Patents by Inventor Leon M. Tolbert

Leon M. Tolbert 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: 11515702
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for protecting and controlling a microgrid with a dynamic boundary are disclosed. One method includes detecting a fault in a microgrid that includes a dynamic point-of-common-coupling (PCC), in response to determining that the microgrid is operating in a grid-connected mode, isolating the fault by tripping a microgrid side smart switch and a grid side smart switch that are located immediately adjacent to the fault, initiating the reclosing of the grid side smart switch, and initiating the reclosing for the microgrid side smart switch via resynchronization if the grid side smart switch is successfully reclosed, and in response to determining that the microgrid is operating in an islanded mode, isolating the fault by tripping a microgrid side smart switch that is located immediately adjacent to the fault, and initiating the reclosing of the microgrid side smart switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Dingrui Li, Yilu Liu, Yiwei Ma, Ishita Ray, Leon M. Tolbert, He Yin, Lin Zhu
  • Patent number: 11404960
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a charge pump circuit, which includes a drive power supply; a flying capacitor; and a pump capacitor that is coupled in parallel to the drive power supply and the flying capacitor in response to a first control signal being in first state and is configured to receive charge from the flying capacitor to boost a pump voltage across the pump capacitor to a value that exceeds a drive voltage provided by the drive power supply responsive to a transition of the first control signal from the first state to a second state. The electronic circuit further includes a gate drive circuit coupled to the charge pump circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Handong Gui, Leon M. Tolbert
  • Publication number: 20210376721
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a charge pump circuit, which includes a drive power supply; a flying capacitor; and a pump capacitor that is coupled in parallel to the drive power supply and the flying capacitor in response to a first control signal being in first state and is configured to receive charge from the flying capacitor to boost a pump voltage across the pump capacitor to a value that exceeds a drive voltage provided by the drive power supply responsive to a transition of the first control signal from the first state to a second state. The electronic circuit further includes a gate drive circuit coupled to the charge pump circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Handong Gui, Leon M. Tolbert
  • Publication number: 20210242680
    Abstract: A system includes a controller that is configured to generate a node control signal and a plurality of switch control signals, a plurality of programmable emulators, each of the plurality of programmable emulators being configurable as one of a plurality of node types responsive to the node control signal, and a plurality of switches that are programmable to couple ones of the plurality of programmable emulators to each other responsive to the plurality of switch control signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Leon M. Tolbert, Yiwei Ma, Kevin Louis Tomsovic, Kai Sun, Shuoting Zhang, Jingxin Wang, Bo Liu
  • Patent number: 10886858
    Abstract: Circuits and methods for power conversion. In some examples, a modular multi-level converter (MMC) is configured for power conversion between an alternating current (AC) bus and a direct current (DC) bus. The MMC includes submodules arranged into a phase leg for at least one phase of the AC bus. Each submodule includes an energy storage component and a switch configured for bypassing the energy storage component or connecting the energy storage component into the phase leg. The MMC includes a pre-charger circuit configured to pre-charge the energy storage components of the submodules. The pre-charger circuit is configured for providing a first DC voltage that is lower than a second DC voltage on the DC bus, and the pre-charger circuit is coupled to an end submodule of the phase leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Shuoting Zhang, Fred Wang, Leon M. Tolbert
  • Patent number: 10873184
    Abstract: A system includes a controller that is configured to generate a node control signal and a plurality of switch control signals, a plurality of programmable emulators, each of the plurality of programmable emulators being configurable as one of a plurality of node types responsive to the node control signal, and a plurality of switches that are programmable to couple ones of the plurality of programmable emulators to each other responsive to the plurality of switch control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Leon M. Tolbert, Yiwei Ma, Kevin Tomsovic, Kai Sun, Shuoting Zhang, Jingxin Wang
