Patents by Inventor Everett R. Geis

Everett R. Geis 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: 6812587
    Abstract: A continuous power supply may include a turbogenerator to provide power to supply the load and or an energy storage element and possibly also to the primary energy source. Utilizing an isolated DC bus architecture permits bi-directional power flow among interconnected elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Mark G. Gilbreth, Everett R. Geis, Claude Khalizadeh, David McShane, Joel B. Wacknov, Simon R. Wall
  • Patent number: 6812586
    Abstract: A power generation system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the power generation system includes a fuel source, a turbogenerator coupled to the fuel source, and a power controller coupled to the turbogenerator. The power controller includes an AC/DC power converter that converts AC power generated by the turbogenerator to DC power on output lines for supplying a DC load. The power controller regulates the fuel to the turbogenerator, independent of a DC voltage on the output lines. A capacitor such as an electrochemical capacitor or a hybrid capacitor, coupled across the output lines, sources power to and/or sinks power from the output lines due to load changes by the DC load. In a further embodiment, the power controller includes an additional DC/DC power converter. In yet a further embodiment, the power controller includes a second additional DC/DC power converter to controllably couple the capacitor to a DC bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Joel Wacknov, Everett R. Geis
  • Publication number: 20040080165
    Abstract: A turbogenerator/motor controller with a microprocessor based inverter having multiple modes of operation with an energy storage and discharge system including an ancillary electric storage device, such as a battery, connected to the generator controller through control electronics. Electrical energy can flow from the ancillary electric storage device to the turbogenerator controller during start up and increasing load and vice versa during self-sustained operation of the turbogenerator. When utility power is unavailable, the ancillary electric storage device can provide the power required to start the turbogenerator. When a load transient occurs, the gas turbine engine and the ancillary electric storage device provide the power required to successfully meet the transient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Applicant: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Everett R. Geis, Brian W. Peticolas, Joel B. Wacknov
  • Patent number: 6683389
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle, such as a bus or delivery vehicle, includes batteries and a turbogenerator/motor connected through a double conversion control system. The batteries and the turbogenerator/motor are each connected to a DC bus through bi-directional power converters operating as customized bi-directional switching converters configured, under the control of a power controller, to provide an interface between the DC bus and the batteries and turbogenerator/motor, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventor: Everett R. Geis
  • Publication number: 20030111842
    Abstract: A continuous power supply may include a turbogenerator to provide power to supply the load and or an energy storage element and possibly also to the primary energy source. Utilizing an isolated DC bus architecture permits bi-directional power flow among interconnected elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Mark G. Gilbreth, Everett R. Geis, Claude Khalizadeh, David McShane, Joel B. Wacknov, Simon R. Wall
  • Publication number: 20020175522
    Abstract: A power generation system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the power generation system includes a fuel source, a turbogenerator coupled to the fuel source, and a power controller coupled to the turbogenerator. The power controller includes an AC/DC power converter that converts AC power generated by the turbogenerator to DC power on output lines for supplying a DC load. The power controller regulates the fuel to the turbogenerator, independent of a DC voltage on the output lines. A capacitor such as an electrochemical capacitor or a hybrid capacitor, coupled across the output lines, sources power to and/or sinks power from the output lines due to load changes by the DC load. In a further embodiment, the power controller includes an additional DC/DC power converter. In yet a further embodiment, the power controller includes a second additional DC/DC power converter to controllably couple the capacitor to a DC bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Joel Wacknov, Everett R. Geis
  • Publication number: 20020070557
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle, such as a bus or delivery vehicle, includes batteries and a turbogenerator/motor connected through a double conversion control system. The batteries and the turbogenerator/motor are each connected to a DC bus through bi-directional power converters operating as customized bi-directional switching converters configured, under the control of a power controller, to provide an interface between the DC bus and the batteries and turbogenerator/motor, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Applicant: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventor: Everett R. Geis
  • Patent number: 6049195
