Patents by Inventor Gary Pena

Gary Pena 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).

  • FERROELECTRIC OPENING SWITCH
    Publication number: 20190311856
    Abstract: A ferroelectric opening switch is enabled by controlled polarization switching via nucleation in a ferroelectric material, such as BaTiO3, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, LiNbO3, LiTaO3, or variants thereof. For example, nucleation sites can be provided by mechanical seeding, grain boundaries, or optical illumination. The invention can be used as an opening switch in large scale pulsed-power systems. However, the switch can also be used in compact pulsed-power systems (e.g., as drivers for high power microwave systems), as passive fault limiters for high voltage dc (HVDC) systems, and/or in other high power applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Geoffrey L. Brennecka, Steven F. Glover, Gary Pena, Fred J. Zutavern
  • Ferroelectric opening switch
    Patent number: 10431280
    Abstract: A ferroelectric opening switch is enabled by controlled polarization switching via nucleation in a ferroelectric material, such as BaTiO3, Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, LiNbO3, LiTaO3, or variants thereof. For example, nucleation sites can be provided by mechanical seeding, grain boundaries, or optical illumination. The invention can be used as an opening switch in large scale pulsed-power systems. However, the switch can also be used in compact pulsed-power systems (e.g., as drivers for high power microwave systems), as passive fault limiters for high voltage dc (HVDC) systems, and/or in other high power applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Geoffrey L. Brennecka, Steven F. Glover, Gary Pena, Fred J. Zutavern
  • Electrofracturing test system and method of determining material characteristics of electrofractured material samples
    Patent number: 9719908
    Abstract: A device for electrofracturing a material sample and analyzing the material sample is disclosed. The device simulates an in situ electrofracturing environment so as to obtain electrofractured material characteristics representative of field applications while allowing permeability testing of the fractured sample under in situ conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen J. Bauer, Steven F. Glover, Tom Pfeifle, Jiann-Cherng Su, Kenneth Martin Williamson, Scott Thomas Broome, William Payton Gardner, Gary Pena