Condition Responsive Patents (Class 323/204)
  • Publication number: 20140285162
    Abstract: Power supply device for a moulding machine with an intermediate circuit, which can be connected with at least one drive of the moulding machine and is suitable for supplying the at least one drive with electrical energy; a supply module connected to the intermediate circuit; an energy storage device connected to the intermediate circuit, and a closed loop control device for closed loop controlling an energy content of the energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device can be closed loop controlled by means of the closed loop control device so that the energy content of the energy storage device does not go outside a range, in which a power input and/or a power output of the energy storage device is essentially constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH
    Inventors: Harald FRAUENEDER, Gerhard DIMMLER
  • Patent number: 8515588
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to methods, systems, and networks for making available identified generator reserve capacity to provided compensation for lost generator capacity on a temporary basis. The present subject matter provides for increasing the power output of currently operating synchronous generators to provide substantially instantaneous supply of additional power upon loss of other generating capability. The system takes into consideration and makes available to system operators the general availability of additional real power output capability of operating generators even though such power generation may be provided at less than optimal operating characteristics of the individual generators providing the additional power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: David Arthur Warner
  • Publication number: 20130200633
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing harmonic noise from a power transmission line transmitting electricity at a primary frequency includes a filter and a controller coupled to the sensor and to an actuator-generator. The filter separates electricity at a harmonic of a primary frequency from the electrical signal transmitted by the power transmission line. The controller is configured to modulate consumption of electricity from the power transmission line. The consumption is controlled by electrical actuation of the actuator-generator, such that the electrical actuation of the actuator-generator causes consumption of electricity from the power transmission line at a harmonic of the primary frequency. The actuator-generator is coupled to an elastically deformable component, such that electrical actuation of the actuator-generator generates tension in the elastically deformable component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: ELWHA LLC
    Inventor: ELWHA LLC
  • Patent number: 8502492
    Abstract: A device for improving efficiency of an induction motor soft-starts the motor by applying a power to the motor that is substantially less than the rated power of the motor then gradually increasing the power while monitoring changes in current drawn by the motor, thereby detecting when maximum efficiency is found. Once maximum efficiency is found, the nominal motor current is found and operating ranges are set. Now, the phase angle between the voltage and the current to the motor is measured and power to the motor is increasing when the phase angle is less than a minimum phase angle (determined during soft-start) and power to the motor is decreased when the phase angle is greater than or equal to the minimum phase angle as long as the voltage does not fall below a minimum voltage determined during soft-start.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Protective Energy Economizer Technology
    Inventor: Mario Marcelo Marcoccia
  • Patent number: 8305050
    Abstract: An energy harvesting system is provided that includes a startup module for starting the energy harvesting system operation from a completely OFF state. The startup module uses mechanical vibrations due to motion to trigger a switch which permits the startup module to charge one or more first capacitive elements so to as reach a first defined voltage. A storage module buffers energy obtained from a thermoelectric harvester to be used by a load device. The storage module commences storing energy from the thermoelectric harvester when the first defined voltage has been reached allowing charging of one or more second capacitive elements to reach a second defined voltage. A DC-DC converter module provides regulated voltage to the load device after energy has been transferred from the thermoelectric harvester. The DC-DC converter module determines whether the second defined voltage has been reached and releases stored energy in the one or more first capacitive elements and the load device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yogesh Ramadass, Anantha Chandrakasan
  • Patent number: 8232755
    Abstract: A DC motor is provided. The DC motor prevents rush or overload of current in the DC motor during and/or after power input irregularities to the DC motor. A control circuit of the DC motor is configured to control current provided to the DC motor. When power irregularities in the power input to the DC motor are detected by the control circuit, the control circuit stops generating PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signals and stops the current provided to the DC motor. After the stoppage of PWM signals, the control circuit can perform a soft-start of the PWM signals when the power irregularities are no longer detected. The soft starting of the PWM signals generates gradual increase in current to the DC motor, thus, preventing sudden rush of current that cause malfunction of the DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Young-Chun Jeung
  • Publication number: 20120013310
    Abstract: An electrical machine has been developed that opportunistically regulates the voltage supplied to the coil of the electrical machine. The electrical machine includes a stator winding, a rotatable electromagnet, and a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator is configured to control an output voltage of the electrical machine. The regulator is configured to vary the magnitude of the output voltage based at least in part on acceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: Remy Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Daniel Joseph Clark, David Leonel Villarreal
  • Patent number: 8054053
    Abstract: When power is turned on and in a state in which a power supply voltage is not supplied from the switching power supply to the second clock generating section, the first clock generating section generates a first clock signal with a frequency that is preset in the first clock generating section, without using a third clock signal from the frequency dividing section, to cause the first switching section to operate. By the first switching section operating, a power supply voltage is supplied from the switching power supply to the second clock generating section. After the second clock generating section has started to operate, a third clock signal (a clock signal obtained by dividing the frequency of a second clock signal generated by the second clock generating section) is supplied from the frequency dividing section to the first clock generating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Onkyo Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiko Katayama
