Attainment Of Voltage, Frequency Or Phase Relationship Patents (Class 307/87)
  • Patent number: 12005801
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product resolve the problem of unbalanced loads in an EVSE cluster of multiple EVSE charging stations. A signal is provided to the EVSEs identifying which phase of the three-phase power source has the highest current. When one of the EVSEs in the cluster determines whether it is connected to an EV's on board charging device, determines whether it is already charging the connected EV, and determines whether the EVSE is using the phase that has the highest current, then the EVSE may transmit a cluster load balancing control signal as a control pilot signal to the EV's onboard charging device to adjust the charging rate of the current that the EV is consuming from the EVSE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin M. Jefferies, Benjamin W. Edwards, Matthew L White, Konstantin A. Filippenko, Richard K. Weiler
  • Patent number: 11984760
    Abstract: In one aspect, a modular static transfer switch is provided. The module static transfer switch includes an output configured to couple to a load, a first input configured to couple to a first power source, and a second input configured to couple to a second power source. The modular static transfer switch further includes a plurality of sold-state switch modules each comprising at least one solid-state switch. A first plurality of the solid-state switch modules are coupled in parallel between the first input and the output, each configured to selectively couple the first power source to the output using the at least one solid-state switch. A second plurality of the solid-state switch modules are coupled in parallel between the second input and the output, each configured to selectively couple the second power source to the output using the at least one solid-state switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Yu Du, Christopher Alan Belcastro, Waqas Mahmood Arshad
  • Patent number: 11799294
    Abstract: A power supply system comprises a portable first power supply device and second power supply device. The portable first power supply device has a handle to be gripped by a hand of a user. A supply unit of the portable first power supply comprises an inverter circuit which converts at least a portion of excess power into an alternating current, and supplies to the second power supply device via a second connection unit and a power line, power of the alternating current outputted from the inverter circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sho Takada, Nobuyuki Sasaki, Mitsuhiro Ito, Mio Oshima, Ryo Oshima, Yoshihiro Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 11784490
    Abstract: A method and a system for switching from grid-connected to grid-disconnected, and a power conversion system are provided. The method includes determining whether a power grid is abnormal based on a power grid parameter obtained when a PCS is grid-connected and operates in a current source mode, turning off a switching cabinet if the power grid is abnormal, switching from a current source mode to a voltage source mode, sending a command to instruct a grid-connected/grid-disconnected switch to switch from a grid-connected loop to a grid-disconnected loop, controlling an output parameter to smoothly transit from an abnormal parameter value recorded when the power grid is abnormal to a rated parameter value, and supplying power to a load according to the rated parameter value. In this way, seamless switching from grid-connected to grid-disconnected can be achieved, thereby ensuring stability of power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignees: KEHUA HENGSHENG CO., LTD., ZHANGZHOU KEHUA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Haisen Chen, Chunbao Zeng, Baoshuai Jiao, Binbin Lin, Xi Chen
  • Patent number: 11774993
    Abstract: A power supply management device includes an internal power supply circuit, switches, a comparator circuit, and a control circuit. The internal power supply circuit is configured to output a first supply voltage to a node. The switches are coupled between the node and a plurality of first circuits. The comparator circuit is configured to compare a voltage on the node with a reference voltage when the node does not receive the first supply voltage to generate a flag signal. The control circuit is configured to determine whether the node receives a second supply voltage from an external power supply circuit according to the flag signal. If the node receives the second supply voltage, the control circuit is further configured to turn off the internal power supply circuit and gradually turn on the switches, in order to provide the second supply voltage to the first circuits via the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhan-Peng Wang, Su-Hang Chen, Bin Sun, Qing-Zhe Qiu
  • Patent number: 11749997
    Abstract: Electrically connecting a first node of a first power grid to a second node of a second power grid includes: determining a phase angle of at least one phase of an AC voltage at the first node in the first power grid; determining a phase angle of at least one phase of an AC voltage at the second node in the second power grid; determining a phase angle metric based on comparing the phase angle of the AC voltage in the first power grid to the phase angle of the AC voltage in the second power grid; comparing the phase angle metric to a phase angle threshold; and if the phase angle metric is equal to or exceeds the phase angle threshold, controlling a dispatchable energy source in the first power grid in a P-Q control mode to adjust the phase angle of at least one phase of the AC voltage at the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Vijay Bhavaraju, Souvik Chandra, Abrez Mondal, Yi Yang
