Patents by Inventor Nicholas Wright Miller
Nicholas Wright Miller 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).
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Patent number: 8664800Abstract: Power inverters are controlled in response to reactive power support commands received from a power grid such that at least one power inverter provides reactive power to the power grid. The reactive power provided is based on each power inverter's reactive power capacity only while the total power capacity of each power inverter providing the reactive power is not exhausted in generating real power.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2010Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Anthony William Galbraith, Owen Jannis Schelenz, Mark Edward Cardinal, Andreas Kirchner, Nicholas Wright Miller, Kara Clark
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Publication number: 20120049636Abstract: Power inverters are controlled in response to reactive power support commands received from a power grid such that at least one power inverter provides reactive power to the power grid. The reactive power provided is based on each power inverter's reactive power capacity only while the total power capacity of each power inverter providing the reactive power is not exhausted in generating real power.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2010Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Anthony William Galbraith, Owen Jannis Schelenz, Mark Edward Cardinal, Andreas Kirchner, Nicholas Wright Miller, Kara Clark
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Publication number: 20120023396Abstract: A computer includes a memory area and a processor that is coupled to the memory area. The processor is configured to receive a document as an input string comprised of a markup language, store the input string in the memory area, parse the input string, and deserialize the input string to generate an object model, wherein the object model includes at least one type and at least one value corresponding to the at least one type. The processor is also configured to store the object model in the memory area.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2010Publication date: January 26, 2012Inventors: Nicholas Wright MILLER, Matthew WELLS
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Patent number: 8076789Abstract: A system and method for use in controlling a wind turbine's power output by a wind turbine controller. The method includes determining a predicted wind speed for the wind turbine, determining a current wind turbine power output, and determining a predicted wind turbine power output utilizing the predicted wind speed. The method also includes comparing the current wind turbine power output to the predicted wind turbine power output and adjusting the wind turbine power output based on the comparison of the current wind turbine power output and the predicted wind turbine power output.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Nicholas Wright Miller
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Publication number: 20110204635Abstract: A system and method for use in controlling a wind turbine's power output by a wind turbine controller. The method includes determining a predicted wind speed for the wind turbine, determining a current wind turbine power output, and determining a predicted wind turbine power output utilizing the predicted wind speed. The method also includes comparing the current wind turbine power output to the predicted wind turbine power output and adjusting the wind turbine power output based on the comparison of the current wind turbine power output and the predicted wind turbine power output.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2010Publication date: August 25, 2011Inventor: Nicholas Wright Miller
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Patent number: 7990743Abstract: A solar farm system is provided that is configured for reducing electrical loss. The solar farm system includes a plurality of PV arrays coupled to inverters and a collector system including a conductor or network of conductors. The collector system also includes a plurality of transformers with one or more transformers connected between the inverters and the conductors. The solar farm also includes a substation transformer connecting the solar farm collector system to the electrical grid. The solar farm includes a control system configured to determine at least one operating parameter for the solar farm system to reduce electrical loss and to regulate the collector system and the plurality of inverters based at least in part on the at least one operating parameter.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2009Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Reigh Allen Walling, Mark Edward Cardinal, Robert William Delmerico, Nicholas Wright Miller
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Patent number: 7979167Abstract: A system, a method, and an article of manufacture for controlling operation of an electrical power generation system are provided. The electrical power generation system has a plurality of electrical generators electrically coupled to an electrical grid. The method includes obtaining a first output parameter value associated with the electrical power generation system. The method further includes determining an error value indicative of a difference between the first output parameter value and a desired output parameter value. The method further includes determining a first gain value based on at least one of the first output parameter value and a time-varying operational parameter of the electrical power generation system. The method further includes determining a first power value based on the error value and the first gain value.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2009Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert William Delmerico, Mark Edward Cardinal, Nicholas Wright Miller, Dapeng Liu, Zhihong Ye
