Patents by Inventor Stefan Schroeder

Stefan Schroeder 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: 20180337109
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated power semiconductor packaging apparatus and a power converter containing the integrated power semiconductor packaging apparatus. The integrated power semiconductor packaging apparatus comprises a plurality of power semiconductor devices and an electrically insulative substrate formed integrally. The electrically insulative substrate comprises a flat surface, at least one separation wall protruding from the flat surface and a flow channel inside the electrically insulative substrate. The at least one separation wall is configured to separate the flat surface into a plurality of flat areas, and each of the plurality of flat areas is configured to receive one of the plurality of power semiconductor devices. The flow channel is configured for allowing a coolant flowing through to remove heat from the plurality of power semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Saijun MAO, Bo QU, Jingkui SHI, He XU, Jie SHEN, Lin LAN, Rui LI, Zhihui YUAN, Alistair Martin WADDELL, Stefan SCHROEDER, Marius Michael MECHLINSKI, Mark Aaron CHAN
  • Publication number: 20180323697
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of series connected switch modules each including at least two parallel connected electronic switches, the method includes the step of, in response to failure of any electronic switch of one or more switch modules, turning on any non-faulty electronic switch of one or more faulty switch modules when the electronic switches of other non-faculty switch modules are controlled to be turned on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Zhihui YUAN, Richard S. ZHANG, Stefan SCHROEDER, Yingqi ZHANG, Jie SHEN, Fan ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20180306853
    Abstract: A drive system includes a current sensor configured to generate a first current signal representative of a current flowing in one or more electrical devices electrically coupled together through a power supply bus, a power output bus, and a common ground. The drive system also includes a voltage sensor configured to generate a first voltage signal representative of a voltage with respect to the common ground in the one or more electrical devices. The drive system further includes a ground fault detection controller configured to determine a ground fault in the one or more electrical devices based on a change in at least one of the first current signal and the first voltage signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Max-Josef KELL, Stefan SCHROEDER, Jie SHEN, Zhihui YUAN, Yunzheng CHEN, Mohamed HASHEM
  • Patent number: 10108895
    Abstract: An operator control system includes switches, RFID transponders, and a RFID reader. Each switch has a cap support and a switch cap. The switch caps are respectively interchangeably attachable to the cap supports. The RFID transponders are respectively attached to the switch caps. Each RFID transponder stores a respective piece of information identifying a respective control function so that the switch cap to which the RFID transponder is attached is associated with the respective control function. The RFID reader is arranged on at least one of the switches for reading the piece of information of at least one of the RFID transponders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Oliver Maier, Stefan Schroeder, Christian Schirp
  • Patent number: 10103576
    Abstract: A method and system for a control power supply system is provided. The control power supply system includes a first conductor configured to carry a direct current (DC) electrical current from a source to a load, a second conductor configured to carry the DC electrical current from the load to the source, and an AC power source coupled to at least one of the first and the second conductors, the AC power source configured to superimpose a selectable relatively high frequency AC component onto the DC electrical current to generate a composite power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Stefan Schroeder, Christof Martin Sihler, Sebastian Pedro Rosado
  • Publication number: 20180287487
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a snubber circuit which comprises a static snubber unit, connected in parallel with the switch, for balancing a static voltage sharing across a switch when the switch is in a state of turn-on or turn-off; and a dynamic snubber unit for balance a dynamic voltage sharing across the switch when the switch is in a process of turn-on or turn-off, comprising a dynamic voltage sharing capacitor connected in parallel with the switch and having a relationship between a capacitance and a voltage of the dynamic voltage sharing capacitor; and a controller for controlling the capacitance of the dynamic voltage sharing capacitor to be in a predetermined working area of capacitance rising while the voltage across the switch is increasing. The present disclosure also relates to a power semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Saijun Mao, Stefan Schroeder, Jingkui Shi, He Xu, Marius Michael Mechlinski, Bo Qu, Zhihui Yuan, Yingqi Zhang, Jie Shen
  • Patent number: 10073512
    Abstract: A power converter includes primary and secondary bridges, a transformer, and a controller configured to generate a switching mode map that correlates each of a plurality of switching modes to a respective set of value ranges of system parameters of the power converter. The sets of system parameter value ranges are contiguous and non-overlapping across the switching mode map, each of the plurality of switching modes includes gate trigger voltage timings for commuting at least one of the primary and secondary bridges. The controller is configured to obtain a plurality of measured system parameter values, select from the switching mode map one of the plurality of switching modes that correlates to the set of system parameter values containing the plurality of measured system parameter values, and adjust gate trigger voltage timings of at least one of the primary and secondary bridges, according to the selected switching mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Simon Herbert Schramm, Said Farouk Said El-Barbari, Stefan Schroeder, Zhihui Yuan