  • Patent number: 11742666
    Abstract: This disclosure presents a method, an apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium to synchronize an active load with a microgrid having a plurality of distributed generators. The method comprises obtaining respective reference frames for the active load and each of the plurality of distributed generators. The method further comprises selecting the reference frame of a first distributed generator as a common reference frame for the microgrid. The method further comprises pooling the active load and the other distributed generators of the plurality of distributed generators on the common reference frame of the microgrid. The method further comprises tuning controller parameters of the active load and the plurality of distributed generators so that predefined grid voltage, frequency, and phase values of the microgrid are maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventor: Mohammed Ali Ali Hassan
  • Patent number: 11462937
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for no-break power transfer in a power distribution system, including providing, from a first power source, a first power supply to a power bus, disabling the first power supply from the power bus, and providing, from a second power source, a second power supply to the power bus, the second power supply having the second set of electrical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems Limited
    Inventor: Colin John Halsey
  • Patent number: 11447027
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product resolve the problem of unbalanced loads in an EVSE cluster of multiple EVSE charging stations. A signal is provided to the EVSEs identifying which phase of the three-phase power source has the highest current. When one of the EVSEs in the cluster determines whether it is connected to an EV's on board charging device, determines whether it is already charging the connected EV, and determines whether the EVSE is using the phase that has the highest current, then the EVSE may transmit a cluster load balancing control signal as a control pilot signal to the EV's onboard charging device to adjust the charging rate of the current that the EV is consuming from the EVSE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin M. Jefferies, Benjamin W. Edwards, Matthew L. White, Konstantin A. Filippenko, Richard K. Weiler
  • Patent number: 11293984
    Abstract: A detection circuit is electrically connected with a static transfer switch. The static transfer switch includes a silicon controlled rectifier. The detection circuit includes a high-pass filter, a low-pass filter, an absolute value circuit and a determination unit. After the high-pass filter filters off a low-frequency component of a terminal voltage between the first terminal and the second terminal of the static transfer switch, a first signal is generated. After a high-frequency component of the first signal is filtered off by the low-pass filter, a second signal is generated. The second signal is converted into an absolute value signal by the absolute value circuit. If no pulse signals are contained in the absolute value signal, the determination unit determines that the static transfer switch is in an abnormal on condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Jen-Chuan Liao, Yu-Rong Chen, Kuan-Tse Lin, Hung-Hsien Huang
  • Patent number: 11279243
    Abstract: Connection and control concepts for battery packs in a high voltage battery assembly are provided. Parallel, modular configurations permit improved safety, voltage balancing, and redundancy, improving operation and reliability of an associated high voltage electrical vehicle such as a heavy-duty truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Nikola Corporation
    Inventors: Umran Ashraf, Michael Corona, T. Neil McLemore, Varoujan Sarkissian
  • Patent number: 11239778
    Abstract: This method for stabilizing the rotation speed of a hydraulic machine having S-characteristic and comprising a distributor (9) is adapted to modify a water flow, so that the machine can be coupled to a grid. The method comprises the steps of calculating an orientation of the distributor (9); and orienting the distributor according to the calculated orientation. The method further comprises the steps of providing an electric torque to the machine so as to reach a target speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventors: Renaud Guillaume, Theophane Foggia, Quentin Alloin
  • Patent number: 11209469
    Abstract: A method includes performing by a processor: receiving a plurality of synchrophasor measurements of a power system signal associated with a time interval from a phasor measurement unit (PMU), each of the plurality of synchrophasor measurements including a phase angle, frequency value, and a timestamp associated with the synchrophasor measurement, determining a plurality of relative phase angles based on the plurality of phase angles, determining a correlation coefficient between the plurality of relative phase angles and a plurality of corresponding frequency values of the power system signal, and detecting an error in the plurality of timestamps based on the correlation coefficient; estimating the error in the plurality of timestamps based on the plurality of relative phase angles and the plurality of corresponding frequency values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Yilu Liu, Wenpeng Yu, Wenxuan Yao
