Patents by Inventor Tuomas Pulli

Tuomas Pulli 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: 9229468
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement of tracking a selected (e.g., maximum) power point of a photovoltaic system is disclosed, in which method an operation point of the photovoltaic system is changed based on the change of operation point and a change of power generated by the photovoltaic system. The method can include repeatedly determining a current or voltage of the photovoltaic system, determining a power of the photovoltaic system, determining a change of power of the photovoltaic system with respect to a previous determined power, and changing the operation point of the photovoltaic system by changing a current or voltage reference of the system stepwise depending on the change of power and a direction of a previous change of the current or voltage reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: ABB OY
    Inventors: Tuomas Pulli, Janne Hellberg
  • Patent number: 8704499
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of tracking the maximum power point of a photovoltaic module. The method includes measuring an output voltage of the photovoltaic module, determining an output voltage of the inverter connected to the photovoltaic module, and measuring output current of the inverter connected to the photovoltaic module. A variable relating to energy of the capacitor is defined using the measured PV module output voltage, and a second harmonic component is extracted from the defined variable. A second harmonic component of the module output power is estimated using the defined variable, measured output current of the inverter, and the determined output voltage of the inverter. The estimated and extracted second harmonic components are multiplied, and a DC component is extracted from the product. A control signal for controlling the inverter connected to the photovoltaic module is formed by using the extracted DC component in a PI algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerardo Escobar, Tuomas Pulli, Matti Karppanen
  • Publication number: 20140103885
    Abstract: A method and an arrangement of tracking a selected (e.g., maximum) power point of a photovoltaic system is disclosed, in which method an operation point of the photovoltaic system is changed based on the change of operation point and a change of power generated by the photovoltaic system. The method can include repeatedly determining a current or voltage of the photovoltaic system, determining a power of the photovoltaic system, determining a change of power of the photovoltaic system with respect to a previous determined power, and changing the operation point of the photovoltaic system by changing a current or voltage reference of the system stepwise depending on the change of power and a direction of a previous change of the current or voltage reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Tuomas PULLI, Janne HELLBERG
  • Publication number: 20120069602
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of tracking the maximum power point of a photovoltaic module. The method includes measuring an output voltage of the photovoltaic module, determining an output voltage of the inverter connected to the photovoltaic module, and measuring output current of the inverter connected to the photovoltaic module. A variable relating to energy of the capacitor is defined using the measured PV module output voltage, and a second harmonic component is extracted from the defined variable. A second harmonic component of the module output power is estimated using the defined variable, measured output current of the inverter, and the determined output voltage of the inverter. The estimated and extracted second harmonic components are multiplied, and a DC component is extracted from the product. A control signal for controlling the inverter connected to the photovoltaic module is formed by using the extracted DC component in a PI algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: ABB RESEARCH LTD
    Inventors: Gerardo Escobar, Tuomas Pulli, Matti Karppanen