  • Publication number: 20200350761
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for protecting and controlling a microgrid with a dynamic boundary are disclosed. One method includes detecting a fault in a microgrid that includes a dynamic point-of-common-coupling (PCC), in response to determining that the microgrid is operating in a grid-connected mode, isolating the fault by tripping a microgrid side smart switch and a grid side smart switch that are located immediately adjacent to the fault, initiating the reclosing of the grid side smart switch, and initiating the reclosing for the microgrid side smart switch via resynchronization if the grid side smart switch is successfully reclosed, and in response to determining that the microgrid is operating in an islanded mode, isolating the fault by tripping a microgrid side smart switch that is located immediately adjacent to the fault, and initiating the reclosing of the microgrid side smart switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Dingrui Li, Yilu Liu, Yiwei Ma, Ishita Ray, Leon M. Tolbert, He Yin, Lin Zhu
  • Publication number: 20200127456
    Abstract: A system includes a controller that is configured to generate a node control signal and a plurality of switch control signals, a plurality of programmable emulators, each of the plurality of programmable emulators being configurable as one of a plurality of node types responsive to the node control signal, and a plurality of switches that are programmable to couple ones of the plurality of programmable emulators to each other responsive to the plurality of switch control signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Leon M. Tolbert, Yiwei MA, Kevin Tomsovic, Kai Sun, Shuoting Zhang, Jingxin Wang
  • Patent number: 10447038
    Abstract: An energy system includes a microgrid including a network of at least one distributed energy resource and a plurality of loads, the at least one distributed energy resource being configured to supply power to the plurality of loads. The microgrid is configurable to connect to one of a plurality of feeder circuits of a main power grid at one of a plurality of coupling interface locations, respectively. The microgrid is also configurable to expand or shrink its power supply area according to the available power generation capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Xiaojie Shi, Leon M. Tolbert, Yiwei Ma, Yilu Liu, Lin Zhu
  • Publication number: 20190148941
    Abstract: An energy system includes a microgrid including a network of at least one distributed energy resource and a plurality of loads, the at least one distributed energy resource being configured to supply power to the plurality of loads. The microgrid is configurable to connect to one of a plurality of feeder circuits of a main power grid at one of a plurality of coupling interface locations, respectively. The microgrid is also configurable to expand or shrink its power supply area according to the available power generation capabilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Xiaojie Shi, Leon M. Tolbert, Yiwei Ma, Yilu Liu, Lin Zhu
  • Patent number: 10177647
    Abstract: A direct current controller includes a rectifier configured to convert alternating current input into a direct current output. A converter electrically coupled to the rectifier generates a converted direct current voltage that regulates a converted direct current from the direct current output of the rectifier and synthesizes an ac component of an alternating current grid to counteract an induced back-emf. A direct current controller central controller coupled to the converter regulates the converted direct current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Fei (Fred) Wang, Burak Ozpineci, Sheng Zheng, Steven L. Campbell, Madhu Sudhan Chinthavali, Aleksandar D. Dimitrovski, Philip R. Irminger, Omer C. Onar, Larry E. Seiber, Leon M. Tolbert, Clifford P. White, Daniel J. Costinett, Zhi Li, Jingxin Wang, Fei Yang
  • Publication number: 20170077799
    Abstract: A direct current controller includes a rectifier configured to convert alternating current input into a direct current output. A converter electrically coupled to the rectifier generates a converted direct current voltage that regulates a converted direct current from the direct current output of the rectifier and synthesizes an ac component of an alternating current grid to counteract an induced back-emf. A direct current controller central controller coupled to the converter regulates the converted direct current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Fei (Fred) Wang, Burak Ozpineci, Sheng Zheng, Steven L. Campbell, Madhu Sudhan Chinthavali, Aleksandar D. Dimitrovski, Philip R. Irminger, Omer C. Onar, Larry E. Seiber, Leon M. Tolbert, Clifford P. White, Daniel J. Costinett, Zhi Li, Jingxin Wang, Fei Yang