  • Patent number: 11203263
    Abstract: A system with a high-voltage battery and a coupling device that couples the high-voltage battery to a high-voltage onboard power supply system of a motor vehicle. The coupling device couples a positive pole and a negative pole with corresponding phases of the high-voltage power supply system. The coupling device includes a current measurement device that measures the current flowing between a first electrically conductive connection and a first interface and/or the current flowing between a second electrically conductive connection and a second interface, an actuating device, and at least one first semiconductor switch, as well as at least one second semiconductor switch, which is coupled between the second electrically conductive connection and the second interface. The first semiconductor switch includes a first control electrode and the second semiconductor switch includes a second control electrode, which are coupled to the actuating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Roman Strasser
  • Patent number: 11133690
    Abstract: A battery system with a large-format Li-ion battery powers attached equipment by discharging battery cells distributed among a plurality of battery packs. The discharging of the battery cells is controlled in an efficient manner while preserving the expected life of the Li-ion battery cells. Each battery pack internally supports a battery management system and may have identical components, thus supporting an architecture that easily scales to higher power/energy. Battery packs may be added or removed without intervention with a user, where one of battery packs serves as a master battery pack and the remaining battery packs serve as slave battery packs. When the master battery pack is removed, one of the slave battery packs becomes the master battery pack. Charging and discharging of the battery cells is coordinated by the master battery pack with the slave battery packs over a communication channel such as a controller area network (CAN) bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Inventus Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Huizhi Chen, Wenhua Li, Ke Yan, Changda Guan, Zibin Cheng
  • Patent number: 11056885
    Abstract: A method of providing power support to an electrical power grid is provided. The power support is provided by an arrangement including a synchronous machine connected to a converter, the converter in turn being connected to the electrical power grid. The method is performed in a control device controlling the arrangement and includes: receiving feedback from one or both of the electrical power grid and the synchronous machine, and controlling the converter such that power support is provided to or absorbed from the electrical power grid by means of the synchronous machine based on the received feedback. A control device, arrangement, computer program and computer program products are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: ABB POWER GRIDS SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Hasler, Jan Kheir, Philippe Maibach
  • Patent number: 10944269
    Abstract: Systems and methods for first time synchronization of a generator with an electrical grid are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a method of first time synchronization of a generator with an electrical grid can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Randall John Kleen, Michael Acosta, Roland Hug
  • Patent number: 10879703
    Abstract: A method for synchronization of first and second microgrids, having respective first and second voltages and frequencies. The method includes determining a possible voltage and frequency range, determining an overlapping voltage range, determining an overlapping frequency range, selecting a third voltage within the overlapping voltage range. The method also includes selecting a third frequency within the overlapping frequency range. The method also includes controlling the first microgrid to change from the first voltage and frequency to the third voltage and frequency. The method also includes controlling the second microgrid to change from the second voltage and frequency to the third voltage and frequency. The method also includes connecting the first and second microgrids to each other by closing a switch there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: ABB POWER GRIDS SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventor: Ritwik Majumder
  • Patent number: 10840838
    Abstract: In an example, a control system for controlling a generator and providing an alarm upon detection of a fault condition. The control system includes a control relay, which includes a normally-open (NO) contact pair and a normally-closed (NC) contact pair, between the transfer switch and a controller. The NO contact pair is provided by a NO contact and a common contact, and the NC contact pair is provided by a NC contact and the common contact. The controller can receive signals indicative of a state of the contact pairs of the control relay and, based on the signals, determine whether to activate the generator and/or activate an alarm system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: ASCO POWER TECHNOLOGIES, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven E. Evans, Victor E. Bonachea, Mario Ibrahim, Donald K. Blackman
  • Patent number: 10777863
