Patents by Inventor Stephan Engelhardt

Stephan Engelhardt 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: 11990834
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for operating a three-phase inverter on a three-phase load. The three-phase inverter has a direct voltage intermediate circuit, at least one three-phase bridge circuit, and at least one control unit for controlling the bridge circuit. In the at least one bridge circuit, at least two power switches per phase are provided, which are connected in series parallel to the direct voltage intermediate circuit. Depending on predefined target voltage values of the three phases of the inverter, the power switches of each individual phase are actuated via the control unit such that a three-phase alternating voltage is generated on the three-phase load via switching operations of the power switches. Very good dynamic control behaviour can be achieved despite cost-effective dimensioning of the IGBT power switches of the three-phase bridge circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: KK Wind Solutions A/S
    Inventors: Jörg Kretschmann, Stephan Engelhardt
  • Publication number: 20220345030
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for operating a three-phase inverter on a three-phase load. The three-phase inverter has a direct voltage intermediate circuit, at least one three-phase bridge circuit, and at least one control unit for controlling the bridge circuit. In the at least one bridge circuit, at least two power switches per phase are provided, which are connected in series parallel to the direct voltage intermediate circuit. Depending on predefined target voltage values of the three phases of the inverter, the power switches of each individual phase are actuated via the control unit such that a three-phase alternating voltage is generated on the three-phase load via switching operations of the power switches. Very good dynamic control behaviour can be achieved despite cost-effective dimensioning of the IGBT power switches of the three-phase bridge circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: KK Wind Solutions A/S
    Inventors: Jörg Kretschmann, Stephan Engelhardt
  • Patent number: 10090680
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for delivering electrical power, in particular for delivering regeneratively produced electrical power, which has at least one converter and at least one filter for matching the delivery of power by the converter to a load impedance. Also provided is a method for operating the apparatus for delivering electrical power which allows improved monitoring of the functioning of the filters or mains filters and which uses means for determining at least one filter current in at least one filter, which means are designed in such a manner that said means make it possible to determine the at least one filter current during operation of the apparatus. Comparison means are provided and generate an error information signal using the desired value and actual value of the filter current and a predefinable error criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Volker Leiting, Jörg Kretschmann, Jan van Leyen, Stephan Engelhardt
  • Publication number: 20170331296
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for delivering electrical power, in particular for delivering regeneratively produced electrical power, which has at least one converter and at least one filter for matching the delivery of power by the converter to a load impedance. Also provided is a method for operating the apparatus for delivering electrical power which allows improved monitoring of the functioning of the filters or mains filters and which uses means for determining at least one filter current in at least one filter, which means are designed in such a manner that said means make it possible to determine the at least one filter current during operation of the apparatus. Comparison means are provided and generate an error information signal using the desired value and actual value of the filter current and a predefinable error criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Volker Leiting, Jörg Kretschmann, Jan van Leyen, Stephan Engelhardt
  • Patent number: 8698461
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method to control power output of a doubly-fed induction machine to a grid including the steps of measuring grid voltage and grid current in a three phase coordinate system, transforming grid voltage and grid current into a stator frame coordinate system, decomposing the grid voltage and grid current in the stator frame coordinate system in a positive sequence system and in a negative sequence system, calculating active and reactive power in the positive and negative sequence system, and controlling active and reactive power in the positive and negative sequence system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Joerg Kretschmann
  • Patent number: 8653683
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for controlling a double-fed asynchronous machine (4), preferably for a power plant, in particular for a wind or water power plant. The device includes an indirect converter (6) which is connected on the rotor side to the double-fed asynchronous machine (4). The indirect converter (6) includes a rotor-side converter (20) and a line-side converter (24). At least one control element (8) is provided for controlling the indirect converter (6). At least one software-based and/or hardware-based damping element (40, 46, 48, 120) is provided which has changeable damping characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Joerg Kretschmann
  • Patent number: 8487461
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a wind energy plant having a double-fed asynchronous machine, at least one inverter and at least one control device, wherein electrical energy is at least partly supplied into a grid via the inverter, the inverter comprises per phase at least one power semi-conductor module with at least two transistor circuits and at least two free-wheeling diodes and the inverter by using the control device is actuated at least at times via a pulse width modulation (PWM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Patent number: 8415818
    Abstract: In a method for the compensation of rotor torque oscillations upon the occurrence of mains asymmetries in relation to a double-fed asynchronous machine (1) it is provided that at least one respective currently prevailing machine parameter is measured and/or derived, the at least one machine parameter is respectively decomposed by calculation into a positive and a negative sequence system component and optionally a DC component, and for the positive sequence system component, the negative sequence system component and optionally for the DC component of the at least one machine parameter, there are respective separate control members for controlling an adjusting value, to which the respective components of the machine parameters are fed as input components and the output values of which are additively superposed. In that case the control members are so adapted for controlling the adjusting value in such a way that the torque oscillations are counteracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Holger Wrede, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Patent number: 8400004
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine that includes a generator device for outputting electric energy to a network, the generator device having a stator, and a controller device for controlling the generator device. To ensure sufficient protection of the wind turbine even during network fluctuations, a network voltage is determined using a network model at least as a function of a stator voltage measured with a first measuring apparatus and a network power measured with a second measuring apparatus, and the determined network voltage and a predeterminable maximum phase angle present between the stator voltage and network voltage are used to determine the maximum effective power of the wind turbine that can be output, and the output effective power is regulated as a function of the determined maximum effective power that can be output and a target effective power predetermined by the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Patent number: 8373293
