Universidade Do Porto

Efacec Energia—maquinas E Equipamentos Electricos S.a.

Addvolt, S.a.

Adriano Da Silva Carvalho

Rodrigo Manuel Marinho Pires

Bruno Filipe Azevedo Costa

Nuno Silva

Justino Miguel Neto De Sousa

José Manuel Ferreira Duarte

Helder Leite

Ataollah Mokhberdoran

António Carrapatoso

José Ricardo Sousa Soares

A circuit breaker and fault current managing branch thereof for power transmission using Direct Current (DC) applications. A surge suppressor having DC bus terminal, transmission line terminal, and common terminal. An auxiliary branch comprises a pre-chargeable capacitor. The capacitor is charged by the DC bus before the circuit breaker is closed for operation and the capacitor is connected to be discharged to the transmission line when the circuit breaker is opened in operation, for suppressing the surge voltage across the circuit breaker. The auxiliary branch may comprise a charge sub-branch comprising a first controlled semiconductor switch for closing the charge sub-branch and charging the capacitor by the DC bus before the circuit breaker is closed. The auxiliary branch may comprise a discharge sub-branch comprising a second controlled semiconductor switch for closing the discharge sub-branch and discharging the capacitor to the transmission line when the circuit breaker is opened in operation.

Fault current managing branch for surge-less current interruption in DC system

An energy harvesting device for a transport vehicle comprising an electric converter circuit and a power take-off unit is disclosed. The electric converter circuit comprises: an electric energy storage; a first DC bus; an electric generator connected to the first DC bus through an electronic brake controller; a second DC bus connected to the first DC bus through a DC/DC converter, and an inverter connected to the second DC bus and having an output connected to the electrical load of the energy harvesting device. The power take-off unit comprises: a rotatable pivot plate for coupling to the vehicle chassis and supporting the electric generator; an electric generator pulley coupled to the electric generator; a shaft pulley; a shaft attachment for attaching the shaft pulley to the vehicle driveline shaft; and a belt connecting the electric generator pulley and the shaft pulley.

Energy harvesting device for a transport vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Oporto, Portugal

Adriano Da Silva Carvalho