    Abstract: There is provided a power converter unit that can include an inverter and a plurality of batteries. The power converter unit can include a battery energy storage system (BESS) and an inverter. The BESS and the inverter can share at least one protection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, John S Harrison, Lukas Mercer Hansen
  • Patent number: 10778125
    Abstract: A system includes a synchronous generator coupled to an excitation system. The excitation system may output an excitation signal to excite the synchronous generator to produce a voltage and a current at an output of the synchronous generator. During startup, when the synchronous generator is rotating at less than rated speed, non-rotating synchronous electric motors may be electrically coupled to the synchronous generator. A controller may direct the excitation system to output the excitation signal to generate, with the synchronous generator, a first magnitude of current flow, and the synchronous motor loads are non-rotational in response to receipt of the first magnitude of current flow. In addition, the controller may selectively direct output of a pulse of the excitation signal, when the synchronous generator is rotating at less than rated speed, to urge the non-rotating synchronous motor loads into rotational electrical alignment with the synchronous generator and each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Jon Blackwelder, Paul M. Rancuret
  • Patent number: 10644493
    Abstract: A system for determining a disturbance in an electrical power delivery system external to a distributed site based on rate of change of frequency and power flow at the distributed site. The system may open a breaker to isolate the distributed site from the electric power delivery system upon detection of a disturbance external to the distributed site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Krishnanjan Gubba Ravikumar, Ashish Upreti
  • Patent number: 10642241
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems, methods and apparatus for improved generation control for microgrids. Embodiments include providing a microgrid management system (MGMS) having a smart generation control (SGC) system in communication with a plurality of resources and loads, wherein the resources and loads are coupled to a microgrid transmission line that is couplable to a macrogrid transmission line; performing preprocessing of the resources; determining current frequency, interchange, schedule, and area control error (ACE); monitoring and controlling the microgrid based on a system mode, a control mode, and system status; deriving a set point for active power control of resources; and transmitting control commands. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Dingguo Chen, Ram P. Chinchali, Shashank Pande
  • Patent number: 10523031
    Abstract: A method and device for controlling a two-wire discharge circuit of a battery, introducing a whole-bus voltage outer loop and an inductive current average value or inductive current actual value closed loop as a main control loop of the two-wire discharge circuit of the battery so as to guarantee a stable voltage of the whole bus. On the basis of the main control loop, duty ratios of switch transistors in respective discharge branches are adjusted to control the respective discharge branches to independently charge and discharge corresponding half-buses so as to balance the bus voltage. The method and the device avoid accessing a central wire of the battery and any additional circuits, and satisfy a technical specification of a three-wire access of the battery, thereby improving a circuit performance of the two-wire discharge circuit of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Vertiv Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Frederick Blair, Yang Bing, Junfeng Fu, Yunqing Song, Guoshun Yang
  • Patent number: 10468886
    Abstract: Electrical systems and related operating methods are provided. One exemplary electrical system includes a sensing arrangement coupled to an electrical grid interface to measure an electrical characteristic of the electrical grid interface, a power conversion module having an output coupled to the electrical grid interface, and a control module coupled to the sensing arrangement and the power conversion module. The control module determines an estimated frequency of the electrical characteristic based on a phase error corresponding to a measured value of the electrical characteristic obtained from the sensing arrangement, determines a frequency correction power command based on a difference between the estimated frequency and a target frequency, and operates the power conversion module in accordance with the frequency correction power command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: S&C Electric Company
    Inventor: David Glenn Porter
  • Patent number: 10429815
    Abstract: A motor control device for controlling driving of a motor based on position commands input from a host control device includes an offset value memory including first circuitry which stores offset values corresponding to predetermined values of position commands, respectively, and a drive controller including second circuitry which acquires, from the offset value memory, one of the offset values corresponding to an input position command among the position commands, and control driving of a motor based on an offset position command obtained by adding the one of the offset values to or subtracting the one of the offset values from the input position command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yasufumi Yoshiura, Yusuke Oka, Toshinobu Kira
  • Patent number: 10369390
