an input from the flow controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Craig J. Nordby, J. Stephen Thorn, James L. Skinner
  • Patent number: 5241257
    Abstract: A drive system for a household appliance incorporates an electric motor. A control panel allows the user of the appliance to select from among various performance options which the appliance is able to perform. A microprocessor, functioning as a first control unit, is responsive to the selections and to various appliance sensors monitoring operational status of the appliance to control the operation of various components within the appliance by which the selected options are performed. An AC-DC converter and inverter supply electrical power to the motor. A second control unit, operating at a relatively faster rate of speed than the microprocessor, controls the supplying of power to the electric motor to achieve proper operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Craig J. Nordby, Pradeep K. Sood, Marco Venturini, Ciaran O'Breartuin
  • Patent number: 4124885
    Abstract: In an inverter system using parallel transformers to generate a reconstructed sinewave by harmonic neutralization method direct current offset in any of the transformers is eliminated by shifting one edge of one of the square pulses logically determining the conduction angle of the inverter.A hall device mounted in an auxiliary reactor connected with the primary of the transformer is used to sense flux conditions during sampling periods which are in time relation with the logic period in the control of the inverter system and the detected flux asymmetry is used to control the ON-OFF ratio of such logic period thereby to compensate for the offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1978
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Craig J. Nordby
  • Patent number: 4080554
    Abstract: A variable speed static controlled induction motor is voltage regulated under variable frequency by controlling the inverters under constant pulse width while maintaining a constant volt-hertz ratio through the feedback voltage control loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1978
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Craig J. Nordby