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Publication number: 20110137481Abstract: A system for providing energy and other ancillary services to a power grid including a renewable energy source. One or more power converters are integrated with the renewable energy source. A battery-based energy storage system is also integrated with the renewable energy source. A control system including an algorithmic software operates to control at least one power converter together with the battery-based energy storage system to supply stored battery energy to the grid when the cost of extracting the stored battery energy supplied to the grid via the battery-based energy storage system is less than the market price paid for the stored energy supplied by the battery-based energy storage system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2009Publication date: June 9, 2011Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Devon Leigh Manz, Robert William Delmerico, Sumit Bose, Nicholas Wright Miller, Rajni Kant Burra, Kathleen Ann O'Brien
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Patent number: 7941246Abstract: An automatic generation control (AGC) augmentation system and method for wind power plant integration for controlling the power contribution to a grid by the wind plant is disclosed that provides for the calculation of the area control error (ACE) by actively communicating to the wind plant ramp rate limits and curtailment requests contributing to the ACE calculation. The augmented control of the ACE minimizes the amount of lost energy production by the wind plant.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nicholas Wright Miller, Kara Clark
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Patent number: 7761190Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes a wind turbine system. The wind turbine system includes a wind turbine generator operable to supply wind turbine power to a utility system. A converter is coupled to the wind turbine generator and the utility system. The wind turbine system also includes a controller comprising an internal reference frame of the wind turbine generator, coupled to the converter, and configured for modulating flow of power through the converter in response to frequency disturbances or power swings of the utility system relative to the internal reference frame.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2008Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert William Delmerico, Nicholas Wright Miller
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Publication number: 20100138061Abstract: A solar farm system is provided that is configured for reducing electrical loss. The solar farm system includes a plurality of PV arrays coupled to inverters and a collector system including a conductor or network of conductors. The collector system also includes a plurality of transformers with one or more transformers connected between the inverters and the conductors. The solar farm also includes a substation transformer connecting the solar farm collector system to the electrical grid. The solar farm includes a control system configured to determine at least one operating parameter for the solar farm system to reduce electrical loss and to regulate the collector system and the plurality of inverters based at least in part on the at least one operating parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2009Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: REIGH ALLEN WALLING, MARK EDWARD CARDINAL, ROBERT WILLIAM DELMERICO, NICHOLAS WRIGHT MILLER
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Patent number: 7671481Abstract: A power generation system including a wind turbine generator for generating electrical power, an alternate power source, and a processor programmed to control operation of the alternate power source to control a power output of the alternate power source at least partially based on at least one of a wind parameter, a wind forecast, a wind turbine condition sensor, and a power output of the electrical generator.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2005Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nicholas Wright Miller, Kara Clark
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Publication number: 20090218819Abstract: An automatic generation control (AGC) augmentation system and method for wind power plant integration for controlling the power contribution to a grid by the wind plant is disclosed that provides for the calculation of the area control error (ACE) by actively communicating to the wind plant ramp rate limits and curtailment requests contributing to the ACE calculation. The augmented control of the ACE minimizes the amount of lost energy production by the wind plant.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2008Publication date: September 3, 2009Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Nicholas Wright MILLER, Kara CLARK
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Patent number: 7417333Abstract: A method for determining electric currents for an electrical machine includes generating a first real power current demand signal and a first reactive power current demand signal. The method also includes determining at least one of a second real power current demand signal and a second reactive power current demand signal by prioritizing a second real power current demand signal over a second reactive power current demand signal. Alternatively, the method also includes determining at least one of a second real power current demand signal and a second reactive power current demand signal by prioritizing the second reactive power current demand signal over the second real power current demand signal. The method further includes comparing at least one of the first real power current demand signal and first reactive power current demand signal to at least one electrical machine current limit signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2006Date of Patent: August 26, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Nicholas Wright Miller, Einar Larsen, Robert William Delmerico
