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Ritter, VA

Allen Ritter, Roanoke, VA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080304302Systems and Methods for Controlling a Converter for Powering a Load - Systems and methods for controlling a converter for powering a load are provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for powering a load is provided. A power converter may be provided. At least one gating control signal having a switching pattern may be supplied to the power converter, wherein the switching pattern has a waveform with an effective switching frequency greater than 1 times the fundamental frequency of the switching pattern and less than 2 times the fundamental frequency of the switching pattern. At least one output power signal may be output to the load responsive at least in part to the at least one gating control signal supplied.12-11-2008
20090108441SEMICONDUCTOR CLAMP SYSTEM - A system for clamping a plurality of semiconductors that includes: 1) a first endplate and a second endplate that are substantially parallel and oppose each other across a predetermine distance (the predetermined distance being fixed by one or more tension members that extend between the first endplate and the second endplate); and 2) a screw jack that includes a threaded cylinder that moves through a threaded opening in the first endplate upon being rotated such that the threaded cylinder moves toward the second endplate if rotated one direction and away from the second endplate if rotated the opposite direction.04-30-2009
20090268490Systems and Methods For Controlling A Converter For Powering A Load - Embodiments of systems and methods for powering a load are provided. In one embodiment, a method may include providing a power converter comprising electrical circuitry comprising at least a first leg and a second leg, supplying an input power signal to the power converter, supplying at least a first gating control signal to the first leg, supplying at least a second gating control signal to the second leg, and outputting at least one output power signal to the load responsive at least in part to the first and the second gating control signals supplied. According to this example embodiment, the first gating signal and the second gating signal may each comprise a waveform comprising a notch, and the second gating control signal may be phase shifted relative to the first gating control signal.10-29-2009
20100148578Systems And Methods Providing A Power Converter - Embodiments of systems and methods for providing power to one or more loads are provided. According to one embodiment, there is disclosed a power supply system for providing power to one or more loads. The power supply system may include at least one inverter having inverter input terminals and inverter output terminals, wherein the inverter input terminals may be electrically connectable to a source power supply. The power supply system may also include at least one isolation transformer having isolation transformer input terminals and isolation transformer output terminals, wherein the isolation transformer input terminals may be in electrical communication with the inverter output terminals of one or more inverters. The power supply system may additionally include at least one load having load input terminals, wherein the load input terminals may be in electrical communication with the isolation transformer output terminals of the one or more isolation transformers.06-17-2010

Patent applications by Allen Ritter, Roanoke, VA US

Allen M. Ritter, Roanoke, VA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090015339APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR TRACKING INFORMATION IN AN ELECTRIC GRID - An apparatus for rapidly tracking fundamental frequency information in the signal of an electric grid is a cross-coupled phase-lock loop filter (CCPLL) that includes the use of a phase-lock-loop (PLL) apparatus having a plurality individual filters, wherein an input for a first filter in the plurality of individual filters comprises the signal of the electric grid and an output signal from at least a second filter in the plurality of individual filters. A method for using the CCPLL includes applying a signal to the CCPLL and monitoring the output of the CCPLL. Use of the CCPLL may be accomplished or modeled via computer instructions stored on machine readable media.01-15-2009
20090322081WIND TURBINE WITH PARALLEL CONVERTERS UTILIZING A PLURALITY OF ISOLATED GENERATOR WINDINGS - A system and method are provided to isolate outputs of parallel converter threads of a power system converter on a generator side of a wind turbine generator by utilizing isolated power windings on the wind turbine generator. Such isolation eliminates the circulating common mode current between the parallel converters of the wind turbine system and eliminates the need for a common mode inductor. System reliability is enhanced and total system cost is reduced.12-31-2009
20090322082WIND TURBINE WITH PARALLEL CONVERTERS UTILIZING A PLURALITY OF ISOLATED TRANSFORMER WINDINGS - A system and method are provided to isolate outputs of parallel converter threads of a power system converter of a wind turbine generator by utilizing isolated power windings on the output transformer from the converter. Such isolation eliminates the circulating common mode current between the parallel converters of the wind turbine system and eliminates the need for a common mode inductor. System reliability is enhanced and total system cost is reduced.12-31-2009
20090322083OPTIMIZING CONVERTER PROTECTION FOR WIND TURBINE GENERATORS - An integrated fault and personnel protection system and method for a multi-thread converter in a wind turbine power system is provided. The structure and method provide for system optimization, as well as, arc flash protection. Fault sensing with means of removing power applied to the converter minimizes the energy available to produce an arc flash event. Sensing and disconnects devices for the protections are provided close to the source of energy to protect more of the system. Converter controls detect, identify and isolate faults selecting the best combinations of the novel specific fault isolation devices. Components are distributed into separate physical to enhance protection.12-31-2009
20110134574SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS RELATING TO WIND TURBINE ELECTRICAL CONTROL AND OPERATION - An electrical system for connecting a wind turbine to a power grid that includes: a frequency converter that converts electric power produced by a generator of the wind turbine into electric power that is synchronized with the electric power of the power grid; a transformer that steps up the voltage for connection to the power grid, the transformer being disposed between the frequency converter and a connection to the power grid; and a grid-side crowbar circuit; wherein the grid-side crowbar circuit is configured to apply a short circuit to the electrical system upon the detection of a fault.06-09-2011

