Patents by Inventor Pascal Tixador

Pascal Tixador 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: 11961663
    Abstract: A superconducting current limiting dipole (L6), comprising a superconducting conductor (F6) wound so as to form a two-wire coil extending in a single plane, a layer of insulator (E1 to E11, H1) being arranged between two turns of said coil. The superconducting conductor (C1 to C6) consists of at least four separate superconducting cables (C1 to C6) wound in parallel and arranged in at least two pairs, each of the pairs being formed by two of said superconducting cables (C1 to C6) that are electrically connected to one another in a first connection area, and, in a second connection area, one of the superconducting cables of one pair is electrically connected to one of the superconducting cables of the other pair, the other superconducting cable of each pair being connected to an electrical connection terminal (T1, T2) or to an additional pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: Supergrid Institute, Institute Polytechnique De Grenoble
    Inventors: Pierre Legendre, Pascal Tixador
  • Patent number: 11910729
    Abstract: A superconducting current limiter having at least one superconducting conductor (3) wound so as to form a coil (2) extending in a single plane and connecting a first electrical connection terminal to a second electrical connection terminal, an electrically insulating spacer (8) being arranged between two turns of the coil. The superconducting conductor (3) consists of at least two separate superconducting cables (5) wound in parallel and whose ends are electrically connected by the first electrical connection terminal and by the second electrical connection terminal, respectively. An electrically conductive spacer (12) is arranged between two of said separate superconducting cables (5), this electrically conductive spacer (12) being able to be traversed by a cooling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: Supergrid Institute, Institut Polytechnique De Grenoble
    Inventors: Pierre Legendre, Pascal Tixador
  • Publication number: 20210184097
    Abstract: A superconducting current limiter having at least one superconducting conductor (3) wound so as to form a coil (2) extending in a single plane and connecting a first electrical connection terminal to a second electrical connection terminal, an electrically insulating spacer (8) being arranged between two turns of the coil. The superconducting conductor (3) consists of at least two separate superconducting cables (5) wound in parallel and whose ends are electrically connected by the first electrical connection terminal and by the second electrical connection terminal, respectively. An electrically conductive spacer (12) is arranged between two of said separate superconducting cables (5), this electrically conductive spacer (12) being able to be traversed by a cooling fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Pierre Legendre, Pascal Tixador
  • Patent number: 10951034
    Abstract: A method of protecting a high-voltage network comprising the steps for maintaining first controlled switches closed and second controlled switches open; measuring voltage and current on high-voltage interfaces; communicating the direction of the current to the other end of a high-voltage line; for each node: identifying a fault; verifying that the current is lower than the current interruption capability of the high-voltage interface switch and opening this switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: Supergrid Institute, Institut Polytechnique De Grenoble, Universite Grenoble Alpes
    Inventors: William Leon Garcia, Alberto Bertinato, Bertrand Raison, Pascal Tixador, Bruno Luscan
  • Publication number: 20200343030
    Abstract: A superconducting current limiting dipole (L6), comprising a superconducting conductor (F6) wound so as to form a two-wire coil extending in a single plane, a layer of insulator (E1 to E11, H1) being arranged between two turns of said coil. The superconducting conductor (C1 to C6) consists of at least four separate superconducting cables (C1 to C6) wound in parallel and arranged in at least two pairs, each of the pairs being formed by two of said superconducting cables (C1 to C6) that are electrically connected to one another in a first connection area, and, in a second connection area, one of the superconducting cables of one pair is electrically connected to one of the superconducting cables of the other pair, the other superconducting cable of each pair being connected to an electrical connection terminal (T1, T2) or to an additional pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Pierre Legendre, Pascal Tixador
  • Publication number: 20200136389
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of protecting a network comprising: electrical lines (120, 130, 230); three interconnection nodes (10, 20, 30) with: a high-voltage interface with controlled switches; a local network interface; local networks for each respective node (10, 20, 30), comprising: an MMC converter (16, 26, 36); a protection circuit with, in parallel, a first controlled switch (14) and a first limiter (15), a second controlled switch (12) and a second limiter (13). The method comprising the steps for: maintaining the said first switches (14) closed and the said second switches (12) open; measuring voltage and current on the high-voltage interfaces; communicating the direction of the current to the other end of a high-voltage line; for each node: identifying a fault; verifying that the current is lower than the current interruption capability of the high-voltage interface switch and opening this switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicants: Supergrid Institute, Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes
