Patents by Inventor Ralf Gitzel

Ralf Gitzel 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: 20230342906
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes an infrared camera; a processing unit; and an output unit. The camera acquires a first infrared image. The processing unit determines a pixel in the first image with a maximum temperature and uses a second number of pixels to determine a temperature interval. The processing unit sorts the pixels in descending order of temperature to determine a threshold temperature and determines that a hot spot exists in the switchgear using the temperature interval for the first infrared image. The output unit is configured to output an indication of a fault in the switchgear when the determination has been made that a hot spot exists in the switchgear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Ralf Gitzel
  • Publication number: 20230289951
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes: an infrared camera for acquiring at least one infrared image of the switchgear; a processing unit for determining a pixel in the at least one infrared image associated with a hottest temperature, determining e pixels in the at least one infrared image associated with a temperature that is within a threshold temperature of the hottest temperature, and determining that a hot spot exists in the switchgear as a determination, the determination being a utilization of the determined pixels in the at least one infrared image; and an output unit for outputting an indication of a fault in the switchgear based on the determined hot spot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Stephan Wildermuth, Joerg Gebhardt, Joerg Ostrowski, Patrik Kaufmann
  • Publication number: 20230273069
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a switchgear includes an infrared camera, a processing unit, and an output unit. The infrared camera acquires an infrared image of the switchgear, and the processing unit converts it into a binary image. Pixels in the infrared image having a temperature equal to or above a first threshold value are given the same first value. Pixels in the infrared image having a temperature below the first threshold value are given the same second value. The processing unit is configured to implement a Siamese neural network to determine if a hot spot exists in the infrared image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Marcel Dix, Holger Kaul, Tomas Kozel
  • Publication number: 20230228625
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes an infrared camera; a processing unit; and an output unit. The infrared camera acquires a first infrared image having a first number of pixels, and the processing unit determines a pixel in the first infrared image with a maximum temperature. The processing unit utilizes a second number less than the first number to determine a temperature interval for the first infrared image equal to a difference between the maximum temperature in the first infrared image and a threshold temperature in the first infrared image. The processing unit is configured to determine that a hot spot exists in the switchgear using the temperature interval for the first infrared image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Tomas Kozel
  • Patent number: 11699561
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a circuit breaker includes: at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to be located and utilized to obtain at least one sensor data of a main shaft of an operational circuit breaker, and the at least one sensor is configured to provide the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker to the processor. The processor is configured to determine position and/or velocity information for a moveable contact of the operational circuit breaker, where the determination comprises analysis of the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker by a trained neural network implemented by the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ido Amihai, Aydin Boyaci, Ralf Gitzel
  • Patent number: 11694528
    Abstract: A low or medium voltage switchgear monitoring system includes: at least one sensor; a processing unit; and an output unit. The at least one sensor acquires sensor data within a compartment of a switchgear. The sensor data includes first sensor data. The sensor data includes second sensor data. The second sensor data is acquired a set time after the first sensor data. The at least one sensor provides the first sensor data and the second sensor data to the processing unit. The processing unit determines status information for a compartment of the switchgear based on a comparison of the second sensor data to the first sensor data. The output unit outputs the status information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Patrik Reto Kaufmann, Joerg Ostrowski, Stephan Wildermuth, Ralf Gitzel, Joerg Gebhardt
  • Patent number: 11694320
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes: an infrared camera for acquiring at least one infrared image of the switchgear; a processing unit for determining a pixel in the at least one infrared image associated with a hottest temperature, determining e pixels in the at least one infrared image associated with a temperature that is within a threshold temperature of the hottest temperature, and determining that a hot spot exists in the switchgear as a determination, the determination being a utilization of the determined pixels in the at least one infrared image; and an output unit for outputting an indication of a fault in the switchgear based on the determined hot spot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Stephan Wildermuth, Joerg Gebhardt, Joerg Ostrowski, Patrik Kaufmann
  • Publication number: 20230043212
    Abstract: A fault state detection apparatus includes an input unit and a processing unit. The input unit receives condition monitoring data. The processing unit implements a trained machine learning algorithm to analyze the received condition monitoring data to determine if the received condition monitoring data is associated with a fault state. The trained machine learning algorithm was trained on the basis of a plurality of non-fault state condition monitoring data and associated ground truth information and on the basis of a plurality of fault state condition monitoring data and associated ground truth information. A subset of the plurality of fault state condition monitoring data was generated from one or more non-fault state condition monitoring data. Generation of fault state conditioning monitoring data in the subset of the plurality of fault state condition monitoring data comprises a transformation of non-fault state condition monitoring data to fault state condition monitoring data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Stephan Wildermuth, Joerg Gebhardt, Joerg Ostrowski, Patrik Reto Kaufmann