    Abstract: A protection system for a doubly-fed induction machine; with a stator and a rotor. The stator of the doubly-fed induction machine is connected to a grid, and the rotor of the doubly-fed induction machine is connected to the grid via a converter. The converter includes a machine side converter, and a DC-link and a line side converter. The protection system also includes at least one crowbar, the crowbar being connected to the rotor, at least one DC-chopper provided in the DC-link, a converter controller, and a separate protection device for DC-chopper and the at least one crowbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Lars Kock
  • Patent number: 8242753
    Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for controlling the output or drawn active and reactive power of a double-fed asynchronous machine (5), the maintenance of a maximum permissible current (16) of the machine—without the use of a subordinate current controller—is ensured by virtue of the fact that, during the operation of the double-fed asynchronous machine, a maximum permissible desired value for the active power (10a) to be output or to be drawn and a maximum permissible desired value for the reactive power (10b) to be output or to be drawn are calculated with the aid of a model of the asynchronous machine from the maximum permissible current (16), preferably corrected at least using the actual value of the current to be limited of the machine, in such a way that the maximum permissible current (16) is not exceeded. The predetermined active and reactive power desired values are then limited to the calculated maximum permissible values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Woodward SEG GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Publication number: 20110260454
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for controlling a double-fed asynchronous machine (4), preferably for a power plant, in particular for a wind or water power plant. The device includes an indirect converter (6) which is connected on the rotor side to the double-fed asynchronous machine (4). The indirect converter (6) includes a rotor-side converter (20) and a line-side converter (24). At least one control element (8) is provided for controlling the indirect converter (6). At least one software-based and/or hardware-based damping element (40, 46, 48, 120) is provided which has changeable damping characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: WOODWARD KEMPEN GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Joerg Kretschmann
  • Publication number: 20110215775
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method to control power output of a doubly-fed induction machine to a grid including the steps of measuring grid voltage and grid current in a three phase coordinate system, transforming grid voltage and grid current into a stator frame coordinate system, decomposing the grid voltage and grid current in the stator frame coordinate system in a positive sequence system and in a negative sequence system, calculating active and reactive power in the positive and negative sequence system, and controlling active and reactive power in the positive and negative sequence system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: WOODWARD KEMPEN GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Joerg Kretschmann
  • Publication number: 20110210553
    Abstract: The invention relates to a protection system of a doubly-fed induction machine, the system comprises a doubly-fed induction machine with a stator and a rotor, the stator of said doubly-fed induction machine is connected to a grid and the rotor of said doubly-fed induction machine is connected to the grid via a converter, said converter comprises a machine side converter, a DC-link and a line side converter. The system comprises additionally at least one crowbar, said crowbar is connected to the rotor, at least one DC-chopper provided in the DC-link, a converter controller and a separate protection device. The object of the present invention to provide a protection system and a protection method of a doubly-fed induction machine which can be easily used with high sampling rates and which provides a good protection for the doubly fed induction machine is resolved in that the DC-chopper and the crowbar are controlled with the separate protection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: Woodward Kempen GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Lars Kock
  • Publication number: 20110153092
    Abstract: In a method for the compensation of rotor torque oscillations upon the occurrence of mains asymmetries in relation to a double-fed asynchronous machine (1) it is provided that at least one respective currently prevailing machine parameter is measured and/or derived, the at least one machine parameter is respectively decomposed by calculation into a positive and a negative sequence system component and optionally a DC component, and for the positive sequence system component, the negative sequence system component and optionally for the DC component of the at least one machine parameter, there are respective separate control members for controlling an adjusting value, to which the respective components of the machine parameters are fed as input components and the output values of which are additively superposed. In that case the control members are so adapted for controlling the adjusting value in such a way that the torque oscillations are counteracted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2008
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: Woodward Seg GMBH & Co.Kg
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Holger Wrede, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Publication number: 20110006528
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind turbine that includes a generator device for outputting electric energy to a network, the generator device having a stator, and a controller device for controlling the generator device. To ensure sufficient protection of the wind turbine even during network fluctuations, a network voltage is determined using a network model at least as a function of a stator voltage measured with a first measuring apparatus and a network power measured with a second measuring apparatus, and the determined network voltage and a predeterminable maximum phase angle present between the stator voltage and network voltage are used to determine the maximum effective power of the wind turbine that can be output, and the output effective power is regulated as a function of the determined maximum effective power that can be output and a target effective power predetermined by the control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: WOODWARD SEG GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Publication number: 20100277134
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a wind energy plant having a double-fed asynchronous machine, at least one inverter and at least one control device, wherein electrical energy is at least partly supplied into a grid via the inverter, the inverter comprises per phase at least one power semi-conductor module with at least two transistor circuits and at least two free-wheeling diodes and the inverter by using the control device is actuated at least at times via a pulse width modulation (PWM).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: WOODWARD SEG GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Andrzej Geniusz
  • Publication number: 20090267572
    Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for controlling the output or drawn active and reactive power of a double-fed asynchronous machine (5), the maintenance of a maximum permissible current (16) of the machine—without the use of a subordinate current controller—is ensured by virtue of the fact that, during the operation of the double-fed asynchronous machine, a maximum permissible desired value for the active power (10a) to be output or to be drawn and a maximum permissible desired value for the reactive power (10b) to be output or to be drawn are calculated with the aid of a model of the asynchronous machine from the maximum permissible current (16), preferably corrected at least using the actual value of the current to be limited of the machine, in such a way that the maximum permissible current (16) is not exceeded; The predetermined active and reactive power desired values are then limited to the calculated maximum permissible values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: WOODWARD SEG GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Stephan Engelhardt, Andrzej Geniusz