Patents by Inventor Leon Monroe Tolbert

Leon Monroe 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).

  • Control of parallel-connected current source rectifiers
    Patent number: 9270198
    Abstract: A three-phase alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter may include a three-phase AC filter receiving a three-phase AC power supply, a plurality of three-phase current source rectifiers (CSR) connected in parallel with each other and connected to a three-phase AC filter, and an output filter connected to the CSR's to generate a DC output. Each of the CSRs may include six switches and a free-wheeling diode. Each of the three filtered AC inputs from the three-phase AC filter may be connected via a switch of the six switches to selectably send current into a positive line, and each of three filtered AC inputs from the three-phase AC filter may be connected via another switch of the six switches to selectably receive current from a negative line. The free-wheeling diode may have a cathode connected to the positive line and an anode connected to the negative line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Leon Monroe Tolbert, Ben Guo, Fan Xu, Fei Wang, Benjamin J. Blalock
  • THREE-PHASE BUCK RECTIFIER FOR POWER SUPPLIES
    Publication number: 20160036344
    Abstract: A three-phase alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter may include a three-phase AC filter receiving a three-phase AC power supply, a plurality of three-phase current source rectifiers (CSR) connected in parallel with each other and connected to a three-phase AC filter, and an output filter connected to the CSR's to generate a DC output. Each of the CSRs may include six switches and a free-wheeling diode. Each of the three filtered AC inputs from the three-phase AC filter may be connected via a switch of the six switches to selectably send current into a positive line, and each of three filtered AC inputs from the three-phase AC filter may be connected via another switch of the six switches to selectably receive current from a negative line. The free-wheeling diode may have a cathode connected to the positive line and an anode connected to the negative line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicant: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Leon Monroe Tolbert, Ben Guo, Fan Xu, Fei Wang, Benjamin J. Blalock
  • THREE-PHASE BUCK RECTIFIER FOR POWER SUPPLIES
    Publication number: 20140268934
    Abstract: A three-phase alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter may include a three-phase AC filter receiving a three-phase AC power supply, a plurality of three-phase current source rectifiers (CSR) connected in parallel with each other and connected to a three-phase AC filter, and an output filter connected to the CSR's to generate a DC output. Each of the CSRs may include six switches and a free-wheeling diode. Each of the three filtered AC inputs from the three-phase AC filter may be connected via a switch of the six switches to selectably send current into a positive line, and each of three filtered AC inputs from the three-phase AC filter may be connected via another switch of the six switches to selectably receive current from a negative line. The free-wheeling diode may have a cathode connected to the positive line and an anode connected to the negative line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Leon Monroe Tolbert, Ben Guo, Fan Xu, Fei Wang, Benjamin J. Blalock