    Abstract: The object of this patent application consists of a safety belt to be overlaid on the original back portion of the seat belt air belonging to the field of safety engineering, whose technique allows the rapid detachment by third parties, with the pull of a single rigging included, for the case where the user on air position is unable to do so in the case of rescue, more specifically the overlay safety belt with disengageable rings (1) that includes a lumbar belt (2), with an elongated base strip (3), which is stitched over, another upper strip (4), which overlaps the original belt, the base strap (3) over which there is another woven upper strip (4) whose set overlaps itself to the original belt, and the base strip (3) has, at each end, a hinged end that lays down the original air safety belt end buckles, upper strip (4) features an engagement fold (6), preceded by a grommet (8), and a double rigging (10), has its ends equipped with a metallic pin (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Inventor: Jaques Lesser Levy
  • Patent number: 10300779
    Abstract: A failsafe device is provided to perform an operation including at least a part or all of one or more of a mechanical system, a hydraulic system, an electrical system, and a chemical system. The failsafe device includes at least one electronic system and an least one non-electronic system. The at least one electronic system is controlled by at least one computer and/or microprocessor. The at least one non-electronic system includes at least one of the mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and chemical systems. The failsafe device is configured to operate in two modes, a normal mode and an emergency mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Frampton Ellis
    Inventor: Frampton Ellis
  • Patent number: 10205327
    Abstract: A battery system includes: a plurality of battery banks connected in parallel with each other; and a distribution controller coupled to the battery banks and configured to: receive a command comprising a target charging/discharging amount; determine a priority order between the battery banks based on a state of charge (SOC) and a state of health (SOH) of each of the battery banks; select at least some of the battery banks to be charged or discharged according to the target charging/discharging amount based on the priority order; and perform a charging or discharging on the at least some of the battery banks according to the target charging/discharging amount so that others of the battery banks are paused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Okui
  • Patent number: 10186898
    Abstract: A capacitive power system having a service life extending approach. The system may have an ultra or super capacitor with high capacitance. A predetermined amount of energy may be stored in the capacitor, sufficient for providing power to an electrically powered mechanism in the event the mechanism loses its power, to place it in a fail safe condition. With the capacitor at an initial capacitance, the working voltage may be set as low as possible while still retaining sufficient capacity for storing the predetermined amount of energy. As the capacitor's capacitance decreases with age, the working voltage of the capacitor may be gradually increased to compensate for lost capacitance. If the mechanism loses power, then a discharge of the capacitor may be initiated to transfer energy to the mechanism. If the electrical mechanism has power, then a charging of the capacitor may be initiated to transfer energy to the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Radek Stupka
  • Patent number: 10141751
    Abstract: A control system for an electric storage system, in which a plurality of pairs of storage batteries and converters are connected in parallel to a power system, includes: a unit that decides charge and discharge of total power by the pairs of storage batteries and converters; and a unit that distributes the charge and discharge power decided by the charge and discharge power decision unit to the pairs of storage batteries and converters. The power distribution decision unit compares the charge and discharge total power with a limit output when conversion efficiency of the converters is equal to or greater than standard efficiency, and decides a running number by which an output of all the pairs of running storage batteries and converters is equal to or greater than the limit output when the charge and discharge total power is equal to or greater than the limit output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Arita, Hideki Inoue, Tooru Akatsu, Masashi Toyota
  • Patent number: 10135250
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for balancing electrical generation and electrical demand in an electrical power system. In various embodiments, a controller may receive priority designations associated with a plurality of loads and inertia of a plurality of electrical generators. A trigger event analysis subsystem may detect a trigger event based on electrical conditions at a plurality of nodes within the electrical power system. A topology detection subsystem may identify a first subset of the plurality of nodes at which electrical conditions reflect the first trigger event and may associate those nodes in an electrical island. An electrical balancing system and control system may be configured to determine and eliminate an imbalance between electrical generation and electrical demand based on the combined inertia of the subset of the plurality of electrical generators and the plurality of priority designations associated with the subset of the plurality of loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott M. Manson