  • Publication number: 20110267013
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an inertia of a synchronous condenser are described. An example system may include a motor, bidirectional power source, and at least one control device. The motor may be configured to alter a rotation of a condenser shaft to obtain a desired inertia of a synchronous condenser during a power disturbance event. The bidirectional power source may be coupled to the motor. The at least one control device may be configured to identify the power disturbance event, determine an amount of power to supply to or receive from the motor to obtain the desired inertia, and control the supply of power from the power source to the motor or from the motor to the power source based upon the determined amount of power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Paul Edward Marken, Daniel Robert Wallace
  • Patent number: 7906924
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling a discretely commutated, multi-phase DC electric motor or actuator is used. The methods and systems may be used for motor or actuator applications where accurate, high resolution torques may be need over a relatively wide range. The methods and systems provide alternative means of selecting the magnitudes of currents to be driven into the motor windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: James C. Fischer
  • Patent number: 7671556
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus, which has a constant-voltage driven stepping motor, comprises a PWM waveform generation part that generates pulse signals to be applied to switching devices; and a PWM waveform determination section that determines a PWM waveform to be generated by the PWM waveform generation section. The PWM waveform determination section determines, in accordance with the determined rotation speed value and output torque value of the stepping motor, a duty ratio range that is a range extending from the minimum to the maximum of the duty ratio of the pulse signals. It is designed that the higher the rotational speed value is, the wider the duty ratio width is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Shimada
  • Publication number: 20100026249
    Abstract: A generator apparatus includes a generator, a generator controller, and a rectifier bridge. A detector unit for recognizing a load shutoff is also provided. When a load shutoff is recognized, a switch is controlled to be transmissive so that energy produced by the load shutoff is stored in an energy reservoir. From there it can be fed back into the vehicle electrical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Markus Mueller
  • Publication number: 20090026881
    Abstract: A piezoelectric fan comprises a blade (110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610), a piezoelectric actuator patch (120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620, 811) adjacent to the blade, and a piezoelectric sensor patch (130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 812) adjacent to one of the piezoelectric actuator patch and the blade. The piezoelectric sensor patch measures a voltage proportional to a deflection of the piezoelectric actuator patch and a deflection of a tip of the blade and uses that voltage to generate an input signal to an active feedback controller (840) that in turn ensures that the oscillation amplitude of the blade satisfies certain cooling specifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Hakan Erturk, Ioan Sauciuc
  • Patent number: 7296168
    Abstract: A predictive power regulation apparatus and method that minimizes power and ground bounce in a logic device. The apparatus includes a predictor and a voltage or current smoothing device connected to the predictor. The voltage or current smoothing device outputs adjusted voltage or current to power and ground planes of the logic device. In one embodiment, the predictor includes an instruction scanner device and a look-up table connected to the instruction scanner device. The instruction scanner device determines the next instruction to be executed by the logic device. A voltage/current scheduling buffer connected to the look-up table contains voltage and current compensation and the time at which the voltage or current compensation should be requested from the voltage or current smoothing device. An alternative predictive power regulation apparatus is described that reduces power and ground bounce caused by the I/O buffer circuitry switching in the logic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Darvin R. Edwards
  • Patent number: 6980890
    Abstract: A method for designing a power factor controller apparatus for a power distribution network comprising the phases of: configuring, in a predefined computerised support, an interactive computerised environment (2) dedicated to the management of data and/or programming commands (reference 1); and acquiring, in said interactive computerised environment, data related to said power factor controller apparatus (reference 3); and acquiring and/or calculating, in said interactive computerised environment, data related to the power distribution network (reference 4) wherein said power factor controller apparatus is installed; and based on said phase e), calculating, in said interactive computerised environment, the optimal chasing of a power factor target for said power factor controller apparatus (reference 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Salvatore Cassara′, Carlo Gemme, Andrea Moratto, Richard Tinggren, Giuliano Corbetta
  • Patent number: 6590369
    Abstract: A digitally implemented voltage regulator in which a switching circuit intermittently couples the input terminal and the output terminal in response to a digital control signal. A current sensor generates a digital first feedback signal derived from the current passing through the switching circuit, and a voltage sensor generates a digital second feedback signal derived from the output voltage. A digital controller receives and uses the digital feedback signals to generate the digital control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Volterra Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Burstein, David B. Lidsky, Anthony Stratakos, Charlie Sullivan, William Clark
  • Patent number: 4719560
    Abstract: A rotary phase generator for generating 3 phase voltage is provided which can operate off of 230 or 460 volts A-C. Also provided is a rotary phase generator which has two groups of running capacitors for providing a stable voltage on the third phase at no load and light loads. In addition, a booster system is provided for a rotary phase generator to provide high starting torque to one or more of the motors operated on the rotary phase generator. A plurality of smaller rotary phase generators may be connected in parallel and started in time delay sequence to eliminate the heavy starting current when starting the system on one phase power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Inventor: Horace B. Ford