  • Publication number: 20180241297
    Abstract: A system includes an eddy current brake. The eddy current brake includes a back plate and a first inductor. The first inductor includes a pole coupled to the back plate and a winding disposed about the pole, wherein the winding is configured to conduct an electric current to generate a magnetic field. At least one of the back plate and the pole 104 includes a plurality of laminations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Christoph BOELD, Mikhail Avramovich AVANESOV, Stefan SCHROEDER, Ara PANOSYAN, Herbert SCHAUMBERGER, Uwe LIEBSCHER
  • Publication number: 20180210031
    Abstract: A method for protecting a circuit is provided, wherein the circuit comprises a plurality of switch devices connected in series. The method comprises detecting a failure risk indicator of each switch device; determining whether each switch device has a failure risk based on the corresponding failure risk indicator; and making each of the switch device(s) having the failure risk in a constant on-state to eliminate the failure risk and prevent a failure of the switch device optionally if a number of the switch device(s) which have or had the failure risk is less than or equal to a preset value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Marius Michael MECHLINSKI, Stefan SCHROEDER, Jie SHEN, Fan ZHANG, Zhihui YUAN
  • Patent number: 9970417
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling a wind converter for a weak electrical grid. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a system for controlling the wind converter includes a wind converter connected to an electrical grid at a point of connection (POC) and operable to transfer a power to the electrical grid. The system includes a first control loop operable to calculate, based on electrical grid parameters and wind converter characteristics, a voltage reference to be generated by the wind converter. The system includes a second control loop to convert, based on the electrical grid parameters, the voltage reference into a current reference. The second loop converts the angle information of the voltage reference into a voltage at the POC. The system includes a third control to regulate, based at least on the current reference, the power transferred by the wind converter to the electrical grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Zhihui Yuan, Robert Roesner, Stefan Schroeder, Ara Panosyan, Krishna Kumar Anaparthi
  • Patent number: 9973946
    Abstract: A method for protecting a mobile communication network from performance impacts includes determining whether to apply a forwarding functionality or an alternative treatment functionality for downlink data packets directed to the specific IP-address or to the specific range of IP-addresses of the user equipment, wherein the application of the forwarding functionality versus the alternative treatment functionality of the filter element is based on load conditions of the mobile communication network at a reception time of the downlink data packets at the core network; and providing the forwarding functionality or the alternative treatment functionality for the downlink data packets directed to the specific IP-address or to the specific range of IP-addresses of the user equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: DEUTSCHE TELEKOM AG
    Inventor: Stefan Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20180025264
    Abstract: An operator control system includes switches, RFID transponders, and a RFID reader. Each switch has a cap support and a switch cap. The switch caps are respectively interchangeably attachable to the cap supports. The RFID transponders are respectively attached to the switch caps. Each RFID transponder stores a respective piece of information identifying a respective control function so that the switch cap to which the RFID transponder is attached is associated with the respective control function. The RFID reader is arranged on at least one of the switches for reading the piece of information of at least one of the RFID transponders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Oliver Maier, Stefan Schroeder, Christian Schirp
  • Patent number: 9847731
    Abstract: A converter assembly and method are provided. The converter assembly includes a galvanic isolation device, first switching devices, and second switching devices. The switching devices are conductively coupled with each other and with opposite sides of the isolation device. The first switching devices control conduction of an input voltage, and the second switching devices control conduction of electric power. The first switching devices are configured to switch between an open state and a closed state at frequencies that are faster than frequencies at which the second switching devices switch between the open state and the closed state to control a shape of a waveform of the electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Farouk Said El-Barbari, Simon Herbert Schramm, Stefan Schroeder, Alvaro Jorge Mari Curbelo
  • Patent number: 9825518
    Abstract: An exemplary power conversion system includes a power conversion device and a control system. The power conversion device converts electrical power from one form to another. The power conversion device includes at least one switching element capable of being turned off to block an electrical current flowing through the at least one switching element. The control system is electrically coupled to the power conversion device for monitoring an electrical current flowing through the at least one switching element and for monitoring at least one parameter in association with the operation of the power conversion system. The control system further generates an over-current threshold value that is variable with respect to at least one monitored parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Jie Shen, Stefan Schroeder, Kunlun Chen, Laigui Qin
  • Publication number: 20170302204
