Patents by Inventor Hector Altuve-Ferrer

Hector Altuve-Ferrer 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: 6573726
    Abstract: A system for detecting ground faults in a compensated electric power distribution network includes the determination of zero sequence voltage (V0) and zero sequence current (I0) on a power line and calculating the zero sequence conductance (G0) therefrom. The operation of the conductance calculation circuit occurs only under selected power line conditions involving minimum values of zero sequence voltage, zero sequence current and positive sequence voltage, to ensure the accuracy of a fault direction determination. The conductance values are processed on an adaptive basis in which the difference between the most recent conductance value and a conductance value from a selected previous point in time is determined and then compared against threshold values to make forward and reverse fault declarations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, Daqing Hou, Hector Altuve-Ferrer
  • Patent number: 6518767
    Abstract: In a power line current differential protection system, all three phase current values (IA, IB and IC) are obtained from both the local end and the remote end of a power transmission line. The magnitude of the ratio of the remote current values to the local current values are calculated. Also, the angle difference between the local and the remote current values for each phase are calculated. Comparison elements then compare the ratio and angle values against preselected values which establish a restrain region in the current ratio plane. Current values which result in the ratio being within the region do not result in a tripping signal for the circuit breaker on the power transmission line, while current values which result in a ratio outside of the region result in a tripping of the circuit breaker. Similar circuitry is used for negative sequence current quantities, with the negative sequence preselected values being set substantially lower to produce a more sensitive response to possible faults in the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Roberts, Gabriel Benmouyal, Hector Altuve-Ferrer, Ralph Folkers, Demetrios Tziouvaras
  • Patent number: 6356421
    Abstract: Current transformer (CT) secondary currents for the windings of a power transformer are used to produce a differential current. An operating current value is obtained from the differential current value. A restraining current value is obtained from processed winding current values. Second and fourth harmonic values of the differential current are obtained and are summed with a restraining current quantity which is a result of the restraining current multiplied by a slope characteristic factor. If the operating current value is greater than the sum of the restraining current quantity and the second and fourth harmonic values, an output signal is produced which may be used as a trip signal unless it is blocked by selected blocking signals generated by another portion of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Labs., Inc.
    Inventors: Armando Guzman-Casillas, Hector Altuve-Ferrer, Stanley E. Zocholl, Gabriel Benmouyal