Patent applications by Allen M. Ritter, Roanoke, VA US

Allen Michael Ritter, Salem, VA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20100134935LINE SIDE CROWBAR FOR ENERGY CONVERTER - A line side crowbar circuit for an energy converter is disclosed. In one aspect there is a power unit that includes an energy converter; a transformer configured to transfer electrical energy generated from the energy converter to an electrical grid; and a crowbar coupled to the energy converter and the transformer that is configured to prevent an overvoltage event from damaging electrical components associated with the energy converter and the transformer.06-03-2010

Rogers C. Ritter, Charlottesville, VA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080319303VARIABLE MAGNETIC MOMENT MR NAVIGATION - A method of navigating a medical device in an operating region in a subject. The method includes applying a magnetic field to the operating region and changing the magnetic moment of the medical device by selectively changing a physical condition of at least one magnet element in the medical device to change the orientation of the device with respect to the applied magnetic field.12-25-2008
20090062646OPERATION OF A REMOTE MEDICAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM USING ULTRASOUND IMAGE - A method of operating a remote medical navigation system using ultrasound, employs ultrasound imaging from a medical device to supplement or to replace conventional x-ray imaging of the operating region during navigation.03-05-2009
20100174234METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLING MOTION DIRECTION OF MECHANICALLY PUSHED CATHETER - The movement of a catheter through a medium, which may be living tissue such as a human brain, is controlled by mechanically pushing a flexible catheter having a magnetic tip through the medium and applying a magnetic field having a magnitude and a direction that guides the mechanically-pushed catheter tip stepwise along a desired path. The magnetic field is controlled in a Magnetic Stereotaxis System by a processor using an adaptation of a PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) feedback method. The magnetic fields are applied by superconducting coils, and the currents applied through the coils are selected to minimize a current metric.07-08-2010
20110028989NAVIGATION USING SENSED PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA AS FEEDBACK - A method for controlling a remote navigation system to navigate a medical device in an operating region in a subject is provided, comprising operating the remote navigation system to bring a sensor carried on a medical device successively into a plurality of locations in a predetermined pattern, and using the sensor to sense a physiological property of the subject in each location. At least once thereafter, the method operates the remote navigation system to bring a sensor carried on a medical device successively into a series of locations in a predetermined pattern relative to at least one location selected from the predetermined pattern in the immediately preceding step based upon the sensed physiological property value, and uses the sensor to sense the physiological property in each location. The method automatically determines the location of a local extreme value of the sensed physiological property, and may be selectively used to locate a maximum value of the sensed physiological property or a minimum of the sensed physiological property. The method may be utilized for sensing one or more physiological properties such as a magnitude of an electrical signal, a conductivity, a temperature, a fluid flow rate or a fluid velocity, or a range of motion of a surface.02-03-2011

Patent applications by Rogers C. Ritter, Charlottesville, VA US

Rogers C. Ritter, Charlottsville, VA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20100063385METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLING CATHETERS IN BODY LUMENS AND CAVITIES - A method of navigating a magnet-tipped distal end of an elongate medical device through the body includes providing an image display of the part of the body through which the medical device is being navigated and using the display to input the desired path of the medical device by identifying points on the desired path on the display. The magnetic field needed to orient the end of the medical device in the direction of the desired path as indicated on the display is then determined. In one embodiment where only points on the desired path are identified, the field direction is the direction indicated by the points on the desired path. In a second embodiment, where points on the current path and the desired path are identified, the desired angle of deflection is determined, and the direction of the magnetic field is set to lead this desired angle of deflection by 90° to over-torque the end of the catheter, and the intensity of the field is determined from a table of experimentally determined field intensities for given angles of deflection.03-11-2010