    Inventors: William Leon GARCIA, Alberto BERTINATO, Bertrand RAISON, Pascal TIXADOR, Bruno LUSCAN
  • Patent number: 10516261
    Abstract: An item of interconnection equipment for a high-voltage DC grid includes first and second terminals for connection to first and second lines of a high-voltage DC grid, a third terminal for connection to a local station or a line of the high-voltage grid, a node connected to the first to third terminals, a first superconductor current limiter and a first controlled switch connected in series between the first terminal and the node, a second superconductor current limiter and a second controlled switch connected in series between the second terminal and the node, a third superconductor current limiter and a third controlled switch connected in series between the third terminal and the node, and a current injector configured to inject an electrical current into the node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignees: SUPERGRID INSTITUTE, INSTITUT POLYTECHNIQUE DE GRENOBLE, UNIVERSITE GRENOBLE ALPES
    Inventors: William Leon Garcia, Alberto Bertinato, Pascal Tixador, Bertrand Raison, Bruno Luscan
  • Publication number: 20190074685
    Abstract: An item of interconnection equipment for a high-voltage DC grid includes first and second terminals for connection to first and second lines of a high-voltage DC grid, a third terminal for connection to a local station or a line of the high-voltage grid, a node connected to the first to third terminals, a first superconductor current limiter and a first controlled switch connected in series between the first terminal and the node, a second superconductor current limiter and a second controlled switch connected in series between the second terminal and the node, a third superconductor current limiter and a third controlled switch connected in series between the third terminal and the node, and a current injector configured to inject an electrical current into the node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: William Leon Garcia, Alberto Bertinato, Pascal Tixador, Bertrand Raison, Bruno Luscan
  • Patent number: 9032857
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of electromagnetic rail launchers, and particularly to a rail launcher and an associated projectile-launching process including at least two longitudinal rails connected to a power supply circuit of these two rails, these rails being at least partially surrounded by superconductor elements able to generate a magnetic induction of a direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the rails and located therebetween during the flow of a current therein, launcher wherein the supply circuit includes the superconductor elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: ETAT FRANCAIS REPRESENTE PAR LE DELEGUE GENERAL POUR L'ARMEMENT
    Inventors: Michel Amiet, Pascal Tixador, Arnaud Badel
  • Publication number: 20140103746
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of electromagnetic rail launchers, and particularly to a rail launcher and an associated projectile-launching process including at least two longitudinal rails connected to a power supply circuit of these two rails, these rails being at least partially surrounded by superconductor elements able to generate a magnetic induction of a direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the rails and located therebetween during the flow of a current therein, launcher wherein the supply circuit includes the superconductor elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: ETAT FRANCAIS REPRESENT par le delegue general pour l'Armement
    Inventors: Michel Amiet, Pascal Tixador, Arnaud Badel
  • Publication number: 20130027816
    Abstract: The invention relates to a supraconductive coil transition detector comprising means for disconnecting the detector directly before a coil discharge phase. The detector comprises a resistive divider (R1, R2) arranged in parallel on the supraconductive coil (1), the middle point A of the supraconductive coil and the middle point (B) of the resistive divider being connected to the two inlets of a threshold comparator. The connection means comprise switches (31-33) arranged on the connections between the coil and the detector, and means for opening said switches as soon as the comparator supplies a signal above a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: Arnaud Badel, Pascal Tixador
  • Patent number: 8174803
