Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Basler Electric Company

Irving Albert Gibbs

Thomas Arthur Farr

Ron Carl Schueneman

Wesley Byron Johnson

Jonathan Crouch

Charles Richard Mummert

Stan Rex Simms

Steven Dale Walker

Gabriel Teixeira Braga

Rolando Fulgencio Martinez

Bruce R Quayle

Charles Allan Morse

Lawrence B Farr

Paul Thomas Murray

Alfred Lee Randall

John Austin Cochran

Geraldo Nojima

Mark Steven Tomassi

Justin Raymond Hoglund

Paul M Mulligan

Cathleen M Clausen

Reid Kimel Hartman

Richard B Ravenell

C Allan Morse

Jonathan Scott Adams

Andrew C Stevenson

Marcus Eugene Case

Tap Van Pham

Gregory John Venhaus

Rafael Gutierrez

William R Hudson

Aaron H VanderMeulen

Leisa L Wishon

Ron Shueneman

Jonathan S Adams

Aaron H Vandermeulen

Methods of testing a multilevel inverter include selectively pulsing (i.e., attempting to turn on) at least one of the inner and outer switches of the inverter and determining a status of at least one of the inner switches, the outer switches and the neutral clamping diodes of the inverter based whether the pulsed at least one of the inner and outer switches desaturates. The pulsing may be preceded by charging the DC bus to a predetermined voltage magnitude that is less than a nominal working voltage magnitude of the DC bus, e.g., the predetermined voltage magnitude may be around 50% or less of the nominal working voltage magnitude.

Inverter diagnostic testing methods and apparatus

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 an inverter configured to be connected to a load, a driver having an output coupled to control terminals of transistors of the inverter and a control input configured to receive control vectors and responsively apply control signals to control terminals of the inverter, a desaturation detector configured to detect desaturation of the transistors, and a controller coupled to the control input of the driver and configured to apply at least one test vector that causes the driver to turn on selected ones of the transistors for a duration sufficient for the desaturation detector to detect desaturation of at least one of the selected transistors and to enable or inhibit further operation of the inverter responsive to the desaturation detector. The load may be a motor and the controller may be configured to apply the at least one test vector responsive to a command to start the motor.

Apparatus, methods and computer program products for inverter short circuit detection

An electrical system () includes a transformer () coupled to an AC source () that provides a main AC voltage, the transformer having a number of sets of primary windings () and secondary windings (), and a charging module () structured to generate a magnetizing AC voltage. The charging module is structured to selectively provide the magnetizing AC voltage to: (i) one of the number of sets primary windings, or (ii) one of the number of sets secondary windings. The magnetizing AC voltage is such that responsive to the magnetizing AC voltage being provided to one of the sets of primary windings or one of the sets of secondary windings, one or more of the sets of primary windings will be magnetized in a manner wherein a flux of the one or more of the number of primary windings is in phase with the main AC voltage provided from the AC source.

System and method for magnetizing a transformer in an electrical system prior to energizing the electrical system

A protection system for an electrical apparatus is disclosed. The protection system includes a baffle assembly and a coating for electrical elements exposed to arc gases. The baffle assembly includes a number of generally planar sidewalls, each sidewall including a first edge surface, a second edge surface, and a third edge surface. The sidewalls are disposed in a spaced, generally parallel configuration defining a number of channels. A first end wall is sealingly coupled to each sidewall first edge. A second end wall is sealingly coupled to each sidewall second edge. A third end wall is sealingly coupled to each sidewall third edge. The terminals of an electrical apparatus are disposed in an aligned set with one set of terminals in each channel. The channels are structured to limit the flow of arc gases across adjacent sets of terminals.

Fuse arc gas baffle with arc resistant fuse assembly

An arm assembly is provided. The arm assembly includes a plurality of electrical components and a number of electrical buses. Each electrical component is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, one electrical bus. A sealing compound is then applied to each electrical bus and to a limited number of the electrical components.

Power pole inverter

An apparatus includes a magnetizing circuit configured to be coupled to a transformer and to selectively provide a magnetizing current to the transformer and a control circuit configured to cause the magnetizing circuit to provide the magnetizing current following disconnection of the primary winding of the transformer from the power source. The magnetizing circuit may be configured to provide the magnetizing current from a first source following disconnection of the primary winding from a second source. The transformer may include a first transformer and the apparatus may further include a second, higher impedance transformer coupled between the second source and the first transformer. In further embodiments, the magnetizing circuit may include a solid-state converter.

