Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110048484 | THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR AND FUEL CELL FOR ELECTRIC POWER CO-GENERATION - Systems and methods of electric power generation are disclosed. A particular method includes generating electric power using a fuel cell. The method also includes generating additional electric power using a thermoelectric generator (TE) by routing exhaust from the fuel cell to a hot side of the TE and routing fuel cell intake gases to a cold side of the TE. The method also includes preheating the fuel cell intake gases by routing the fuel cell intake gases from the TE through a heat exchanger (HX). | 03-03-2011 |
20110131999 | THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR ON AN AIRCRAFT BLEED SYSTEM - A device for producing electrical power. A thermoelectric device is coupled to an aircraft bleed system for generating electrical power using temperature differentials between ram air and bleed air. | 06-09-2011 |
20120156580 | Water Harvesting System - A method and apparatus for extracting water. The apparatus comprises a first and second cooling device and a controller. The first cooling device has a first and second side. The first side heats materials located at the first side and generates a water vapor. The second side cools the water vapor and fluids collected from a source. The second cooling device transfers heat from the water vapor and the fluids flowing through the second cooling device to an environment around the second cooling device. A controller controls a first amount of power delivered to the first cooling device and a second amount of power delivered to the second cooling device based on a temperature for the fluids and the water vapor at an output. Water extracted from the fluids and the water vapor by cooling the fluids and the water vapor is collected at the output. | 06-21-2012 |
20120232728 | Vehicle Electrical Power Management and Distribution - Vehicles, systems, and methods are disclosed for providing and directing first power, such as vehicle generator power, and alternate sources of power. In a particular embodiment, a vehicle includes a power distribution grid that includes a plurality of power sources and a plurality of distributions buses configured to distribute power from the plurality of power sources. The plurality of power sources include an engine-driven power source is configured to provide first power where the first power has first power characteristics. The plurality of power sources also includes a plurality of engine-independent power sources including a first alternate power source configured to provide first alternate power. The first alternate power has first alternate power characteristics that are different than the first power characteristics. The plurality of engine-independent power sources also includes a second alternate power source configured to provide second alternate power. The second alternate power has second alternate power characteristics that are different from the first power characteristics and different from the first alternate power characteristics. The vehicle also includes a global controller that sends control signals to control generation of power by the engine-driven power source, the first alternate power source and the second alternate power source via the plurality of distribution buses responsive to power demand of the power distribution grid. | 09-13-2012 |
20120240882 | Dual Use Cooling Systems - Cooling systems and methods of use are disclosed. A particular method includes routing at least a first portion of a coolant stream from a first heat exchanger to a second heat exchanger to receive heat from a hot side of a thermoelectric cooling device. The method also includes cooling one or more electronic devices using a cold side of the thermoelectric cooling device. The method also includes routing at least a second portion of the coolant stream to an engine. | 09-27-2012 |
20130025644 | THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATION FROM POWER FEEDER - Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed to use thermoelectric generating (TEG) devices to generate electricity from heat generated by a power cable. An apparatus includes multiple thermoelectric generating (TEG) devices. Each of the TEG devices has a first surface configured to be positioned in thermal communication with an outer surface of the power cable and a second surface configured to be positioned proximate to an ambient environment around the power cable. The apparatus also includes a set of terminals electrically coupled to the TEG devices. When a temperature differential exists between the first surface and the second surface, the TEG devices convert heat into electricity presented at the set of terminals. | 01-31-2013 |
20130083563 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR HIGH POWER DC/DC CONVERTER - A voltage conversion system and methods are disclosed. Phase-shift modulation signals are generated and interleaved to provide interleaved phase-shift modulation signals. A plurality of voltage converters are controlled using the interleaved phase-shift modulation signals to convert an input electrical current at an input voltage to an output electrical current at an output voltage. | 04-04-2013 |
20130092365 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REGULATING CRYOGENIC VAPOR PRESSURE - A vapor pressure regulation system includes a vessel including a vessel wall that defines an enclosure, and a temperature adjustment mechanism coupled to the vessel. A heat transfer between the temperature adjustment mechanism and the vessel is adjusted based on at least a vapor pressure within the vessel to facilitate regulating the vapor pressure within the vessel. | 04-18-2013 |
20130123989 | Integrated Control Architecture And Method For A Bi-Directional AC-To-AC Converter - A method and system for controlling power transfer includes the operations of receiving a power transfer value indicating a power level to be transferred either to or from an energy storage sub-system and receiving an input comprising a rotational speed of a rotating mass in the energy storage sub-system. The operations further include calculating a torque value corresponding to the power transfer value based on the rotational speed of the rotating mass and determining whether the torque value exceeds a maximum allowed torque. The operations further include defining an adjusted torque value as the maximum allowed torque value if the torque value exceeds the maximum allowed torque value or defining the adjusted torque value as the torque value if the torque value does not exceed the maximum allowed torque value, and providing the torque value to a direct torque controller for controlling the torque of the rotating mass. | 05-16-2013 |