  • Publication number: 20230026139
    Abstract: A system and method includes at least one temperature sensor, a processing unit, and an output unit. The temperature sensor acquires a temperature measurement at a first location of an operational device, which first location is in thermal contact with a second location of the operational device. The processing unit selects a simulated temperature distribution of the first location of a simulated device from a plurality of simulated temperature distributions of the first location and compares the temperature measurement with simulated temperature distributions of the first location, and determines whether a hot spot exists or is developing at the second location. The determination comprises utilization of a correlation between the simulated temperature distribution of the first location and the second location for the selected simulated temperature distribution of the first location of the simulated device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Joerg Ostrowski, Stephan Wildermuth, Ralf Gitzel, Patrik Reto Kaufmann, Joerg Gebhardt, Kai Koenig, Boguslaw Samul
  • Publication number: 20230014691
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a device includes a temperature sensor, a processing unit, and an output unit. The temperature sensor acquires a temperature measurement during a heat-up phase of a component and provides a temperature measurement to the processing unit, which selects a simulated transient temperature distribution of the simulated component of the simulated device from a plurality of simulated transient temperature distributions of the simulated component of the simulated device. The selection comprises a comparison of the at least one temperature measurement with the plurality of simulated transient temperature distributions at an equivalent time point in the simulated heat-up to a time point at which the temperature measurement was acquired. When a hot spot is developing an output unit outputs an indication of a fault associated with the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Joerg Ostrowski, Patrik Reto Kaufmann, Stephan Wildermuth, Ralf Gitzel, Kai Koenig, Joerg Gebhardt, Boguslaw Samul
  • Publication number: 20220357206
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a switchgear includes multiple infrared cameras with fields of view; a processing unit; and an output unit. The cameras acquire multiple image data of a plurality of phases of the switchgear, and the processing unit determines whether there is a phase imbalance in a specific phase comprising a determination from a plurality of image data that temperature information for a plurality of component parts and/or a plurality of connections for that specific phase has an overall enhanced temperature compared to the temperature information for the same plurality of component parts and/or the same plurality of connections for one or more other phases of the plurality of phases. The output unit is configured to output information that a fault or load imbalance has occurred in a phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Joerg Gebhardt, Stephan Wildermuth, Ralf Gitzel, Kai Koenig, Joerg Ostrowski, Patrik Reto Kaufmann, Boguslaw Samul
  • Publication number: 20220337037
    Abstract: A fault detection system and method includes a sensor; a processing unit; and an output unit. The sensor is configured to acquire temperature data at a sensor location of a device, wherein the temperature data comprises first temperature data and second temperature data acquired a first time period after the first temperature data. The processing unit determines a temperature magnitude comprising utilization of the first temperature data and/or the second temperature data, and determines a rate of change of temperature. The processing unit predicts a temperature at a location of the device using the temperature magnitude, the rate of change of temperature, and a correlation, wherein the correlation is a correlation of a plurality of temperature magnitudes and a plurality of rate of change of temperatures at the sensor location with a plurality of hotspot temperatures at the location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Joerg Ostrowski, Kai Hencken, Ralf Gitzel, Joerg Gebhardt, Oliver Becker, Maciej Mruczek, Tomas Kozel, Anastasios Papageorgiou
  • Publication number: 20220333992
    Abstract: A system and method includes an infrared camera; a processing unit; and an output unit. The infrared camera is configured to acquire a plurality of infrared images of the device, wherein the plurality of infrared images comprises a first infrared image and a second infrared image acquired a time period after the first infrared image. The processing unit is configured to determine a pixel in the first infrared image with a hottest temperature and determine a pixel in the second infrared image with a hottest temperature. The processing unit is configured to determine a first number of pixels in the first infrared image that have a temperature within a threshold temperature of the hottest temperature of the first infrared image and determine a second number of pixels in the second infrared image that have a temperature within the threshold temperature of the hottest temperature of the second infrared image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Joerg Gebhardt, Joerg Ostrowski, Maciej Mruczek, Anastasios Papageorgiou
  • Publication number: 20220181856