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system (100) for creating a magnetic field via a superconducting magnet (102) intended to produce said magnetic field. The system (100) according to the invention comprises a first branch including the superconducting magnet (102) formed by a coil inductance (L?) in series with a residual resistance (R?2), a second branch comprising a protection resistance (R?3) and a third branch comprising a power source (103). Furthermore, the system comprises a fourth branch formed by a resistance (R?1) mounted in series with a current-limiting superconducting device (106) switching from a low-resistance state to a high-resistance state when the current passing therethrough exceeds a breaking current, said first, second, third and fourth branches being mounted in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignees: Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Thierry Schild, André Donati, Armand Sinanna, Pascal Tixador, Stéphane Bermond
  • Publication number: 20100295641
    Abstract: A system for creating a magnetic field via a superconducting magnet configured to produce the magnetic field is disclosed. The system includes a first branch including the superconducting magnet formed by a coil inductance (L?) in series with a residual resistance (R?2), a second branch including a protection resistance (R?3) and a third branch including a power source. Furthermore, the system includes a fourth branch formed by a resistance (R?1) mounted in series with a current-limiting superconducting device switching from a low-resistance state to a high-resistance state when the current passing therethrough exceeds a breaking current, the first, second, third and fourth branches being mounted in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT AL'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Thierry Schild, André Donati, Armand Sinanna, Pascal Tixador, Stéphane Bermond
  • Patent number: 5153804
    Abstract: A hybrid current limiter comprising a first winding of non-superconducting conductive material having a large number of turns and electrically connected in series with a superconductoring coil of low self-inductance and placed in a cryostat, and a second winding of non-superconducting conductive material having a small number of turns, said second winding being closely coupled with said first winding in such a manner as to obtain low overall inductance, the second winding being connected in parallel with the series circuit constituted by the first winding and the superconducting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1992
    Assignee: GEC Alsthom SA
    Inventors: Van Doan Pham, Jean-Pierre Dupraz, Michel Collet, Yves Brunet, Pascal Tixador
  • Patent number: 4855859
    Abstract: A detection device for detecting transitions to the normal state in a superconducting winding, in particular in an electricity generator, and a protection device for protecting such a winding.A detection device for detecting transitions in conductors from the superconducting state to the superconducting state in a superconducting winding at industrial frequency, in particular for the stator of an electricity generator (1). The device comprises an auxiliary generator (4) for generating a low current at a frequency which is considerably higher than industrial frequency, said current being single-phase or multi-phase depending on whether the main current through the winding is single-phase or multi-phase, said auxiliary generator being connected in parallel with the superconductor winding, the device further including means (5, 6) for detecting the change in phase difference between the auxiliary current and the auxiliary voltage which occurs when the conductors of said winding switch to the normal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme dite Alsthom
    Inventors: Pascal Tixador, Yves Brunet
  • Patent number: 4808864
    Abstract: The electric rotating machine has a stator and a rotor with superconducting windings placed within separate cryogenic enclosures for the stator and the rotor. The cryogenic enclosures are in turn placed within evacuated thermal insulation enclosures separated by the annular clearance space which is at low pressure, thus considerably simplifying the arrangements required for dynamic sealing of motor bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: Alsthom
    Inventors: Yves Brunet, Pascal Tixador
  • Patent number: 4745313
    Abstract: An electric machine stator (6) having superconducting three-phase windings, the stator comprising tubular elements (7, 8) and end plates (9, 10) forming a cryogenic enclosure containing a bath of liquid helium at very low temperature, with the windings being disposed in said bath, an additional tubular element (11) supporting said enclosure at one of its ends and fixed at its other end in sealed manner to an additional end plate (3), annular screens (13, 14) for reflecting radial thermal radiation, and current leads to the windings, the stator including the improvements whereby the tubular elements and the end plates forming the enclosure, the tubular element supporting the enclosure, and the annular screens for reflecting radial thermal radiation are based on a material which does not conduct electricity, and whereby the annular screens for reflecting radial thermal radiation are covered with layers (41, 43) of metal wires of high thermal conductivity, each of which layers has at least one point thereof put
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1988
    Assignee: Alsthom
    Inventors: Yves Brunet, Pascal Tixador