Patents by Inventor Menno Kardolus
Menno Kardolus 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: 10454377Abstract: A resonant power converter includes a resonance tank formed by a capacitance component and an inductance component, at least two switches connected to the resonance tank and a voltages source in a bridge configuration, a number of snubber capacitors connected in parallel to each of the switches, a controller configured to control ON and OFF timings of the at least two switches so as to excite the resonance tank, and a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage drop across at least one of the switches. The controller is configured to switch the at least one of the switches to the ON state when the absolute value of the sensed voltage drop reaches a minimum.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2013Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: ABB B.V.Inventors: Menno Kardolus, Jos Schijffelen, Mark Gröninger, Dolf Van Casteren
-
Patent number: 10166873Abstract: A battery charger for electric vehicles includes at least three identical current controlled AC-DC converter modules having reverse current protected outputs connected in parallel to a charge terminal of the battery.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2013Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: ABB B.V.Inventors: Menno Kardolus, Jos Schijffelen, Mark Gröninger, Dolf Van Casteren
-
Patent number: 9497811Abstract: An LED driver circuit includes at least one string (10) of LEDs (12) connected in series, and a power supply for converting a mains voltage (AC) into an output voltage (Uout) to be applied to the at least one string (10) of LEDs, in which the power supply includes a single-stage boost converter (14) adapted to directly convert the mains voltage (AC) into the output voltage (Uout).Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2014Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Power Research Electronics B.V.Inventors: Jos H. Schijffelen, Menno Kardolus, Mark Gröninger, Dolf van Casteren
-
Patent number: 9294148Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a number N, N?2, of parallel connected, cyclically switched electronic converters having outputs connected to a common output terminal; and a controller providing switching pulse signals switching the converters with a switching frequency that is the same for all converters; load circuits connected to the output terminal; a PLC transmitter modulating an output current from the output terminal; and a PLC receiver in each load circuit, the controller switching the converters with interleaved switching pulse signals; the PLC transmitter modulating the output current by switching the controller between at least two modes of operation that differ in phase relations and/or pulse shapes of the switching pulse signals, changing a ripple frequency spectrum of the output current such that a suppression amount of a predetermined frequency component is changed depending upon the mode of operation; and the PLC receiver detects the predetermined frequency component.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2015Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: LED DRIVEN HOLDING B.V.Inventors: Dolf van Casteren, Mark Gröninger, Menno Kardolus
-
Publication number: 20160072551Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a number N, N?2, of parallel connected, cyclically switched electronic converters having outputs connected to a common output terminal; and a controller providing switching pulse signals switching the converters with a switching frequency that is the same for all converters; load circuits connected to the output terminal; a PLC transmitter modulating an output current from the output terminal; and a PLC receiver in each load circuit, the controller switching the converters with interleaved switching pulse signals; the PLC transmitter modulating the output current by switching the controller between at least two modes of operation that differ in phase relations and/or pulse shapes of the switching pulse signals, changing a ripple frequency spectrum of the output current such that a suppression amount of a predetermined frequency component is changed depending upon the mode of operation; and the PLC receiver detects the predetermined frequency component.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2015Publication date: March 10, 2016Inventors: Dolf van Casteren, Mark Gröninger, Menno Kardolus
-
Publication number: 20160029451Abstract: An LED driver circuit includes at least one string (10) of LEDs (12) connected in series, and a power supply for converting a mains voltage (AC) into an output voltage (Uout) to be applied to said the at least one string (10) of LEDs, in which the power supply includes a single-stage boost converter (14) adapted to directly convert the mains voltage (AC) into the output voltage (Uout).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2014Publication date: January 28, 2016Inventors: Jos H. Schijffelen, Menno Kardolus, Mark Gröninger, Dolf van Casteren
-
Patent number: 8633613Abstract: A power converter includes a DC input (26) connected to an inductive element (TR), a switch (T1) arranged to interrupt the inductive current cyclically with a predetermined cycle period, a plurality of load circuits (31, 32, 33), and a multiplexer (36) having a plurality of parallel channels (M1, M2, M3) between first and second output terminals (34, 38) of the inductive element (TR), wherein each channel includes one of the load circuits (31, 32, 33), and the multiplexer is adapted to make the channels conductive sequentially and periodically, and the multiplexer has a switching period that is a multiple of the predetermined cycle period of the switch (T1).Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2008Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: Power Research Electronics B.V.Inventors: Jan Wanner, Menno Kardolus, Jos H. Schijffelen
-
Publication number: 20130314038Abstract: A battery charger for electric vehicles includes at least three identical current controlled AC-DC converter modules having reverse current protected outputs connected in parallel to a charge terminal of the battery.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2013Publication date: November 28, 2013Inventors: Menno KARDOLUS, Jos Schijffelen, Mark Gröninger, Dolf Van Casteren
-
Publication number: 20130301307Abstract: A resonant power converter includes a resonance tank formed by a capacitance component and an inductance component, at least two switches connected to the resonance tank and a voltages source in a bridge configuration, a number of snubber capacitors connected in parallel to each of the switches, a controller configured to control ON and OFF timings of the at least two switches so as to excite the resonance tank, and a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage drop across at least one of the switches. The controller is configured to switch the at least one of the switches to the ON state when the absolute value of the sensed voltage drop reaches a minimum.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Applicant: ABB B.V.Inventors: Menno KARDOLUS, Jos SCHIJFFELEN, Mark GRÖNINGER, Dolf VAN CASTEREN
-
Patent number: 8552679Abstract: A method is described wherein DC power is converted into battery charging power by means of an inductor carrying a current which is controlled by a power controller during an adjustable part of a pulse width period. The pulse width period is made adjustable in order to influence the power consumption of the controller which consumes a substantial amount of the total power consumed for controlled DC-DC conversion. Several additional features are provided to improve the efficiency and to further reduce the power consumed by both the converter and the power controller, which provides new uses for a variety of products and appliances having solar cells, such as road studs.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2007Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Intivation Holding B.V.Inventors: Anne Jurjen Osinga, Menno Kardolus, Jan Wanner, Jacobus Harmen Schijffelen
-
Publication number: 20110260535Abstract: A power converter includes a DC input (26) connected to an inductive element (TR), a switch (T1) arranged to interrupt the inductive current cyclically with a predetermined cycle period, a plurality of load circuits (31, 32, 33), and a multiplexer (36) having a plurality of parallel channels (M1, M2, M3) between first and second output terminals (34, 38) of the inductive element (TR), wherein each channel includes one of the load circuits (31, 32, 33), and the multiplexer is adapted to make the channels conductive sequentially and periodically, and the multiplexer has a switching period that is a multiple of the predetermined cycle period of the switch (T1).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2008Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: POWER RESEARCH ELECTRONICS B.V.Inventors: Jan Wanner, Menno Kardolus, J.H. Schijffelen
-
Publication number: 20100109600Abstract: A method is described wherein DC power is converted into battery charging power by means of an inductor carrying a current which is controlled by a power controller during an adjustable part of a pulse width period. The pulse width period is made adjustable in order to influence the power consumption of the controller which consumes a substantial amount of the total power consumed for controlled DC-DC conversion. Several additional features are provided to improve the efficiency and to further reduce the power consumed by both the converter and the power controller, which provides new uses for a variety of products and appliances having solar cells, such as road studs.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2007Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: INTIVATION HOLDING B.V.Inventors: Anne Jurjen Osinga, Menno Kardolus, Jan Wanner, Jacobus Harmen Schijffelen