Patents by Inventor Reigh Walling

Reigh Walling 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: 7397143
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a rotor having a hub, at least one rotor blade coupled to the hub, and a rotor shaft coupled to said hub for rotation therewith. The wind turbine also includes an electrical generator coupled to the rotor shaft, and a generator-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the electrical generator for converting variable frequency AC received from the electrical generator into DC. The generator-side frequency converter is electrically coupled to an electrical load and is configured to at least one of supply reactive power to the electrical load and absorb reactive power from the electrical load. The wind turbine also includes a grid-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the generator-side frequency converter for converting DC received from the generator-side frequency converter into fixed frequency AC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Reigh Walling
  • Publication number: 20080093855
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a rotor having a hub, at least one rotor blade coupled to the hub, and a rotor shaft coupled to said hub for rotation therewith. The wind turbine also includes an electrical generator coupled to the rotor shaft, and a generator-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the electrical generator for converting variable frequency AC received from the electrical generator into DC. The generator-side frequency converter is electrically coupled to an electrical load and is configured to at least one of supply reactive power to the electrical load and absorb reactive power from the electrical load. The wind turbine also includes a grid-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the generator-side frequency converter for converting DC received from the generator-side frequency converter into fixed frequency AC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventor: Reigh Walling
  • Patent number: 7312537
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a rotor having a hub, at least one rotor blade coupled to the hub, and a rotor shaft coupled to said hub for rotation therewith. The wind turbine also includes an electrical generator coupled to the rotor shaft, and a generator-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the electrical generator for converting variable frequency AC received from the electrical generator into DC. The generator-side frequency converter is electrically coupled to an electrical load and is configured to at least one of supply reactive power to the electrical load and absorb reactive power from the electrical load. The wind turbine also includes a grid-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the generator-side frequency converter for converting DC received from the generator-side frequency converter into fixed frequency AC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Reigh Walling
  • Publication number: 20070290506
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a rotor having a hub, at least one rotor blade coupled to the hub, and a rotor shaft coupled to said hub for rotation therewith. The wind turbine also includes an electrical generator coupled to the rotor shaft, and a generator-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the electrical generator for converting variable frequency AC received from the electrical generator into DC. The generator-side frequency converter is electrically coupled to an electrical load and is configured to at least one of supply reactive power to the electrical load and absorb reactive power from the electrical load. The wind turbine also includes a grid-side frequency converter electrically coupled to the generator-side frequency converter for converting DC received from the generator-side frequency converter into fixed frequency AC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventor: Reigh Walling
  • Publication number: 20070126428
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventors: Zhihong Ye, Pengwei Du, John Nelson, Nicholas Miller, Reigh Walling
  • Publication number: 20070093978
    Abstract: A method for detecting islanding conditions in an electrical grid having a power line voltage includes monitoring a detectable signal different from the power line voltage at a generating station, superimposing the detectable signal onto the power line voltage at a grid point outside the generating station, and switching the generating station from a grid-connected mode of operation to an islanded mode of operation when the signal to which the detector is responsive is determined to be absent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Reigh Walling, Andre Langel
  • Publication number: 20060082936
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Zhihong Ye, Pengwei Du, John Nelson, Nicholas Miller, Reigh Walling
  • Publication number: 20060004531
    Abstract: An apparatus for anti-islanding protection of a distributed generation with respect to a feeder connected to an electrical grid is disclosed. The apparatus includes a sensor adapted to generate a voltage signal representative of an output voltage and/or a current signal representative of an output current at the distributed generation, and a controller responsive to the signals from the sensor. The controller is productive of a control signal directed to the distributed generation to drive an operating characteristic of the distributed generation out of a nominal range in response to the electrical grid being disconnected from the feeder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Zhihong Ye, Vinod John, Changyong Wang, Luis Garces, Rui Zhou, Lei Li, Reigh Walling, William Premerlani, Peter Sanza, Yan Liu, Mark Dame
  • Publication number: 20050040655
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Thomas Wilkins, Nagwa Elkachouty, Reigh Walling, James Lyons, Robert Delmerico, Sumit Bose, Nicholas Miller
  • Patent number: 6327162
    Abstract: A static series voltage regulator (SSVR) for an electric power distribution system protects a load on a feeder branch from voltage dips by boosting voltage under certain conditions. The SSVR contains a 3-phase voltage source inverter and a source bridge, fed from a source, supplying the dc side of the inverter. A series transformer is connected between the power source and a load coupling the inverter output to appear between the power source and the load. A surge filter connected in parallel with the series transformer protects the load from fast front voltage pulses produced by the inverter, and isolation and bypass switches isolate the inverter and series transformer from the power source and load. The inverter is controlled so that during normal operation it acts as a short on the series transformer, and, during a fault that causes a dip in the source voltage, it injects voltage in series with the source voltage to provide a boost action to maintain load voltage at a desired magnitude and balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Einar V. Larsen, Kara Clark, Reigh Walling