Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Eaton Corporation

Smc Electrical Products, Inc.

Onesubsea IP UK Limited

Geraldo Nojima

Eddie Wilkie

Steven Zhenghong Chen

Koustubh Dnyandeo Ashtekar

Robert Patton Griffin

Harry Broussard

Oliver H Fearing

Irving Albert Gibbs

Thomas Arthur Farr

William Edward Wilkie

Stan Rex Simms

Lyle T Keister

Audun Magne Askeland

Gabriel Teixeira Braga

Lyle Thomas Keister

Oliver Fearing

An apparatus, such as a power converter, includes first, second and third core bus plates arranged in parallel. The apparatus also includes a first bus extension plate joined to the first core bus plate and extending therefrom at a first angle and a second bus extension plate joined to the second core bus plate and extending therefrom at a second angle. The apparatus further includes a third bus extension plated joined with the third core bus plate and disposed parallel to the first bus extension plate and a fourth bus extension plate joined with the third core bus plate and disposed parallel to the second bus extension plate.

Low inductance bus assembly and power converter apparatus including the same

An apparatus includes a plurality of DC buses and a plurality of inverter circuits, respective ones of which are coupled to respective ones of the plurality of DC buses. The apparatus further includes a control circuit configured to generate a representative DC voltage signal based on DC voltage signals for respective ones of the DC buses, to generate a first modulation control signal from the representative DC voltage signal, to generate second modulation control signals for the respective inverter circuits from the representative DC voltage signal and the first modulation control signal that are normalized based on the DC voltage signals for the buses and the representative DC voltage signal, and to modulate the inverter circuits responsive to respective ones of the second modulation control signals. The representative DC voltage signal may represent a maximum of the DC voltages for the respective DC buses.

Adjustable frequency drives using normalized modulation control signals to compensate for phase imbalance and methods of operating the same

An apparatus includes a mechanical switch and a solid-state switch, such as a diamond switch or antiparallel-connected thyristor pair, coupled in series between an AC source and the load, such as a substation input transformer. The control circuit may be configured to connect the AC power source to the load by closing the mechanical switch and turning on the solid-state switch thereafter. The control circuit may be configured to interrupt a connection of the AC source to the load by turning off the solid-state switch and closing the mechanical switch thereafter. Operations of the switches may be coordinated with a fuse coupled in series with the solid-state switch to address different types of fault conditions.

Hybrid switch for substation and other applications and methods of operating same

A system includes a sensor circuit configured to sense a parameter of a power system having an operating voltage greater than a voltage rating of the sensor circuit, an optical communications circuit configured to receive a sensor signal from the sensor circuit and to generate an optical communications signal therefrom, and an optical power supply circuit configured to receive an optical input, to generate electrical power from the received optical input and to supply the generated electrical power to the sensor circuit and the optical communications circuit. A driver circuit may be configured to generate a first control signal applied to a control terminal of the power semiconductor switch, and the optical power supply circuit may be configured to supply the generated electrical power to the sensor circuit, the optical communications circuit and the driver circuit.

Driver and sensor circuitry for power semiconductor switches using optical power supplies

An apparatus includes a power semiconductor switch, a driver circuit configured to drive a control terminal of the power semiconductor switch, and a control circuit configured to apply a control signal to the driver circuit responsive to a comparison of a reference voltage to a voltage at the control terminal of the semiconductor switch. In some embodiments, the power semiconductor switch may include a field effect transistor (FET), such as a wide bandgap silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET. The control terminal may include a gate terminal of the FET, and the voltage at the control terminal may include a gate voltage.

Control circuitry for power semiconductor switches using control signal feedback

An apparatus includes a plurality of parallel-connected semiconductor switches (e.g., silicon carbide (SiC) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) or other wide-bandgap semiconductor switches) and a plurality of driver circuits having outputs configured to be coupled to control terminals of respective ones of the plurality of semiconductor switches and configured to drive the parallel-connected semiconductor switches responsive to a common switch state control signal. The driver circuits may have respective different power supplies, which may be adjustable. Respective output resistors may couple respective ones of the driver circuits to respective ones of the semiconductor switches. The output resistors may be adjustable.

Drivers for paralleled semiconductor switches

A rotary switch includes a housing having an interior and an exterior, a plurality of moving contacts entirely disposed within the interior of the housing, a plurality of stationary contacts disposed partially within the interior of the housing and extending to an exterior of the housing, and a rotary element coupled to the plurality of moving contacts and being structured to rotate between a closed state where at least one of the plurality moving contacts contact a corresponding one of the plurality of stationary contacts and an open state where the plurality of moving contacts and the plurality of stationary contacts are separated.

Rotary switch and circuit interrupter including the same

An apparatus includes a plurality of parallel-connected semiconductor switches (e.g., wide bandgap transistors) and a plurality of driver circuits having outputs configured to be coupled to control terminals of respective ones of the plurality of semiconductor switches and configured to drive the parallel-connected semiconductor switches responsive to a common switch state control signal. The apparatus further includes a control circuit configured to sense respective states of respective ones of the parallel-connected semiconductor switches and to control respective ones of the driver circuits responsive to respective ones of the sensed states.

Drivers for power semiconductor switches using device feedback

A system includes a controller circuit configured to provide control inputs to at least one component of a subsea electrical system, a simulator circuit coupled to the controller circuit and configured to maintain a model of the subsea electrical system and apply the control inputs to the model concurrent with provision of the control inputs to the at least one component and a monitor circuit coupled to the simulator circuit and configured to identify a status of the subsea electrical system responsive to the model. The simulator circuit may be configured to modify the model responsive to feedback signals received from the subsea electrical system and the monitor circuit may be configured to identify the status of the subsea electrical system responsive to a modification of the model.

Apparatus and methods for monitoring subsea electrical systems using adaptive models

An apparatus includes a semiconductor switch configured to interrupt a current between a power source and a load, an inductor coupled in series with the semiconductor switch, and a capacitor coupled to a node between the inductor and the load. The apparatus further includes a current sensor configured to sense a current provided to the load and a control circuit coupled to the current sensor and configured to control the semiconductor switch responsive to the sensed current.

Semiconductor circuit interruption devices using current filtering to improve device coordination

An apparatus includes a string of series-connected voltage clamp devices (e.g., metal-oxide varistors (MOVs)) coupled to at least one electronic device (e.g., a transistor or other semiconductor device). The apparatus further includes a bypass circuit configured to selectively bypass a subset of the string of series-connected voltage clamp devices to control a level at which a voltage applied to the at least one electronic device is clamped. A control circuit may be configured to cause the bypass circuit to bypass the subset of the string of series-connected voltage clamp devices responsive to a voltage applied to the at least one electronic device. For example, the control circuit may be configured to cause the bypass circuit to bypass the subset of the string of series-connected voltage clamp devices responsive to a magnitude of the voltage applied to the at least one electronic device exceeding a threshold.

Apparatus and methods for overvoltage protection of electronic devices

An electrical contact is for a vacuum switching apparatus. The electrical contact includes a hub portion and a plurality of petal portions extending radially outwardly from the hub portion. The electrical contact is made from conductive materials and insulating materials.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Mill, SC, United States of America

Geraldo Nojima