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling a wind converter for a weak electrical grid. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a system for controlling the wind converter includes a wind converter connected to an electrical grid at a point of connection (POC) and operable to transfer a power to the electrical grid. The system includes a first control loop operable to calculate, based on electrical grid parameters and wind converter characteristics, a voltage reference to be generated by the wind converter. The system includes a second control loop to convert, based on the electrical grid parameters, the voltage reference into a current reference. The second loop converts the angle information of the voltage reference into a voltage at the POC. The system includes a third control to regulate, based at least on the current reference, the power transferred by the wind converter to the electrical grid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Zhihui Yuan, Robert Roesner, Stefan Schroeder, Ara Panosyan, Krishna Kumar Anaparthi
  • Publication number: 20170294850
    Abstract: A multilevel converter comprising a first switching branch connected between a positive DC-link terminal and an AC output terminal and comprising series-connected first and second switching elements, a second switching branch connected between the AC output terminal and a negative DC-link terminal and comprising series-connected third and fourth switching elements, a third switching branch connected between a DC-link neutral point and a connection point of the first and the second switching elements, a fourth switching branch connected between the DC-link neutral point and a connection point of the third and the fourth switching elements, the fourth switching branch being completely independent from the third switching branch, and a flying capacitor connected between the connection point of the first and the second switching elements and the connection point of the third and the fourth switching elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Yong XU, Fan ZHANG, Stefan SCHROEDER
  • Publication number: 20170288394
    Abstract: A system, a switch assembly and an associated method. The system includes a number of switch assemblies, each including a switch module, isolation circuits, a detection unit, and a drive unit. The switch module includes power switch devices connected in parallel. The switch modules are connected in series. The isolation circuits each are connected in series to a gate terminal of at least one corresponding power switch device of the power switch devices. Each isolation circuit includes a capacitor or a controllable switch. The detection unit detects faults in at least one of the power switch devices. The drive unit is coupled to the switch module via the isolation circuits for driving the power switch devices of the corresponding switch module, and when the fault is detected, the drive unit is for turning on the power switch devices parallel connected to the at least one of faulty power switch devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Zhihui YUAN, He XU, Jie SHEN, Fan ZHANG, Stefan SCHROEDER
  • Patent number: 9777966
    Abstract: A subsea power module includes an outer pressure compensated vessel defining an interior chamber and one or more heat generating electrical components disposed within the interior chamber. The outer pressure compensated vessel is configured to maintain a pressure within the interior chamber substantially the same as an ambient pressure outside the outer pressure compensated vessel. Each of the electrical components may be disposed within an inner chamber of a pressure vessel disposed within the interior chamber of the outer pressure compensated vessel. Each of the one or more heat generating electrical components is configured to transfer heat generated within the interior chamber of the outer pressure compensated vessel through the wall defining the interior chamber to a fluid, such as seawater, surrounding the outer pressure compensated vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark Aaron Chan Chan, Stefan Schroeder, Piniwan Thiwanka Bandara Wijekoon, Eric Ayres Browne
  • Patent number: 9755545
    Abstract: A power conversion system includes at least one multi-level power converter and a controller coupled to the at least one multi-level power converter. The controller includes a first CMV injection module and a second CMV injection module. The first CMV injection module generates a first CMV signal for modifying at least one voltage command to achieve a first function in association with operation of the power conversion system. The second CMV injection module generates a second CMV signal based at least in part on a three-level CMV limit either for modifying the at least one voltage command or for further modifying the at least one modified voltage command to achieve a second function in association with operation of the power conversion system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Qin Lei, Jie Shen, Stefan Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20170250542
    Abstract: A power distribution system for providing a desired value of voltage regulation is presented. The system includes at least one power source, at least one sink, a distribution feeder configured to couple the at least one power source to the at least one sink. The system includes a plurality of modular voltage regulation units coupled to the distribution feeder, where each of the plurality of modular voltage regulation units includes a transformer including a primary winding having a first end and a second end and a secondary winding having a first end and a second end; and at least one switch coupled to the primary winding of the transformer, where the first end of the secondary winding is coupled to at least one of the first and second ends of the primary winding via the at least one switch. A method of operating a power distribution system is also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Ara Panosyan, Piniwan Thiwanka Bandara Wijekoon, Stefan Schroeder, Eva-Maria Baerthlein