Methods and apparatus for soft operation of transformers using auxiliary winding excitation

A system includes a variable frequency drive (VFD) comprising an inverter having an output configured to be coupled to a motor and a switch configured to couple a power source to the motor to bypass the VFD. The system further includes a control circuit configured to synchronize the VFD to the power source, to operate the switch to couple the power source and the VFD in parallel and to subsequently disable the inverter responsive to a current of the inverter. In some embodiments, a PWM frequency of the VFD may be temporarily increased when transferring the motor from the power source to the VFD.

Closed-transition variable-frequency drive apparatus and methods

A power pole inverter is provided. The power pole inverter includes a housing assembly, a capacitor assembly, a number of arm assemblies, a number of heat sinks, and a support assembly. The housing assembly includes a number of sidewalls. The housing assembly sidewalls defining an enclosed space. The capacitor assembly is coupled to the housing assembly. Each arm assembly includes a plurality of electrical components and a number of electrical buses. Each the electrical bus includes a body with terminals, each the terminal structured to be coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the capacitor assembly, each arm assembly including a neutral terminal. Each arm assembly is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the capacitor assembly. The support assembly includes a non-conductive frame assembly. The support assembly is structured to support each the heat sink in isolation.

Power pole isolated heat pipe inverter assembly

A protection system for an electrical apparatus is disclosed. The protection system includes a baffle assembly and a coating for electrical elements exposed to arc gasses. The baffle assembly includes a number of generally planar sidewalls, each sidewall including a first edge surface, a second edge surface, and a third edge surface. The sidewalls are disposed in a spaced, generally parallel configuration defining a number of channels. A first end wall, is sealingly coupled to each sidewall first edge. A second end wall is sealingly coupled to each sidewall second edge. A third end wall is sealingly coupled to each sidewall third edge. The terminals of an electrical apparatus are disposed in an aligned set with one set of terminals in each channel. The channels are structured to limit the flow of arc gasses across adjacent sets of terminals.

In one embodiment, a variable frequency drive system includes a main contactor, a variable frequency drive, a charging module structured to generate a magnetizing AC voltage, wherein the charging module is structured to selectively provide the magnetizing AC voltage to a transformer of the variable frequency drive, and a sensing and control circuit having a number of sensors operably associated with the variable frequency drive. The sensing and control circuit is structured to detect a short circuit condition in the variable frequency drive when the magnetizing AC voltage is provided to the transformer based on an output of at least one of the number of sensors, and responsive thereto prevent the main contactor from being closed and thereby prevent the main AC voltage from being provided to the transformer.

System and method for starting a variable frequency drive with reduced arc flash risk

An arm assembly is provided. The arm assembly includes a heat exchanger assembly, a plurality of electrical components thermally coupled to the heat exchanger assembly, and a number of electrical buses. Each electrical component is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, one electrical bus. A sealing compound is then applied to each electrical bus and to a limited number of the electrical components.

An electrical system includes a transformer structured to be selectively coupled to an AC source that provides a main AC voltage, the transformer having a number of sets of primary windings and a number of sets of secondary windings, and a charging module structured to generate a magnetizing AC voltage. The charging module is structured to selectively provide the magnetizing AC voltage to: (i) one of the number of sets primary windings, or (ii) one of the number of sets secondary windings. The magnetizing AC voltage is such that responsive to the magnetizing AC voltage being provided to one of the number of sets of primary windings or one of the number of sets of secondary windings, one or more of the number of sets of primary windings will be magnetized in a manner wherein a flux of the one or more of the number of primary windings is in phase with the main AC voltage provided from the AC source.

A power pole inverter is provided. The power pole inverter includes a housing assembly, a capacitor assembly, a number of arm assemblies, a number of heat sinks, and a support assembly. The housing assembly includes a number of sidewalk. The housing assembly sidewalls defining an enclosed space. The capacitor assembly is coupled to the housing assembly. Each arm assembly includes a plurality of electrical components and a number of electrical buses. Each the electrical bus includes a body with terminals, each the terminal structured to be coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the capacitor assembly, each arm assembly including a neutral terminal. Each arm assembly is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the capacitor assembly. The support assembly includes a non-conductive frame assembly. The support assembly is structured to support each the heat sink in isolation.

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Mills River, NC, United States of America

Irving Albert Gibbs