  • Patent number: 4684875
    Abstract: Power conditioning apparatus exhibiting enhanced stability with respect to lagging phase angle conditions incurred in conjunction with load derived transients. The apparatus employs a synthesizer network structured having a regulator which is fashioned as a non-linear saturable transformer in parallel with a capacitor bank and which is supplied from a utility line source through input inductors. The saturable transformer components and associated capacitors form a ferroresonant circuit wherein the reactive components operate beyond the knee of a conventional magnetization curve. To develop the stiffness to suddenly lagging phase angle otherwise encountered with such synthesizers, a induction or synchronous motor is employed at the output of the regulators which operates in essentially no load fashion to create a stable output in the presence of load transient phenomena. An odd harmonic trap arrangement is provided to assure stability under severe operational conditions such as single phasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Liebert Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Powell
  • Patent number: 4656575
    Abstract: Single phase to three phase dynamoelectric converter for generating three-phase current from a single-phase input comprising a three-phase electric motor generator having first, second and third Y-wound stator windings, a bank of run capacitors connected between the first powered stator winding and the third unpowered stator winding, a normally closed potential-type relay with its winding connected between the second and third stator windings, a normally open slave relay with its winding connected between the first stator winding and the potential relay winding through the set of normally closed potential relay contacts, and a bank of starter capacitors connected between the third stator winding and one of the slave relay open contacts adapted to provide phase shifted starting power to the third stator winding when the single phase energy is applied and disconnect from the third stator winding to allow the converter to run and produce balanced three-phase power that can be drawn from all three stator windings
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Inventor: Reed West
  • Patent number: 4639658
    Abstract: A float stabilized constant current source uses a floated cylinder with a rotational signal output generator and two torque generators for applying a linear torque and an opposing current squared torque to the floated cylinder, respectively. The current squared torque is balanced against the linear torque by a servo system applying a current to the torque generators in series to create a point of zero net torque on the floated cylinder. The current is obtained from the signal generator representative of a cylinder rotation and is used as a stabilized constant output current, i.e., a precision constant current reference driving an electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey W. Hegg
  • Patent number: 4463306
    Abstract: A microprocessor based, power systems stabilizer operating through excitation control wherein all required stabilizing information is derived from sampled values of voltage and current taken from potential and current transformers. The instantaneous values of terminal voltage and current are processed using algorithms in the accelerating power signal digital processor portion of the microprocessor to thereby develop a value of instantaneous internal voltage, the value of slip frequency of such voltages in relation to rated frequency and a digitally filtered value of electrical power. The accelerating power is calculated from the rate of change of slip and electrical power. The values of accelerating power are processed with digital algorithms in a stabilizing signal compute section of the microprocessor to yield a stabilizing signal which provides the desired modulating action for damping the machine oscillations of the synchronous generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1984
    Assignee: Power Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: F. Paul de Mello, Louis N. Hannett, David W. Parkinson, John S. Czuba
  • Patent number: 4458199
    Abstract: A link regulator is disclosed for providing a regulated voltage over a wide range of input frequencies and load currents. The frequency of an internal VCO and the input frequency are phase compared to provide a reference error signal. The unregulated DC voltage is integrated for a duration proportional to the error signal. This duration controls a series switching element to provide a constant volts/seconds. The output of the series switching element is filtered to a DC voltage that controls the frequency of the VCO. The DC voltage is proportional to the error signal, thus providing a feed forward system to regulate the DC voltage. During the period when the series switching element is not conducting, a shunt switch presents a low impedance to the input of the filter to clamp the input to ground. This allows for operation over a wide range of load currents without losing regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1982
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1984
    Assignee: Varo, Inc.
    Inventors: William E. Evans, Jimmie D. Gillett
  • Patent number: 4445078
    Abstract: A motor control circuit utilizes sample and hold circuitry whose operation is initiated by an analog switch to control the firing angle of silicon control rectifiers, thereby to minimize wasting of power supplied to the motor being controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: Energy Vent, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip E. Lange
  • Patent number: 4410807
    Abstract: A regulating device for a polyphase electrical circuit, having a motor with windings corresponding to the main supply lines for the circuit. Leads are connected to each of the windings and contain a relatively low m.f.d. capacitor for suppressing spikes and similar transients in the respective supply lines, and a relatively high m.f.d. capacitor for functioning as a phase converter in the event the current in the respective supply line is interrupted. By-pass circuits are provided for each of the low m.f.d. capacitors corresponding to a respective supply line, containing relay means in the circuit responsive to the supply line to by-pass the low m.f.d. capacitor in the event the current is interrupted in the respective supply line, thereby permitting the high m.f.d. capacitor to function as part of a phase converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1983
    Assignee: Kay Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: James F. Buffington