Patents by Inventor Jochen Kiefer

Jochen Kiefer 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: 7893379
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical switching device, e.g., a generator circuit breaker, and to a method for improved switching-gas cooling. Gas jets are formed by a nozzle body in the exhaust area, are directed against a baffle wall and are swirled. The baffle wall is a component of the switching chamber enclosure and has a high thermal capacity and/or thermal conductivity, so that the switching gas vortices produce a highly efficient switching gas cooling on the baffle wall by turbulent convection. Exemplary embodiments relate inter alia to the design of the baffle wall and of the nozzle body. Advantages include: protection of the switching chamber enclosure against hot gases, improved switching gas cooling, and increased breaking capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schoenemann, Jochen Kiefer, Patrick Huguenot, Max Claessens, Stephan Grob, Xiangyang Ye
  • Patent number: 7881033
    Abstract: The high-voltage system has at least one feed line and at least one high-power circuit breaker, the at least one feed line having a longitudinally extended feed line inner conductor and a feed line outer conductor surrounding the feed line inner conductor, and the high-power circuit breaker having a longitudinally extended circuit breaker inner conductor and a circuit breaker outer conductor surrounding the circuit breaker inner conductor in the form of a housing, and the inner conductors and the outer conductors being electrically conductively connected to one another. At least one heat pipe is provided for the purpose of dissipating thermal energy from the circuit breaker inner conductor. The heat pipe interacts with a cooling gas flow extending along the circuit breaker inner conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Daniel Chartouni, Martin Lakner, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Thomas Shoenemann, Jochen Kiefer, Lukas Zehnder, Marc Mollenkopf
  • Patent number: 7771114
    Abstract: The installation contains a current conductor producing Joulean heat in the operating state, a cooling element and a monitoring device. The cooling element has a condensable working medium and an evaporator, which can be heated by the current conductor of the installation, and a condenser which has been withdrawn from the heating effect of the current conductor. The monitoring device comprises at least one sensor for detecting a parameter of the cooling element and an evaluation unit, which receives output signals from the sensor. In the evaluation unit, the output signals of the sensors are evaluated and a signal describing the state and/or the functionality of the cooling element is formed there. This installation is characterized by high operational reliability with a high current-carrying capacity and dimensions which are kept small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Jochen Kiefer, Martin Lakner, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Daniel Chartouni
  • Patent number: 7557295
    Abstract: An exemplary isolating tube, and production method thereof, includes a mechanically load-bearing plastic tube composed of a fiber-reinforced polymer for use in a cooling element which can be loaded with high voltage, during whose operation the isolating tube forms an electrical isolation gap and in the tube interior carries an agent which flows as a liquid and/or vapor. The isolating tube can have a diffusion barrier which is held coaxially by the plastic tube. Such an isolating tube can be produced using an exemplary novel method for production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Jochen Kiefer, Martin Lakner, Daniel Chartouni, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Leopold Ritzer, Peter Unternaehrer, Thomas Schoenemann, Marc Mollenkopf, Lukas Zehnder
  • Patent number: 7471495
    Abstract: The vacuum switching chamber has two contact pieces and is provided with at least one heat pipe for dissipating heat. The heat pipe contains a working medium for dissipating the heat by evaporating the working medium in a section, referred to as the evaporator, of the heat pipe and condensing the working medium in a section, referred to as the condenser, of the heat pipe. Advantageously, the evaporator is in close thermal contact with at least one contact piece, and, in particular, at least part of the evaporator is integrated in the first contact piece or the second contact piece. Advantageously, the condenser has a cooling rib arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Alexander Steffens, Martin Lakner, Jochen Kiefer, Daniel Chartouni, Dietmar Gentsch
  • Publication number: 20080115924
    Abstract: The installation contains a current conductor producing Joulean heat in the operating state, a cooling element and a monitoring device. The cooling element has a condensable working medium and an evaporator, which can be heated by the current conductor of the installation, and a condenser which has been withdrawn from the heating effect of the current conductor. The monitoring device comprises at least one sensor for detecting a parameter of the cooling element and an evaluation unit, which receives output signals from the sensor. In the evaluation unit, the output signals of the sensors are evaluated and a signal describing the state and/or the functionality of the cooling element is formed there. This installation is characterized by high operational reliability with a high current-carrying capacity and dimensions which are kept small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Jochen KIEFER, Martin Lakner, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Daniel Chartouni
  • Publication number: 20080006609
