Patents by Inventor Nicholas C. Seeley

Nicholas C. Seeley 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).

  • Publication number: 20240077529
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for calculating noise distributions in an electric power system. In one embodiment, a system to calculate a noise distribution in an electric power system may comprise a measurement subsystem to obtain a plurality of raw measurements of a parameter in the electric power system. A noise distribution determination subsystem may be configured to generate a plurality of scaled raw measurements from the plurality of raw measurements, generate a power spectrum density from the plurality of scaled raw measurements, generate a cumulative distribution from the power spectrum density, and determine a noise distribution from the power spectrum density. A protective action subsystem may monitor the parameter in the electric power system to identify a signal of interest by utilizing, at least in part, the noise distribution and generating a control action in response to the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Cody W. Tews, Nicholas C. Seeley
  • Patent number: 10317467
    Abstract: Electrical power machines are monitored and a loss-of-field event is determined thereof using time stamped mechanical conditions and electrical conditions. The mechanical conditions may include rotational position, calculated and time stamped rotational frequency, valve position, temperature, or vibration. The time stamped electrical conditions may include electrical power system frequency, electrical power machine field data, electrical power machine terminal information such as voltage and current, and the like. Electrical and mechanical time-stamped electrical power machine data from different machines that may be local or remote from each other may be compared for monitoring the machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Seeley, David J. Casebolt, Gregary C. Zweigle
  • Patent number: 9800055
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for using time synchronized measurements of a generator output and an electrical bus, together with generator control algorithms to synchronize the frequency, voltage, and phase of a generator, or group of generators, prior to electrically connecting the generator to the electrical bus. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure pertains to systems that may be operated in an islanded configuration and in which one or more generators may be selectively synchronized based on a common time reference. The common time reference may allow the generators to be synchronized by autonomously driving one or more generators to a specified phase angle and frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas C. Seeley
  • Publication number: 20170214249
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for using time synchronized measurements of a generator output and an electrical bus, together with generator control algorithms to synchronize the frequency, voltage, and phase of a generator, or group of generators, prior to electrically connecting the generator to the electrical bus. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure pertains to systems that may be operated in an islanded configuration and in which one or more generators may be selectively synchronized based on a common time reference. The common time reference may allow the generators to be synchronized by autonomously driving one or more generators to a specified phase angle and frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventor: Nicholas C. Seeley
  • Publication number: 20150331052
    Abstract: Electrical power machines are monitored according to the disclosure herein using time stamped mechanical conditions and electrical conditions. The mechanical conditions may include rotational position, calculated and time stamped rotational frequency, valve position, temperature, or vibration. The time stamped electrical conditions may include electrical power system frequency, electrical power machine field data, electrical power machine terminal information such as voltage and current, and the like. Electrical and mechanical time-stamped electrical power machine data from different machines that may be local or remote from each other may be compared for monitoring the machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Seeley, David J. Casebolt, Gregary C. Zweigle
  • Patent number: 9128130
    Abstract: A system for managing and synchronizing the operation of an electric power generation and delivery system that includes a number of generators configured to provide distributed electric power generation is disclosed. In the disclosed system, a number of intelligent electronic devices coupled with at distributed generators may be utilized to synchronize the operation of the generators with the system when the generators become isolated from the system. In some embodiments, the disclosed intelligent electronic devices may control the speed of isolated generators based on synchronization information received from at least one other intelligent electronic device and a common time signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas C. Seeley
  • Patent number: 8912792
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for rotor angle measurement in an electrical generator. According to one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device may comprise control logic configured to generate a reference signal and to generate a rotational position signal based upon an indicator of a rotational position of a rotor in an electrical generator. The control logic may further be configured to detect a relative shift between the reference signal and the rotational position signal and to determine the rotational position of the rotor based upon the relative shift. A power angle of the electrical generator may be calculated based upon the rotational position of the rotor. According to certain embodiments, the control logic may further be configured to generate a control instruction to reduce the power angle in response to determining that the power angle exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Seeley, Charles L. Ramiller
  • Publication number: 20140055126
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for rotor angle measurement in an electrical generator. According to one embodiment, an intelligent electronic device may comprise control logic configured to generate a reference signal and to generate a rotational position signal based upon an indicator of a rotational position of a rotor in an electrical generator. The control logic may further be configured to detect a relative shift between the reference signal and the rotational position signal and to determine the rotational position of the rotor based upon the relative shift. A power angle of the electrical generator may be calculated based upon the rotational position of the rotor. According to certain embodiments, the control logic may further be configured to generate a control instruction to reduce the power angle in response to determining that the power angle exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Seeley, Charles L. Ramiller
  • Publication number: 20130073100
    Abstract: A system for managing and synchronizing the operation of an electric power generation and delivery system that includes a number of generators configured to provide distributed electric power generation is disclosed. In the disclosed system, a number of intelligent electronic devices coupled with at distributed generators may be utilized to synchronize the operation of the generators with the system when the generators become isolated from the system. In some embodiments, the disclosed intelligent electronic devices may control the speed of isolated generators based on synchronization information received from at least one other intelligent electronic device and a common time signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventor: Nicholas C. Seeley