20130175405 | PLASMA ACTUATING PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR AERIAL VEHICLES - A plasma propulsion nozzle incorporates a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet. A plurality of substantially cylindrical planarly disbanded electrodes with sandwiched dielectric spacers is cascaded in an array to be concentrically expanding from the inlet through an interior chamber to the outlet for a nozzle. A voltage source applies a periodic signal with rapidly reversing polarity to the electrodes with differential phase applied to adjacent electrodes in the array creating and expelling plasma clusters at each dielectric spacer inducing flow from the nozzle outlet to produce thrust. | 07-11-2013 |
20140077765 | Virtual Cell Method for Battery Management - The present disclosure provides a system, method, and apparatus for battery management. The disclosed method involves current balancing through sinking and/or sourcing current, by at least one virtual cell, for battery cells in a battery pack based on available current and capacity of the battery cells. In one or more embodiments, at least one virtual cell is capable to sink and/or source current for at least one degraded battery cell or at least one dead battery cell. | 03-20-2014 |
20140102781 | High Power, High Frequency Power Cable - The present disclosure provides a power cable apparatus that comprises an elongated thermal conductor, and an electrical conductor layer surrounding at least a portion of the elongated thermal conductor. In one or more embodiments, heat generated in the power cable is transferred via the elongated thermal conductor to at least one end of the power cable. In at least one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an electric insulation layer surrounding at least a portion of the electrical conductor layer. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a thermal insulation layer surrounding at least a portion of the electric insulation layer. | 04-17-2014 |
20140211522 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CIRCULATING CURRENT IN AN INVERTER SYSTEM - A power conversion system is disclosed that provides multiphase power, including phase voltages for each phase of the multiphase power. The system comprises a plurality of inverters that generate PWM output voltages based on PWM control signals. A plurality of inductive components is configured to receive the PWM output voltages to generate the phase voltages. The PWM output voltages cause circulating current flows through the inductive components. A voltage controller is employed that is responsive to the phase voltages to generate voltage modulation signals corresponding to the phase voltages. A plurality of current sharing channels are respectively associated with each of the plurality of inductive components and are configured generate current sharing modulation signals in response to the circulating current flows. The PWM control signals are generated based on modulation signals obtained by combining the current sharing modulation signals and voltage modulation signals. | 07-31-2014 |
20140307481 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR HIGH POWER DC/DC CONVERTER - A voltage conversion system and methods are disclosed. Voltage converter cells are controlled using interleaved phase-shift modulation signals, and convert an input electrical current at an input voltage to an output electrical current at an output voltage. Each of the voltage converter cells comprises: a transformer comprising a primary side and a secondary side, a full-bridge voltage converter connected in parallel to the primary side, and center-tapped rectifiers connected in series to the secondary side. One or more group of outputs of the voltage converters are coupled in series via the center-tapped rectifiers. | 10-16-2014 |
20150021983 | AIRCRAFT UNIVERSAL POWER CONVERTER - A power supply system suitable for use by an aircraft is disclosed. The power system converts power from an unregulated DC power source to multiple AC and DC voltage outputs. The power supply system comprises an interleaved buck converter, and interleaved full-bridge converter, an interleaved inverter, and a control system. In one configuration, the interleaved inverter uses high-voltage DC generated by the interleaved four-bridge converter as its power input to generate a high-voltage AC output. | 01-22-2015 |
20150021994 | POWER CONVERTER HAVING EMI FILTER COMMON TO MULTIPLE CONVERTERS - A power supply system is disclosed that includes a first interleaved power supply, a second interleaved power supply, and a common electromagnetic interference filter. The common electromagnetic interference filter is configured to provide DC power from a DC power source to both the first interleaved power supply and the second interleaved power supply. In one example, the common electromagnetic interference filter comprises a localized filter stage configured to receive DC power from the DC power source, and a distributed filter stage configured to receive DC power from the localized filter stage. The distributed filter stage includes a first set of common mode capacitors electrically connected to and physically proximate input power lines of the first interleaved power supply, and a second set of common mode capacitors electrically connected to and physically proximate input power lines of the second interleaved power supply. | 01-22-2015 |
20150022245 | Parallel Transistor Circuit Controller - A method for controlling a circuit control system. Currents are sensed at outputs of transistors in the circuit control system. Levels are identified for the currents. A number of characteristics of the transistors are controlled while the currents flow out of the transistors such that the currents flowing out of the transistors have desired levels. | 01-22-2015 |