Patents by Inventor Tero Viitanen

Tero Viitanen 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: 8319490
    Abstract: A method of determining a rotational state of a three-phase alternating voltage supply which is connected to a converter and rotating in an uncontrolled manner, wherein the converter is connected to an intermediate voltage circuit and comprises phase-specific upper and lower controllable switches, which are connected in series between the intermediate voltage circuit, free-wheeling diodes connected in parallel with each of the controllable switches, and resistive circuits connected in parallel with the lower controllable switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Tero Viitanen
  • Publication number: 20120120698
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments for controlling a switching branch for a three-level converter, and a switching branch are disclosed. A first semiconductor switch and a second semiconductor switch, a first diode and a second diode, a third semiconductor switch and a fourth semiconductor switch, a third diode, and a fourth diode, a fifth semiconductor switch and a sixth semiconductor switch, a fifth diode, and a sixth diode, and a control arrangement for controlling the semiconductor switches are provided. The first semiconductor switch, the first diode, the fifth semiconductor switch and the fifth diode reside in a first switching branch-specific semiconductor module, and the fourth semiconductor switch, the fourth diode, the sixth semiconductor switch and the sixth diode reside in a second switching branch-specific semiconductor module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Tero VIITANEN
  • Publication number: 20120092914
    Abstract: A switching branch for a three-level rectifier and a method for controlling a switching branch for a three-level rectifier are provided. The switching branch includes a first diode and a second diode connected in series, a third diode and a fourth diode connected in series, a first controllable switch connected between a neutral DC output pole and a connection point between the first and the second diode, and a second controllable switch connected between the neutral DC output pole and a connection point between the third and the fourth diode. The switching branch includes means for controlling the first controllable switch to be in a conductive state during a reverse blocking state of the first diode and the second diode, and means for controlling the second controllable switch to be in a conductive state during a reverse blocking state of the third diode and the fourth diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Tero Viitanen
  • Patent number: 8159847
    Abstract: A method of controlling a brake chopper and a control arrangement, the brake chopper being connected between the positive and the negative rails of an intermediate voltage circuit feeding an inverter bridge, wherein current measurement means are arranged between a DC voltage source and the brake chopper and adapted to measure DC current flowing in the intermediate voltage circuit, which method comprises steps of forming with the inverter bridge an output voltage to a load connected to the output of the inverter bridge, determining a time instant when the DC current of the intermediate circuit is sampled, and preventing the use of the brake chopper at the determined time instant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Tero Viitanen, Ora Veli-Matti Leppänen
  • Patent number: 8035470
    Abstract: A DC inductor comprising a core structure (11) comprising one or more magnetic gaps (12), a coil (14) inserted on the core structure (11), at least one permanent magnet (15) positioned in the core structure, the magnetization of the permanent magnet (15) opposing the magnetization producible by the coil (14). The core structure is adapted to form a main flux path and an auxiliary flux path, where the main flux path is adapted to carry the main magnetic flux producible by the coil, wherein the auxiliary flux path comprises a magnetic gap and is adapted to lead magnetic flux past the at least one permanent magnet (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Tero Viitanen, Paulius Pieteris
  • Publication number: 20110074489
    Abstract: A two-level or multi-level inverter are supplied with a positive auxiliary voltage (Ug+) and a negative auxiliary voltage (Ug?). A bootstrap technique provides a first positive auxiliary voltage and a first negative auxiliary voltage from the supplied potentials. The bootstrap technique provides at least one additional negative auxiliary voltage to a switch driver of at least one semiconductor switch from the first negative auxiliary voltage. At the start up of an inverter, the inverter can perform a startup sequence to provide auxiliary voltages to the respective auxiliary voltage inputs of the switch drivers by turning the power semiconductors sequentially on and off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: ABB OY
    Inventors: Tero VIITANEN, Jussi Suortti, Matti Jussila
  • Patent number: 7889040
    Abstract: A DC inductor comprising a core structure (11) comprising one or more magnetic gaps (12, 13), a coil (14) wound on the core structure (11), at least one permanent magnet (15) positioned in the core structure, the magnetization of the permanent magnet (15) opposing the magnetization producible by the coil (14). The DC inductor further comprises at least one magnetic slab (16) inserted to the core structure which forms the one or more magnetic gaps (12, 13), at least one supporting member (17) made of magnetic material extending from the core structure inside the core structure and supporting the at least one permanent magnet (15), and that the at least one supporting member (17) is arranged to form a magnetic path for the at least one permanent magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Tero Viitanen, Paulius Pieteris, Esa Hautakorpi
  • Patent number: 7884582