  • Patent number: 10088885
    Abstract: An implementation of a system disclosed herein provides a method comprising detecting a power loss to an apparatus, isolating the apparatus from a power supply, notifying the apparatus of the power loss, and extending operation of the apparatus for a predetermined time period using a charge reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Anthony Massarotti, Philip Lee Jurey
  • Patent number: 9906057
    Abstract: A modular multilevel converter for hybrid energy storage includes three phases connectable in series to a battery, and in parallel to one another. Each phase includes at least two arms of sub-modules and buffer inductors, and each of the sub-modules comprises a half-bridge and an ultracapacitor. A two layer controller, including a coordination layer and a converter layer, is configured to independently control battery output power and ultracapacitor output power, and to distribute a power load between the battery and the ultracapacitor to optimize the performance of a hybrid energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Feng Guo, Yanzhu Ye, Ratnesh Sharma
  • Patent number: 9899842
    Abstract: In a control method performed in shifting a plurality of different types of power generators to parallel operation, at least one of output voltage and a voltage drooping characteristic of at least one of the plurality of power generators is changed. In the case where the plurality of different types of power generators are a plurality of synchronous power generators having different voltage drooping characteristics, the voltage drooping characteristic of one power generator having a smaller voltage drooping characteristic among the plurality of power generators to be operated in parallel is changed so as to coincide with the voltage drooping characteristic of the other power generator. At the time of changing the voltage drooping characteristic, the other power generator is controlled so that the output voltage thereof is maintained at a value before start of the parallel operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignees: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DAIICHI TECHNO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Shiota, Mitsuru Chida, Kazunori Sato, Koushichi Tateishi
  • Patent number: 9800088
    Abstract: An electronic device configured to switchover power from a primary source to an alternate source to maintain continuity of power supplied to a load bus. The electronic device includes one or more processors configured to identify availability of the alternate source using source monitoring in order to measure and calculate a tracking frequency for controlling a variable sampling interval of the one or more processors. The processors are configured to store signal samples and associated time stamps into a variable length buffer and store new sample values and associated new time stamps into the fixed length buffer. The processors are configured to determine attributes from samples of the alternate source using the tracking frequency. The processors are configured to execute a source switchover signal when the primary source is unavailable based by comparing load bus attributes to alternate source attributes at an estimated instance of switchover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ilia Voloh, Mitalkumar G. Kanabar, Tarlochan Sidhu, Mohammad Dadash Zadeh, Amin Zamani
  • Patent number: 9800055
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to systems and methods for using time synchronized measurements of a generator output and an electrical bus, together with generator control algorithms to synchronize the frequency, voltage, and phase of a generator, or group of generators, prior to electrically connecting the generator to the electrical bus. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure pertains to systems that may be operated in an islanded configuration and in which one or more generators may be selectively synchronized based on a common time reference. The common time reference may allow the generators to be synchronized by autonomously driving one or more generators to a specified phase angle and frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas C. Seeley
  • Patent number: 9793845
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to apparatuses, methods, and systems for restarting an induction machine. In some embodiments, a method includes estimating a position of a rotor and a speed thereof in a position and speed estimation Operation, resetting a speed reference to correspond to the speed of the rotor in a speed reference resetting Operation, generating a control voltage corresponding to the speed reference to regulate a voltage magnitude using the control voltage in a voltage magnitude regulation Operation, and re-accelerating the induction machine up to a target speed after the regulation of the voltage magnitude in a re-acceleration Operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignees: LSIS CO., LTD., RESEARCH COOPERATION FOUNDATION OF YEUNGNAM UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hak-Jun Lee, Anno Yoo, Se-Hwan Kim, Jul-Ki Seok
  • Patent number: 9722494