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrical switching device, e.g., a generator circuit breaker, and to a method for improved switching-gas cooling. Gas jets are formed by a nozzle body in the exhaust area, are directed against a baffle wall and are swirled. The baffle wall is a component of the switching chamber enclosure and has a high thermal capacity and/or thermal conductivity, so that the switching gas vortices produce a highly efficient switching gas cooling on the baffle wall by turbulent convection. Exemplary embodiments relate inter alia to the design of the baffle wall and of the nozzle body. Advantages include: protection of the switching chamber enclosure against hot gases, improved switching gas cooling, and increased breaking capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Thomas Schoenemann, Jochen Kiefer, Patrick Huguenot, Max Claessens, Stephan Grob, Xiangyang Ye
  • Publication number: 20080000879
    Abstract: The vacuum switching chamber has two contact pieces and is provided with at least one heat pipe for dissipating heat. The heat pipe contains a working medium for dissipating the heat by evaporating the working medium in a section, referred to as the evaporator, of the heat pipe and condensing the working medium in a section, referred to as the condenser, of the heat pipe. Advantageously, the evaporator is in close thermal contact with at least one contact piece, and, in particular, at least part of the evaporator is integrated in the first contact piece or the second contact piece. Advantageously, the condenser has a cooling rib arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Alexander Steffens, Martin Lakner, Jochen Kiefer, Daniel Chartouni, Dietmar Gentsch
  • Publication number: 20070209790
    Abstract: An isolating tube is disclosed having a mechanically load-bearing plastic tube composed of a fiber-reinforced polymer for use in a cooling element which can be loaded with high voltage, during whose operation the isolating tube forms an electrical isolation gap and in the tube interior carries an agent which flows as a liquid and/or vapor. The isolating tube has a diffusion barrier which is held coaxially by the plastic tube. Methods for production of the isolating tube are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Jochen Kiefer, Martin Lakner, Daniel Chartouni, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Leopold Ritzer, Peter Unternaehrer, Thomas Schoenemann, Marc Mollenkopf, Lukas Zehnder
  • Patent number: 7253379
    Abstract: In order to dissipate heat losses from the inner conductor (21), the circuit breaker (20) having an elongated inner conductor (21) and an outer conductor (22) which surrounds the inner conductor (21) like a housing has at least one heat pipe (1) which extends from the inner conductor (21) to the outer conductor (22) and has an insulating hollow body (5) in order to form an electrical insulating gap (7). The heat pipe (1) advantageously has a flexibly deformable section (9). The heat pipe (1) can run in a supporting insulator (24) which supports the inner conductor (21). In addition to a working medium, the heat pipe (1) advantageously also contains an auxiliary gas which results in an enhanced dielectric strength at low temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Lakner, Daniel Chartouni, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Thomas Schoenemann, Jochen Kiefer, Lukas Zehnder, Marc Mollenkopf
  • Patent number: 7147051
    Abstract: The basis taken is a cooling element (1) made of a metal or of a metal alloy having at least one cooling rib (4) which is connected to a metal housing (11) for an operating means. The intention is to provide a cooling element (1) which has an improved cooling capacity. The inventive cooling element (1) is detachably connected to the housing (11) by means of fixing means. The cooling element (1) is provided with a thermally conductive and electrically insulating coating (2), and it has the same electrical potential as the housing (11), but carries no current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Markus Keller, Marianne Pleines, Jochen Kiefer, Thomas Schoenemann, Mercedes Dominguez Calvo
  • Publication number: 20060102618
    Abstract: In order to dissipate heat losses from the inner conductor (21), the circuit breaker (20) having an elongated inner conductor (21) and an outer conductor (22) which surrounds the inner conductor (21) like a housing has at least one heat pipe (1) which extends from the inner conductor (21) to the outer conductor (22) and has an insulating hollow body (5) in order to form an electrical insulating gap (7). The heat pipe (1) advantageously has a flexibly deformable section (9). The heat pipe (1) can run in a supporting insulator (24) which supports the inner conductor (21). In addition to a working medium, the heat pipe (1) advantageously also contains an auxiliary gas which results in an enhanced dielectric strength at low temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Lakner, Daniel Chartouni, Jean-Claude Mauroux, Thomas Schoenemann, Jochen Kiefer, Lukas Zehnder, Marc Mollenkopf
  • Publication number: 20030213586
    Abstract: The basis taken is a cooling element (1) made of a metal or of a metal alloy having at least one cooling rib (4) which is connected to a metal housing (11) for an operating means. The intention is to provide a cooling element (1) which has an improved cooling capacity. The inventive cooling element (1) is detachably connected to the housing (11) by means of fixing means. The cooling element (1) is provided with a thermally conductive and electrically insulating coating (2), and it has the same electrical potential as the housing (11), but carries no current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG.
    Inventors: Markus Keller, Marianne Pleines, Jochen Kiefer, Thomas Schoenemann, Mercedes Dominguez Calvo