    Abstract: A method in connection with a frequency converter for correcting the power factor of the frequency converter, and a power factor correction unit. The method includes connecting the power factor correction unit between a rectifier bridge of the frequency converter and the supplying AC voltage network, generating with the power factor correction unit DC voltage from the AC voltage of the supply network and feeding the generated DC voltage to the frequency converter via the rectifier bridge of the frequency converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: ABB OY
    Inventor: Tero Viitanen
  • Publication number: 20100142238
    Abstract: A method in connection with a frequency converter for correcting the power factor of the frequency converter, and a power factor correction unit. The method includes connecting the power factor correction unit between a rectifier bridge of the frequency converter and the supplying AC voltage network, generating with the power factor correction unit DC voltage from the AC voltage of the supply network and feeding the generated DC voltage to the frequency converter via the rectifier bridge of the frequency converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: Abb Oy
    Inventor: Tero VIITANEN
  • Publication number: 20090267545
    Abstract: A method of controlling a brake chopper and a control arrangement, the brake chopper being connected between the positive and the negative rails of an intermediate voltage circuit feeding an inverter bridge, wherein current measurement means are arranged between a DC voltage source and the brake chopper and adapted to measure DC current flowing in the intermediate voltage circuit, which method comprises steps of forming with the inverter bridge an output voltage to a load connected to the output of the inverter bridge, determining a time instant when the DC current of the intermediate circuit is sampled, and preventing the use of the brake chopper at the determined time instant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Tero Viitanen, Ora Veli-Matti Leppanen
  • Publication number: 20090134714
    Abstract: A system and a method for compensating harmonic components or a reactive power of an electrical network. The system comprises a measurement unit (1) configured to measure an electrical quantity to be compensated, a control unit (2) configured to determine harmonics contents or a reactive power need of the measured electrical quantity to be compensated as well as to determine, as relative values, desired values corresponding with the harmonics to be compensated or the reactive power to be compensated, one or more compensation units (5, 6) configured, responsive to the desired values provided by the control unit (2), to generate harmonic components or a reactive current according to the desired values given as relative values, and a communications connection (3) configured to communicate the desired values determined by the control unit (2) to the compensation units (5, 6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Antti TARKIAINEN, Tero Viitanen
  • Publication number: 20090059625
    Abstract: Single-phase to three-phase converter comprising a rectifier stage, a DC link and an inverter stage, wherein the rectifier comprises a filter choke, one controllable switch for power factor correction, rectifying diodes arranged in a diode bridge configuration having input terminals and output terminals, the controllable switch being connected to the output terminals of the diode bridge, an upper blocking diode arranged between the positive output terminal of the diode bridge and the positive input of the DC link and a lower blocking diode arranged between the negative output terminal of the diode bridge and the negative input of the DC link, the DC link comprises a capacitor bank connected between the DC link, which capacitor bank has a center point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: ABB OY
    Inventors: Tero VIITANEN, Erkki NIEMI
  • Publication number: 20080303619
    Abstract: A DC inductor comprising a core structure (11) comprising one or more magnetic gaps (12), a coil (14) inserted on the core structure (11), at least one permanent magnet (15) positioned in the core structure, the magnetization of the permanent magnet (15) opposing the magnetization producible by the coil (14). The core structure is adapted to form a main flux path and an auxiliary flux path, where the main flux path is adapted to carry the main magnetic flux producible by the coil, wherein the auxiliary flux path comprises a magnetic gap and is adapted to lead magnetic flux past the at least one permanent magnet (15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: ABB OY
    Inventors: Tero VIITANEN, Paulius Pieteris
  • Publication number: 20080303620
    Abstract: A DC inductor comprising a core structure (11) comprising one or more magnetic gaps (12, 13), a coil (14) wound on the core structure (11), at least one permanent magnet (15) positioned in the core structure, the magnetization of the permanent magnet (15) opposing the magnetization producible by the coil (14). The DC inductor further comprises at least one magnetic slab (16) inserted to the core structure which forms the one or more magnetic gaps (12, 13), at least one supporting member (17) made of magnetic material extending from the core structure inside the core structure and supporting the at least one permanent magnet (15), and that the at least one supporting member (17) is arranged to form a magnetic path for the at least one permanent magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: ABB OY
    Inventors: Tero Viitanen, Paulius Pieteris, Esa Hautakorpi
  • Publication number: 20080079417
    Abstract: A method of determining a rotational state of a three-phase alternating voltage supply which is connected to a converter and rotating in an uncontrolled manner, wherein the converter is connected to an intermediate voltage circuit and comprises phase-specific upper and lower controllable switches, which are connected in series between the intermediate voltage circuit, free-wheeling diodes connected in parallel with each of the controllable switches, and resistive circuits connected in parallel with the lower controllable switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: ABB OY
    Inventor: Tero VIITANEN