    Abstract: A controller for a multiphase converter comprises a first stage controller for producing a first gate drive signal to turn on a first power transistor of a first boost converter; a delay element configured to produce a delayed signal by delaying the first gate drive signal by half a cycle length; a time difference detection element configured to: output a turn on command based on a zero crossing detection (ZCD) signal indicating that one or more zero current conditions of a second boost converter of the multiphase converter are met and the delayed signal; and a second stage controller configured to assert a second gate drive signal to turn on a second power transistor of the second boost converter based on the turn on command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Alberto Bianco, Giuseppe Scappatura
  • Patent number: 9698603
    Abstract: A first internal phase difference angle calculator for integrating a deviation between a first frequency command value and a frequency obtained by frequency obtaining device to calculate a first internal phase difference angle, a first internal electromotive voltage command value calculator for proportioning and calculating a deviation between a first reactive power command value and a reactive power obtained based on the value measured by first measuring device, and adding a reference voltage to the deviation so as to calculate a first internal electromotive voltage command value, and a first current command value calculator for calculating a command value of an output current from a first power converter based on the first internal phase difference angle, the first internal electromotive voltage command value, and a voltage measured by the voltage measuring device. The apparatus controls the first power converter based on an output from the first current command value calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazushige Sugimoto, Masahide Kawamura, Kentaro Sakata, Mitsuchika Ogawa, Kentaro Tsuda, Takefumi Iizaka, Yuko Hirase
  • Patent number: 9606563
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with a bandgap voltage reference circuit having a bandgap reference voltage output. A bandgap failure detection circuit is coupled to the bandgap reference voltage output. The bandgap failure detection forms a model value of the reference voltage from a first time, compares a present value of the reference voltage at a second time to the model value; and asserts a bandgap fail signal to indicate when the present value is less than the model value by a threshold value. The integrated circuit is reset by the bandgap fail signal. The detection circuit may be operated from a failsafe voltage domain that also allows a critical circuit to complete a pending operation during a reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Dornseifer, Matthias Arnold, Johannes Gerber
  • Patent number: 9509145
    Abstract: The disclosed distributed power supply system does not become disconnected from a grid simultaneously with others when the grid voltage falls instantaneously. In a distributed power supply device which controls an inverter circuit 10 based on a control signal obtained by comparing a predetermined carrier signal and voltage command signals of three phases and which converts DC power to AC power and supplies the AC power to a power grid of a three-phase AC power supply, fundamental wave signals of three phases are generated from a grid voltage of the three-phase AC power supply. A reference cosine wave signal is generated from the fundamental wave signals of three phases. A third harmonic signal is generated from the reference cosine wave signal and the fundamental wave signals of three phases. The three-phase fundamental wave signals and the third harmonic signal are added to generate voltage command signals of three phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignees: HOKURIKU ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norikazu Kanao, Kansuke Fujii, Toshiya Yamada, Motohiro Katayama
  • Patent number: 9478378
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides apparatus, systems, and methods for preventing out-of-synchronism closing between power systems. An intelligent electronic device (IED) apparatus may include a control component and a delay component. The control component is configured to selectively control opening and closing of a breaker. The control component selectively outputs a close signal to cause the breaker to connect a first portion of a power delivery system to another portion of the power delivery system. The delay component is configured to delay output of the close signal to the breaker. The delay component includes circuitry independent from control by the control component and the delay component is inconfigurable from a remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SCHWEITZER ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Bogdan Z Kasztenny, Dale S Finney
  • Patent number: 9379577
    Abstract: A capacitive power system having a service life extending approach. The system may have an ultra or super capacitor with high capacitance. A predetermined amount of energy may be stored in the capacitor, sufficient for providing power to an electrically powered mechanism in the event the mechanism loses its power, to place it in a fail safe condition. With the capacitor at an initial capacitance, the working voltage may be set as low as possible while still retaining sufficient capacity for storing the predetermined amount of energy. As the capacitor's capacitance decreases with age, the working voltage of the capacitor may be gradually increased to compensate for lost capacitance. If the mechanism loses power, then a discharge of the capacitor may be initiated to transfer energy to the mechanism. If the electrical mechanism has power, then a charging of the capacitor may be initiated to transfer energy to the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Radek Stupka