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medium voltage switchgear or control gear monitoring system (10), comprising: an infrared camera (20); and a processing unit (30); wherein the infrared camera is configured to be mounted within a medium voltage switchgear or control gear (40); wherein the infrared camera is configured to acquire an infrared image, wherein the infrared image comprises image data of two or three current carrying parts of the switchgear or control gear (50), and wherein the two or three current carrying parts are the same current carry part of two or three equivalent systems within the switchgear or control gear; wherein the infrared camera is configured to provide the infrared image to the processing unit; wherein the processing unit is configured to determine that the two or three current carrying parts are operating correctly or that one of the two or three current carrying parts has a fault, wherein the determination comprises analysis of the infrared image by an autoencoder implemented by the p
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Ido Amihai, Aydin Boyaci, Marcel Dix, Joerg Gebhardt
  • Publication number: 20220165526
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a circuit breaker includes: at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to be located and utilized to obtain at least one sensor data of a main shaft of an operational circuit breaker, and the at least one sensor is configured to provide the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker to the processor. The processor is configured to determine position and/or velocity information for a moveable contact of the operational circuit breaker, where the determination comprises analysis of the at least one sensor data of the main shaft of the operational circuit breaker by a trained neural network implemented by the processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Ido AMIHAI, Aydin BOYACI, Ralf GITZEL
  • Publication number: 20220156586
    Abstract: A system for monitoring a circuit breaker includes at least one sensor and a processor. The at least one sensor is configured to be located and utilized to obtain at least one time series sensor data of at least one first part an operational circuit breaker. The at least one sensor is configured to provide the at least one time series sensor data of the at least one first part of the operational circuit breaker to the processor. The processor is configured to determine that at least one second part of the operational circuit breaker is operating correctly or has a fault, where the determination includes analysis of the at least one time series sensor data of the at least one first part of the operational circuit breaker by a trained neural network implemented by the processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Ido AMIHAI, Aydin BOYACI, Ralf GITZEL
  • Publication number: 20220121716
    Abstract: A method for automatically supplying or locating data over a communication network comprising: configuring a data source to provide source data over the communication network, the source data being identified by a data identifier in a domain of identifiers; receiving a machine-readable description, the machine-readable description specifying at least one predicate that must be satisfied by the data; labeling data identified by the data identifier with labels at least in part indicative of data predicates that hold true for the data identified by the data identifier or that are satisfiable for the data identified by the data identifier; searching for the data based at least in part on the machine-readable description and the labels; obtaining a solution satisfying the predicate based on the search; and supplying the solution over the communication network to a data consumer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Somayeh Malakuti, Dirk Schulz, Johannes Schmitt, Sten Gruener, Ralf Gitzel, Prerna Juhlin
  • Publication number: 20220057271
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a switchgear includes: an input unit; a processing unit; and an output unit. The input unit is provides the processing unit with a monitor infra-red image of the switchgear. The processing unit implements a machine learning classifier algorithm to analyse the monitor infra-red image and determine if there is one or more anomalous hot spots in the switchgear. The machine learning classifier algorithm has been trained based on a plurality of different training infra-red images. The plurality of training infra-red images include a plurality of modified infra-red images generated from a corresponding plurality of infra-red images, each of the modified infra-red images having been modified to remove an effect of obscuration in the image. The output unit outputs information relating to the one or more anomalous hot spots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf GITZEL, Subanatarajan SUBBIAH, Benedikt SCHMIDT
  • Publication number: 20210396584
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a switchgear includes: an input unit; a processing unit; and an output unit. The input unit provides the processing unit with a monitor infra-red image of a switchgear. The processing unit implements a machine learning classifier algorithm to analyse the monitor infra-red image and determine if there is one or more anomalous hot spots in the switchgear. The machine learning classifier algorithm has been trained based on a plurality of different training infra-red images, the plurality of training infra-red images including a plurality of synthetic infra-red images generated from a corresponding plurality of visible images. The output unit outputs information relating to the one or more anomalous hot spots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Ralf Gitzel, Subanatarajan Subbiah, Benedikt Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20210397837
    Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a switchgear includes: an input unit; a processing unit; and an output unit. The input unit is provides the processing unit with a monitor infra-red image of a switchgear. The processing unit implements a machine learning classifier algorithm to analyse the monitor infra-red image and determine if there is one or more anomalous hot spots in the switchgear. The machine learning classifier algorithm has been trained based on a plurality of different training images, the plurality of training images including a plurality of synthetic infra-red images generated by an image processing algorithm. The output unit outputs information relating to the one or more anomalous hot spots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Subanatarajan Subbiah, Ralf Gitzel, Benedikt Schmidt