General Electric Company

Other

Martin Marietta Corporation

John Norton Park

William James Premerlani

Kanakasabapathi Subramanian

Robert Louis Steigerwald

Joshua Isaac Wright

Kathleen Ann O'Brien

Otward M Mueller

Christopher Fred Keimel

Brent Charles Kumfer

Edward K Howell

Peter B Roemer

Michael Joseph Schutten

Kuna Venkat Satya Rama Kishore

William F Wirth

Robert Joseph Caggiano

Michael J Hennessy

Owen Jannis Schelenz

Eduard K Mueller

Charles Stephan Pitzen

Ming H Kuo

Anil Raj Duggal

William P Kornrumpf

Arun Virupaksha Gowda

Loren H Walker

Minyoung Lee

Glen Peter Koste

Glenn Scott Claydon

George David Goodman

Marcelo Esteban Valdes

Xuefeng Wang

Fengfeng Tao

David B Stewart

Robert Michael Vavrek

Maja Harfman Todorovic

David J Lesslie

John Andrew Mallick

William McMurray

Long Que

Parag Thakre

Bo Li

William Newell Schultz

Thomas G McFarland

Owen Jannis Samuel Schelenz

Ajit Achuthan

Somashekhar Basavaraj

Wensen Wang

Ljubisa Dragolijub Stevanovic

De Y Chen

Kanakasabqapathi Subramanian

Kristina Margaret Korosi

Abhijeet Dinkar Sathe

Edward Keith Howell

David James Lesslie

William James Premeriani

Owen Schelenz

Wang Wensen

Nail polish applicator handle

A system that includes micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry is provided. The system may include a first over-current protection circuitry connected in a parallel circuit with the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry for suppressing a voltage level across contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry during a first switching event, such as a turn-on event. The system may further include a second over-current protection circuitry connected in a parallel circuit with the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry for suppressing a current flow through the contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry during a second switching event, such as a turn-off event.

System with circuitry for suppressing arc formation in micro-electromechanical system based switch

A switching apparatus, as may be configured to actuate stacked MEMS switches, may include a switching circuitry () including a MEMS switch () having a beam () made up of a first movable actuator () and a second movable actuator () electrically connected by a common connector () and arranged to selectively establish an electrical current path through the first and second movable actuators in response to a gate control signal applied to the gates of the switch to actuate the movable actuators. The apparatus may further include a gating circuitry () to generate the gate control signal applied to gates of the switch. The gating circuitry may include a driver channel () electrically coupled to the common connector and may be adapted to electrically float with respect to a varying beam voltage, and may be electrically referenced between the varying beam voltage and a local electrical ground of the gating circuitry.

Switching apparatus including gating circuitry for actuating micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switches

A current control device is disclosed. The current control device includes control circuitry integrally arranged with a current path and at least one micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch disposed in the current path. The current control device further includes a hybrid arcless limiting technology (HALT) circuit connected in parallel with the at least one MEMS switch facilitating arcless opening of the at least one MEMS switch, and a pulse assisted turn on (PATO) circuit connected in parallel with the at least one MEMS switch facilitating arcless closing of the at least one MEMS switch.

Micro-electromechanical system based switching

A current control device is disclosed. The current control device includes control circuitry and a current path integrally arranged with the control circuitry. The current path includes a set of conduction interfaces and a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch disposed between the set of conduction interfaces. The set of conduction interfaces have geometry of a defined fuse terminal geometry and include a first interface disposed at one end of the current path and a second interface disposed at an opposite end of the current path. The MEMS switch is responsive to the control circuitry to facilitate the interruption of an electrical current passing through the current path.

An optically powered MEMS gate driver includes a photovoltaic converter configured to receive a light signal from a light source and output a DC supply voltage for a MEMS gate driver in response thereto. The MEMS gate driver further includes a DC to DC converter electrically coupled to the photovoltaic converter and configured to output a line level DC voltage in response to the DC supply voltage. An electrical circuit, also included as a portion of the MEMS gate driver is electrically coupled to both the photovoltaic converter and the DC to DC converter is configured to receive the supply voltage and the line level voltage and to output a line level drive signal in response thereto. The optically powered MEMS gate driver is self-contained within a common EMI enclosure thus providing isolation between the gate driver and command signal electronics.