  • Patent number: 9285851
    Abstract: Methods for optimizing battery use for a known future load are described. In an embodiment, one or more battery cells are selected from a set of battery cells to provide power to a computing-based device. The battery cells are selected based on discharge profile data for each battery cell and both the current power requirement and a known future power requirement of the computing-based device. The known future power requirement is calculated based on information available to the operating system running on the computing-based device. In some examples, one or more battery cells may also be selected for charging when a power source is available and these cells may be selected based on charge profile data and the known future power requirement. The selection of the battery cells may also be made in order to satisfy a battery optimization goal, which may be defined by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Hodges, Ranveer Chandra, Julia Louise Meinershagen, James Scott
  • Patent number: 9231409
    Abstract: This invention is a System On a Chip (SOC) requiring two tamper resistant externally generated power supplies. A first, higher power supply powers I/O and analog circuits. A second, lower power supply powers digital circuits and memory. A first voltage monitor circuit powered by said first power supply generates a first output signal when the first power supply is below an operational limit high level. A second voltage monitor circuit powered by said first power supply indicates when the second power supply is above an operational high limit level. A power switch is controlled by the first voltage monitor circuit. This power switch connects the second power supply and second load when closed and isolates them when open. Thus the memory cannot be accessed when the I/O and analog power supply is out of specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Erkan Bilhan
  • Patent number: 9150112
    Abstract: First and second system main relays are connected between a first power storage device and a second power storage device, respectively, and a first power line. First and second relays for charging are connected between first and second power storage devices, respectively, and a second power line. A control device selectively forms any of a first power feed path formed by connecting each of the first and second power storage devices to the first power line, and a second power feed path formed by connecting, to the first power line, one of the first and second power storage devices connected in parallel when the first and second relays are turned ON, thereby ensuring a power feed path to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 9128130
    Abstract: A system for managing and synchronizing the operation of an electric power generation and delivery system that includes a number of generators configured to provide distributed electric power generation is disclosed. In the disclosed system, a number of intelligent electronic devices coupled with at distributed generators may be utilized to synchronize the operation of the generators with the system when the generators become isolated from the system. In some embodiments, the disclosed intelligent electronic devices may control the speed of isolated generators based on synchronization information received from at least one other intelligent electronic device and a common time signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas C. Seeley
  • Patent number: 9122471
    Abstract: A computer determines a characteristic corresponding to each of a first power source and a second power source. The first and second power sources are connected to one or more power distribution units and are configured to provide power in a datacenter. The characteristic includes at least one of a current, a resistance, a voltage, a frequency, a phase, and a magnetic field. The computer generates a comparison of the characteristic corresponding to the first power source and the second power source, to a threshold value of the characteristic. The computer determines if the comparison violates the threshold value of the characteristic. In response to determining the comparison does not violate the threshold value of the characteristic, the computer determines that the first power source and the second power source are connected to a given power distribution unit included in the one or more power distribution units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John A. Henise, IV, William M. Megarity, Luke D. Remis, Gregory D. Sellman
  • Patent number: 9024474
    Abstract: Systems and methods of providing power with an uninterruptible power supply are provided. The uninterruptible power supply includes a first input to receive an input AC voltage from a power source, the input AC voltage having an associated phase angle, and a second input to receive an input voltage from a backup power source. The uninterruptible power supply also includes an output. The output provides output power derived from power from at least one of the power source and the backup power source. The uninterruptible power supply also includes an inverter coupled to the backup power source, a relay and a controller. The relay is configured to couple the first input with the output in a first position, and to couple the inverter with the output in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Schneider Electric It Corporation
    Inventors: Lynn Ernest Schultz, Noah L. Pendleton, Vishwas Mohaniraj Deokar