Patents by Inventor Frederick Kieferndorf

Frederick Kieferndorf 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: 11979094
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of operating a power electronic converter device for an electrical power converter system is provided. The power electronic converter device includes a converter circuit, a first converter, and a second converter. The first converter and the second converter are switch with a switching pattern such that the first converter and the second converter generate voltages with stepwise voltages changes and an output voltage of the power electronic converter device results from a superposition of the voltages of the first converter and the second converter. The switching pattern includes switching instants for the second converter such that the voltage of the second converter leaves the fundamental voltage component of the voltage of the first converter unchanged, such that the second converter does not generate a fundamental component of the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralph Mario Burkart, Ioannis Tsoumas, Frederick Kieferndorf, Tobias Geyer
  • Publication number: 20230352255
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a contact actuating unit for an electrical circuit breaker. The contact actuating unit includes an electro-mechanical device. An actuator of the electro-mechanical device is connected to a contact arrangement in the electrical circuit breaker. The contact actuating unit further comprises a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the electro-mechanical device to move the actuator and to bring the contact arrangement from a first to a second position. The contact actuating unit further includes a command feed forward or motion trajectory and feed forward controller, configured to provide one or more data signals. At least one of the provided data signals is indicative of a predetermined force and/or torque value, adapted to command the control unit to move the contact arrangement with the actuator to a predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Frederick KIEFERNDORF, Joerg LEHMANN, Stefano MATTEI
  • Publication number: 20230052562
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of operating a power electronic converter device for an electrical power converter system is provided. The power electronic converter device includes a converter circuit, a first converter, and a second converter. The first converter and the second converter are switch with a switching pattern such that the first converter and the second converter generate voltages with stepwise voltages changes and an output voltage of the power electronic converter device results frum a superposition of the voltages of the first converter and the second converter. The switching pattern includes switching instants for the second converter such that the voltage of the second converter leaves the fundamental voltage component of the voltage of the first converter unchanged, such that the second converter does not generate a fundamental component of the output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventors: Ralph Mario Burkart, Ioannis Tsoumas, Frederick Kieferndorf, Tobias Geyer
  • Publication number: 20230042964
    Abstract: Described herein is a method of operating a power electronic converter device for an electrical power conversion system. The power electronic converter device includes a converter circuit including an input side, an output side, a first converter, and at least one second converter. The second converter includes at least one floating cell with a DC intermediate circuit and semiconductor devices. The method includes: switching the semiconductor devices of the floating cell at switching instants determined with optimized pulse patterns or carrier-based pulse width modulation; determining a fundamental voltage component for the floating cell; and generating the fundamental voltage component in the actual voltage of the floating cell by modifying the switching instants, such that a voltage VC AF of the DC intermediate circuit is lying in a given reference voltage range for balancing the DC intermediate circuit of the floating cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Ioannis Tsoumas, Tobias Geyer, Mario Schweizer, Eduardo Rohr, Frederick Kieferndorf, Wim Van-der-Merwe, Manuel Vetterli, Christian Meier
  • Patent number: 10374431
    Abstract: A converter system for interconnecting renewable energy sources with a DC distribution bus comprises a converter unit which comprises an isolated DC-to-DC converter connectable to the renewable energy source, and a non-isolated DC-to-DC converter connectable to the DC distribution bus, which is cascade connected with the isolated DC-to-DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Francisco Canales, Frederick Kieferndorf, Drazen Dujic
  • Publication number: 20170126010
    Abstract: A converter system for interconnecting renewable energy sources with a DC distribution bus comprises a converter unit which comprises an isolated DC-to-DC converter connectable to the renewable energy source, and a non-isolated DC-to-DC converter connectable to the DC distribution bus, which is cascade connected with the isolated DC-to-DC converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Francisco Canales, Frederick Kieferndorf, Drazen Dujic
  • Publication number: 20170063247
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a modulation method for controlling at least two parallel-connected, multi-phase power converters. The method comprises generating synchronized switching sequences for the power converters on the basis of a common modulation reference, wherein each synchronized switching sequence comprises a first half sequence followed by a second half sequence, and wherein, for at least one of the power converters, the first half sequence is a rising-edge half sequence rising-edge half sequence and the second half sequence is a falling-edge half sequence, and, for at least one other of the power converters, the first half sequence is a falling-edge half sequence and the second half sequence is a rising-edge half sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: FREDERICK KIEFERNDORF, KI-BUM PARK, TERO VIITANEN, SAMI PETTERSSON, FRANCISCO CANALES
  • Patent number: 8766570
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a converter for an electrical system that is controlled in such that switching sequences for the converter, determined with respect to an optimization goal are modified such that by correcting a flux error resulting from assumptions on which the first optimization of the switching sequence is based.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Tobias Geyer, Frederick Kieferndorf, Georgios Papafotiou, Nikolaos Oikonomou
  • Patent number: 8737103
    Abstract: A method is provided for predicting pulse width modulated switching sequences for a multi-phase multi-level converter. With a first predicted switching sequence, due to multi-phase redundancies, equivalent switching sequences are determined. From the equivalent switching sequences, one switching sequence optimal with respect to a predefined optimization goal is selected. The selected switching sequence is used to switch the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Frederick Kieferndorf, Georgios Papafotiou, Nikolaos Oikonomou, Tobias Geyer
  • Publication number: 20130016549
    Abstract: A method is provided for predicting pulse width modulated switching sequences for a multi-phase multi-level converter. With a first predicted switching sequence, due to multi-phase redundancies, equivalent switching sequences are determined. From the equivalent switching sequences, one switching sequence optimal with respect to a predefined optimization goal is selected. The selected switching sequence is used to switch the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD.
    Inventors: Frederick KIEFERNDORF, Georgios Papafotiou, Nikolaos Oikonomou, Tobias Geyer
  • Publication number: 20120161685
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a converter for an electrical system that is controlled in such that switching sequences for the converter, determined with respect to an optimization goal are modified such that by correcting a flux error resulting from assumptions on which the first optimization of the switching sequence is based.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Tobias GEYER, Frederick KIEFERNDORF, Georgios PAPAFOTIOU, Nikolaos OIKONOMOU
  • Patent number: 7518397
    Abstract: A circuit for enabling an IC having a normal mode for performing normal functions and a program mode for programming settings of the IC to use same pins in both modes. The circuit includes an input circuit for receiving the input data; internal circuits for processing the input data in the normal mode; a program circuit for processing the input data in the program mode, a program enable circuit for providing a program enable signal for switching the IC from the normal to the program mode; and a demultiplexer circuit for providing the input data as normal data to internal circuits when the IC is in the normal mode and as program data to the program circuit when the IC is in the program mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick Kieferndorf
  • Publication number: 20080157812
    Abstract: A circuit for enabling an IC having a normal mode for performing normal functions and a program mode for programming settings of the IC to use same pins in both modes. The circuit includes an input circuit for receiving the input data; internal circuits for processing the input data in the normal mode; a program circuit for processing the input data in the program mode, a program enable circuit for providing a program enable signal for switching the IC from the normal to the program mode; and a demultiplexer circuit for providing the input data as normal data to internal circuits when the IC is in the normal mode and as program data to the program circuit when the IC is in the program mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2008
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Frederick Kieferndorf