Patents by Inventor Stefan Almer

Stefan Almer 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: 11735928
    Abstract: A grid forming vector current control system can be used for controlling a grid intertie. A first terminal is connected to a first power grid and a second terminal is connected to a second power grid. The terminals each include current control unit, a virtual admittance unit, and a phase locked loop (PLL) unit. The virtual admittance unit and the PLL unit are configured to emulate an inertia of a virtual synchronous machine (VSM) and a virtual current source is connected in parallel to the VSM. A controller is configured to use transient power consumed by the first VSM to generate a power-equivalent current reference to control the second virtual current source and to use transient power consumed by the second VSM to generate a power-equivalent current reference to control the first virtual current source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Mario Schweizer, Stefan Almer, Lennart Harnefors
  • Publication number: 20230145847
    Abstract: A grid forming vector current control system can be used for controlling a grid intertie. A first terminal is connected to a first power grid and a second terminal is connected to a second power grid. The terminals each include current control unit, a virtual admittance unit, and a phase locked loop (PLL) unit. The virtual admittance unit and the PLL unit are configured to emulate an inertia of a virtual synchronous machine (VSM) and a virtual current source is connected in parallel to the VSM. A controller is configured to use transient power consumed by the first VSM to generate a power-equivalent current reference to control the second virtual current source and to use transient power consumed by the second VSM to generate a power-equivalent current reference to control the first virtual current source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Mario Schweizer, Stefan Almer, Lennart Harnefors
  • Publication number: 20230010298
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a grid forming vector current control system configured to emulate a virtual synchronous machine (VSM). The disclosed system comprises a droop control unit, a current control unit, a virtual admittance unit and a phase locked loop (PLL) unit. The virtual admittance unit and the PLL unit are configured to emulate an inertia of the VSM. A virtual current source is connected in parallel to the VSM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Mario SCHWEIZER, Stefan ALMER, Lennart HARNEFORS
  • Patent number: 10938321
    Abstract: An electrical converter with at least two output phases includes a rectifier and a thyristor-based inverter interconnected by a DC link with an inductor, wherein the thyristor-based inverter includes a half-bridge with at least two half-bridge arms for each output phase of the electrical converter and each arm being provided by a thyristor. A method for switching the electrical converter includes: cyclically switching the thyristors of the inverter, such that at least one time instant, two thyristors of different half-bridge arms are switched on simultaneously, such that a pulse number, which determines at how many time instants thyristors of the inverter are switched during one stator voltage period, is lower than the number of half-bridge arms of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Thomas Besselmann, Martin Bruha, Pieder Jörg, Stefan Almer
  • Publication number: 20190273446
    Abstract: An electrical converter with at least two output phases includes a rectifier and a thyristor-based inverter interconnected by a DC link with an inductor, wherein the thyristor-based inverter includes a half-bridge with at least two half-bridge arms for each output phase of the electrical converter and each arm being provided by a thyristor. A method for switching the electrical converter includes: cyclically switching the thyristors of the inverter, such that at least one time instant, two thyristors of different half-bridge arms are switched on simultaneously, such that a pulse number, which determines at how many time instants thyristors of the inverter are switched during one stator voltage period, is lower than the number of half-bridge arms of the inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Thomas Besselmann, Martin Bruha, Joerg Pieder, Stefan Almer
  • Patent number: 10116234
    Abstract: A DC/AC converter is provided with a new control device and method for managing inrush current transients during operation without requiring additional external devices or emergency operating modes forcing the DC/AC converter to shut down. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, aimed at grid connected DC/AC, converters, often subject to inrush current phenomena due to perturbations in the grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Pietro Raboni, David Martini, Silvia Mastellone, Stefan Almer
  • Patent number: 10075088
    Abstract: A load commutated converter interconnects an AC power grid with an AC load and comprises a grid-side converter, a DC link and a load-side converter. A method for controlling the load commutated converter comprises: determining a gridside firing angle for the grid-side converter; determining a load-side firing angle for the load-side converter; determining a grid voltage of the AC power grid; modifying the grid-side firing angle and/or the load-side firing angle based on the grid voltage, such that when an undervoltage condition in the AC power grid occurs, the operation of the load commutated converter is adapted to a change in the grid voltage; and applying the grid-side firing angle to the grid-side converter and the load-side firing angle to the load-side converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Thomas Besselmann, Stefan Almer, Jan Wiik, Sture Van de Moortel
  • Publication number: 20170279365
    Abstract: A load commutated converter interconnects an AC power grid with an AC load and comprises a grid-side converter, a DC link and a load-side converter. A method for controlling the load commutated converter comprises: determining a gridside firing angle for the grid-side converter; determining a load-side firing angle for the load-side converter; determining a grid voltage of the AC power grid; modifying the grid-side firing angle and/or the load-side firing angle based on the grid voltage, such that when an undervoltage condition in the AC power grid occurs, the operation of the load commutated converter is adapted to a change in the grid voltage; and applying the grid-side firing angle to the grid-side converter and the load-side firing angle to the load-side converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Thomas Besselmann, Stefan Almer, Jan Wiik, Sture Van de Moortel
  • Publication number: 20170187303
    Abstract: DC/AC converter comprising a new control device and method for managing inrush current transients during operation without requiring additional external devices or emergency operating modes forcing the DC/AC converter to shut down. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, aimed at grid connected DC/AC, converters, often subject to inrush current phenomena due to perturbations in the grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Pietro Raboni, David Martini, Silvia Mastellone, Stefan Almer