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Publication number: 20080106098Abstract: A method for determining electric currents for an electrical machine includes generating a first real power current demand signal and a first reactive power current demand signal. The method also includes determining at least one of a second real power current demand signal and a second reactive power current demand signal by prioritizing a second real power current demand signal over a second reactive power current demand signal. Alternatively, the method also includes determining at least one of a second real power current demand signal and a second reactive power current demand signal by prioritizing the second reactive power current demand signal over the second real power current demand signal. The method further includes comparing at least one of the first real power current demand signal and first reactive power current demand signal to at least one electrical machine current limit signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2006Publication date: May 8, 2008Inventors: Nicholas Wright Miller, Einar Larsen, Robert William Delmerico
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Patent number: 7345373Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes a wind turbine system. The wind turbine system includes a wind turbine generator operable to supply wind turbine power to a utility system. A converter is coupled to the wind turbine generator and the utility system. The wind turbine system also includes a controller comprising an internal reference frame of the wind turbine generator, coupled to the converter, and configured for modulating flow of power through the converter in response to frequency disturbances or power swings of the utility system relative to the internal reference frame.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2005Date of Patent: March 18, 2008Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Robert William Delmerico, Nicholas Wright Miller
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Patent number: 7271571Abstract: A system for providing anti-islanding protection of a synchronous machine based distributed generator includes a frequency sensor configured to generate a generator frequency signal, a bandpass filter configured for filtering the generator frequency signal, a governor controller configured for using the filtered frequency signal to generate a power feedback signal, and a governor summation element configured for summing the filtered frequency signal, the power feedback signal, and a reference power to provide an electrical torque signal. Another system includes a voltage sensor configured to generate a generator terminal voltage signal, a feedback power calculator configured for generating a reactive feedback power signal, a bandpass filter configured for filtering the terminal voltage signal, and a PI controller summation element configured for summing the filtered terminal voltage signal, the reactive power feedback signal, and a reference reactive power to provide an error signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2007Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Zhihong Ye, Pengwei Du, John Keith Nelson, Nicholas Wright Miller, Reigh Allen Walling
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Patent number: 7202638Abstract: A system for providing anti-islanding protection of a synchronous machine based distributed generator includes a frequency sensor configured to generate a generator frequency signal, a bandpass filter configured for filtering the generator frequency signal, a governor controller configured for using the filtered frequency signal to generate a power feedback signal, and a governor summation element configured for summing the filtered frequency signal, the power feedback signal, and a reference power to provide an electrical torque signal. Another system includes a voltage sensor configured to generate a generator terminal voltage signal, a feedback power calculator configured for generating a reactive feedback power signal, a bandpass filter configured for filtering the terminal voltage signal, and a PI controller summation element configured for summing the filtered terminal voltage signal, the reactive power feedback signal, and a reference reactive power to provide an error signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2004Date of Patent: April 10, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Zhihong Ye, Pengwei Du, John Keith Nelson, Nicholas Wright Miller, Reigh Allen Walling
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Patent number: 6924565Abstract: Real and reactive power control for wind turbine generator systems. The technique described herein provides the potential to utilize the total capacity of a wind turbine generator system (e.g., a wind farm) to provide dynamic VAR (reactive power support). The VAR support provided by individual wind turbine generators in a system can be dynamically varied to suit application parameters.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2003Date of Patent: August 2, 2005Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Thomas A. Wilkins, Nagwa M. Elkachouty, Reigh A. Walling, James P. Lyons, Robert W. Delmerico, Sumit Bose, Nicholas Wright Miller
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Patent number: 5939798Abstract: An energy storage system including a first power conversion device and a second power conversion device for providing energy to loads upon interruption of a main power source. A first power conversion device is connected in parallel to a first load, receives energy from an energy storage device and provides power to the first load. A second power conversion device is connected in series with a second load, receives energy from the energy storage device and provides power to the second load. The first and second power conversion devices are rated so that power consumption by the power conversion devices is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 1997Date of Patent: August 17, 1999Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventor: Nicholas Wright Miller