Calnetix Technologies, LLC

Sapphire Technologies, Inc.

Upwing Energy, Inc.

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.

Liping Zheng

Patrick McMullen

Jeremy Liu

Suratkal Padmanabha Shenoy

Suratkal P Shenoy

Herman Artinian

Kuo-Chiang Chen

David Biddick

Freddie Sarhan

Louis Chow

Thomas Xinzhang Wu

Jayanta Kapat

Co Si Huynh

Dong Le

Lei Zhou

Krishna M Kota

Xiaoyi Li

Dipjyoti Acharya

A turboexpander can operate as a microgrid electric generator for islanding operations. The turboexpander can recover energy lost during a pressure letdown sequence to generate electricity. Pressurized process gas can cause a turbine to rotate, thereby rotating a rotor within a stator of the turboexpander. A power electronics can include an islanding mode inverter to output an alternating current that comprises a frequency and an amplitude compatible with powering a load. The power electronics can include a battery that is charged by the turboexpander and can provide power for starting up the turboexpander. The power electrics can include a bidirectional inverter to send excess power from the turboexpander to a power grid and to receive power from the power grid for start-up.

Turboexpander islanding operation

An electric generator includes a turbine wheel configured to receive process gas and rotate in response to expansion of the process gas flowing into an inlet of the turbine wheel and out of the outlet of the turbine wheel, a rotor coupled to the turbine wheel and configured to rotate with the turbine wheel, and a stationary stator, the electric generator to generate an alternating current upon rotation of the rotor within the stator. The electric generator can supply power to a power grid. During a low voltage event, current from the electric generator can be diverted to a brake resistor assembly. The brake resistor assembly can include a brake resistor designed to allow the electric generator to operate during the low-voltage event.

Turboexpander system with low voltage ride through control architecture

An electric generator includes a turbine wheel configured to receive process gas and rotate in response to expansion of the process gas flowing into an inlet of the turbine wheel. A rotor is coupled to the turbine wheel and can rotate with the turbine wheel in a stator. The electric generator generates a current upon rotation of the rotor within the stator. A power electronics system is electrically connected to an electrical output of the electric generator and receives alternating current from the electric generator. The electric generator includes a brake resistor assembly having an impedance that matches an impedance of the electric generator. A contactor is electrically connected the electrical output of the electric generator and is configured to connect the electric generator to the brake resistor assembly based on a fault condition.

Brake resistor design for controlling rotor speed during generator shutdown sequence

The present disclosure describes an apparatus, system, and method of use for detecting electrical faults in a multiphase electric machine. Often in platforms which require redundant reliability or have no readily available electrical connection to earth use ungrounded electrical architectures. This allows the system to continue normal operation even if there is an unintended short circuit or current path (electrical fault) between a phase of an electric machine and its case or some other part of the platform. It is important to be able to readily identify any fault in the phase windings of machinery operating in an ungrounded electrical architecture. Since a single fault in an ungrounded system will not cause any additional current draw or otherwise affect the system, it can be difficult to detect that a fault has even occurred. This provides an advanced warning system.

Fault detection in a multi-phase electric machine

A first electric stator surrounds a first electric rotor and is configured to cause the first electric rotor to rotate or generate electricity in the first electric stator when the first electric rotor rotates. The first electric stator includes a first set of electric windings. A second electric stator surrounds the second electric rotor and is configured to cause the second electric rotor to rotate or generate electricity in the second electric stator when the second electric rotor rotates. The second electric stator includes a second set of electric windings. The second electric stator is electrically coupled to the first electric stator. A controller is electrically coupled to both the first electric stator and the second electric stator. The controller is configured to exchange an electric current with a combination of the first electric stator and the second electric stator.

Controlling multiple electric stators

A first line-to-line terminal voltage of a three-phase electric motor is measured while the three-phase electric motor free-spins. A second line-to-line terminal voltage of a three-phase electric motor is measured while the three-phase electric motor free-spins. A motor's rotor position is determined based on the first line-to-line terminal voltage and the second line-to-line terminal voltage. Three-phase current is sent to the motor after the rotor position has been determined. The three-phase current being in-phase with the rotor position.

Controlling an electronically-assisted turbocharger

A system to provide power to a downhole-type tool includes a downhole-type electric motor that can be positioned in a wellbore and a variable speed drive electrically connected to the electric motor, in which the downhole-type electric motor can operate at rotary speeds of at least 6,000 rotations per minute (rpm), the variable speed drive can control and supply power to the electric motor when the electric motor is positioned at a downhole location inside the wellbore, and the variable speed drive can be at a surface of the wellbore.

High speed motor drive

A system to provide power to a tool includes an electric motor that can operate at rotary speeds of at least 6,000 rpm, a variable speed drive electrically connected to the electric motor, and a step-up transformer electrically coupled to the electric motor and the variable speed drive, in which the variable speed drive can generate and transmit a drive signal to supply power to the electric motor when the electric motor is spaced apart from the variable speed drive by a distance of at least 100 meters, and the transformer can prevent capacitive leakage in the drive signal transmitted over the distance from the variable speed drive to the electric motor.

An electric machine has a stator defining an interior cavity and a rotor supported to rotate in the interior cavity of the stator. The rotor has a rotor core with a plurality of permanent magnets arranged around a perimeter of the rotor core. The magnets define a cylindrical, radially facing outer surface. An electrically conductive shield is provided on and covering the cylindrical outer surface of the permanent magnets. A containment sleeve resides around the rotor core, the permanent magnets and the shield and defines an exterior cylindrical surface of the rotor. The containment sleeve is configured to retain the magnets to the rotor core during operation of the electric machine.

Reducing high frequency losses in an electric machine

This disclosure relates to diagnosing a power electronic device by itself and extending the diagnostics to an electric machine coupled with the power electronic device and deployed at an operational site. The power electronic device can power and control the electric machine. The diagnostics can include testing the status of the power electronic device, and monitoring hardware changes in the electric machine. The diagnostics can be performed within the power electronic device on demand, periodically, or both. In some instances, the self-diagnostics can evaluate whether components are defective or wired incorrectly, characterized by wrong inductance, and/or resistance, for example. In some implementations, the power electronic device includes a digital signal processing unit for the self-diagnostics and a data record system for recording and troubleshooting errors related to load performance and/or parameters.

Self-diagnostics within power electronics

A high speed centrifugal compressor for compressing fluids includes a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) having a hollow shaft, the being supported on its ends by ball bearing supports. A permanent magnet core is embedded inside the shaft. A stator with a winding is located radially outward of the shaft. The PMSM includes a rotor including at least one impeller secured to the shaft or integrated with the shaft as a single piece. The rotor is a high rigidity rotor providing a bending mode speed of at least 100,000 RPM which advantageously permits implementation of relatively low-cost ball bearing supports.

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Buena Park, CA, United States of America

Liping Zheng