    Abstract: A permanent magnet generator having a winding split into two equal windings with each of the two windings connected to a separate three phase rectifier block of a pulse width modulated inverter The pulse width modulated inverter includes three (3) IGBT channels across the voltage bus with the neutral created between the separate three phase rectifier blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Everett R. Geis, Brian W. Peticolas, Joel B. Wacknov
  • Patent number: 6031294
    Abstract: A turbogenerator/motor controller with a microprocessor based inverter having multiple modes of operation with an energy storage and discharge system including an ancillary electric storage device, such as a battery, connected to the generator controller through control electronics. Electrical energy can flow from the ancillary electric storage device to the turbogenerator controller during start up and increasing load and vice versa during self-sustained operation of the turbogenerator. When utility power is unavailable, the ancillary electric storage device can provide the power required to start the turbogenerator. When a load transient occurs, the gas turbine engine and the ancillary electric storage device provide the power required to successfully meet the transient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Everett R. Geis, Brian W. Peticolas, Joel B. Wacknov
  • Patent number: 6020713
    Abstract: A controller for a permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor having a pulse width modulated inverter and a rectifier bridge. The pulse width modulated inverter includes a positive section magnetic winding and a separate equal negative section magnetic winding, and the inverter has a positive section connected to the positive section magnetic winding of the pulse width modulated inverter and a negative section connected to the separate negative section magnetic winding of the pulse width modulated inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Everett R. Geis, Brian W. Peticolas, Joel B. Wacknov
  • Patent number: 5903116
    Abstract: A turbogenerator/motor controller with a microprocessor based inverter having multiple modes of operation. To start the turbine, the inverter connects to and supplies fixed current, variable voltage, variable frequency, AC power to the permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor, driving the permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor as a motor to accelerate the gas turbine. During this acceleration, spark and fuel are introduced in the correct sequence, and self-sustaining gas turbine operating conditions are reached. The inverter is then disconnected from the permanent magnet generator/motor, reconfigured to a controlled 60 hertz mode, and then either supplies regulated 60 hertz three phase voltage to a stand alone load or phase locks to the utility, or to other like controllers, to operate as a supplement to the utility. In this mode of operation, the power for the inverter is derived from the permanent magnet generator/motor via high frequency rectifier bridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Everett R. Geis, Brian W. Peticolas
  • Patent number: 4565957
    Abstract: Highly reliable and consistent starting is achieved by first initializing the rotor position, namely establishing the rotor in a known starting position. This is accomplished by gating on two pairs of SCRs in sequence and supplying current pulses through the gated SCRs to the stator of the motor to rotate the rotor to a first position and then to a second position, the rotor coming to a complete stop in each of those positions. The rotor aligns itself with the magnetic field created by the stator in each position and any ambiguity in the rotor position is eliminated. Thereafter, the inverter is operated asynchronously in a second mode with predetermined pairs of the inverter SCRs being sequentially gated into conduction at an increasing frequency to current pulse energize the motor to effect step-by-step rotation of the rotor at a faster and faster rate, the motor current being reduced to zero at the termination of each energizing pulse to force commutate the conducting pair of SCRs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1986
    Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Gary, Everett R. Geis, Todd L. King, Daljit Singh
  • Patent number: RE40713
    Abstract: A turbogenerator/motor controller with a microprocessor based inverter having multiple modes of operation. To start the turbine, the inverter connects to and supplies fixed current, variable voltage, variable frequency, AC power to the permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor, driving the permanent magnet turbogenerator/motor as a motor to accelerate the gas turbine. During this acceleration, spark and fuel are introduced in the correct sequence, and self-sustaining gas turbine operating conditions are reached. The inverter is then disconnected from the permanent magnet generator/motor, reconfigured to a controlled 60 hertz mode, and then either supplies regulated 60 hertz three phase voltage to a stand alone load or phase locks to the utility, or to other like controllers, to operate as a supplement to the utility. In this mode of operation, the power for the inverter is derived from the permanent magnet generator/motor via high frequency rectifier bridges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Capstone Turbine Corporation
    Inventors: Everett R. Geis, Brian W. Peticolas