Optically gated MEMS switch

An apparatus, such as a switch module, is provided. The apparatus can include an electromechanical switch structure configured to move between an open configuration and a fully-closed configuration (associated with a minimum characteristic resistance) over a characteristic time. A commutation circuit can be connected in parallel with the electromechanical switch structure, and can include a balanced diode bridge configured to suppress arc formation between contacts of the electromechanical switch structure and a pulse circuit including a pulse capacitor configured to form a pulse signal (in connection with a switching event of the electromechanical switch structure) for causing flow of a pulse current through the balanced diode bridge. The electromechanical switch structure and the balanced diode bridge can be disposed such that a total inductance associated with the commutation circuit is less than or equal to a product of the characteristic time and the minimum characteristic resistance.

Switch structure and associated circuit

A system is presented. The system includes a micro-electromechanical system switch. Further, the system includes a balanced diode bridge configured to suppress arc formation between contacts of the micro-electromechanical system switch. A pulse circuit is coupled to the balanced diode bridge to form a pulse signal in response to a fault condition. An energy-absorbing circuitry is coupled in a parallel circuit with the pulse circuit and is adapted to absorb electrical energy resulting from the fault condition without affecting a pulse signal formation by the pulse circuit.

Micro-electromechanical system based arc-less switching with circuitry for absorbing electrical energy during a fault condition

The present invention comprises a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) micro-switch array based current limiting enabled circuit interrupting apparatus. The apparatus comprising an over-current protective component, wherein the over-current protective component comprises a switching circuit, wherein the switching circuit comprises a plurality of micro-electromechanical system switching devices. The apparatus also comprises a circuit breaker or switching component, wherein the circuit breaker or switching component is in operable communication with the over-current protective component.

MEMS micro-switch array based on current limiting enabled circuit interrupting apparatus

A switching system is provided. The switching system includes electromechanical switching circuitry, such as a micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry. The system may further include solid state switching circuitry coupled in a parallel circuit with the electromechanical switching circuitry, and a controller coupled to the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry. The controller may be configured to perform selective switching of a load current between the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry in response to a load current condition appropriate to an operational capability of a respective one of the switching circuitries.

Electromechanical switching circuitry in parallel with solid state switching circuitry selectively switchable to carry a load appropriate to such circuitry

A system is presented. The system includes detection circuitry configured to detect occurrence of a zero crossing of an alternating source voltage or an alternating load current. The system also includes switching circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry and comprising a micro-electromechanical system switch. Additionally, the system includes control circuitry coupled to the detection circuitry and the switching circuitry and configured to perform arc-less switching of the micro-electromechanical system switch responsive to a detected zero crossing of an alternating source voltage or alternating load current.

Micro-electromechanical system based soft switching

An ultra compact ring topology puts the output terminals of solid state switches physically at the center of a circuit with the switches surrounded by voltage busses. The switches are symmetrically arranged around the output bus, the voltage busses are filtered (decoupled) to ground using symmetrically positioned filter components, and lead lengths to and from the switches are minimized. Switch driver circuits are closely integrated with each switch and positioned as close as possible, each to its associated switch, and arranged symmetrically. Switches may be at cryogenic temperatures and busses and lead connectors may be superconductive.

Ring configuration for compact power supply of power electronics

A current control device is disclosed. The current control device includes control circuitry integrally arranged with a current path and at least one micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switch pair disposed in the current path. The current control device further includes a hybrid arcless limiting technology (HALT) circuit connected in parallel with the at least one MEMS switch pair facilitating the opening of the at least one MEMS switch pair.

A motor starter is provided. The motor starter includes micro-electromechanical system switching circuitry. The system may further include solid state switching circuitry coupled in a parallel circuit with the electromechanical switching circuitry, and a controller coupled to the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry. The controller may be configured to perform selective switching of a load current from a motor connected to the motor starter. The switching may be performed between the electromechanical switching circuitry and the solid state switching circuitry in response to a load current condition appropriate to an operational capability of a respective one of the switching circuitries.

Micro-electromechanical system based electric motor starter

Growing community of inventors

Rexford, NY, United States of America

John Norton Park