Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Location: Dearborn, MI
No. of patents: 57

Number	Title	Issue Date
7256566	Method and apparatus for determining a maximum power point of photovoltaic cells The maximum power point (MPP) of a photovoltaic array that can be coupled to power inverter is determined. A capacitor on a DC-bus side of the inverter is used as a load from which I-V characteristics of the photovoltaic array can be generated. The photovoltaic arra...	08/14/2007
7193860	Leadframe-based module DC bus design to reduce module inductance A DC bus for use in a power module has a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. One or more positive leads are connected to the positive bus and are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source. One or more negative ...	03/20/2007
7190145	Method and apparatus for improving speed measurement quality in multi-pole machines A method and apparatus for improving speed measurement quality in systems having multi-pole machines is taught. The method compensates for pole misalignment by computing speed based upon moving average techniques. In one embodiment, a moving average speed averaged o...	03/13/2007
7187558	Leadframe-based module DC bus design to reduce module inductance A DC bus for use in a power module has a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. One or more positive leads are connected to the positive bus and are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source. One or more negative ...	03/06/2007
7178412	Encoder failure detection An encoder failure detector system and method for detecting failure of an encoder at near-zero rotational speeds. For example, in one embodiment a failure is indicated if a torque command exceeds a selected threshold for a selected period of time and no movement of ...	02/20/2007
7180763	Power converter A power converter comprising a DC/AC bridge circuit electrically coupled between positive and negative DC bus terminals and a set of phase terminals, a DC/DC bridge circuit electrically coupled to the positive and negative DC bus terminals and a set of DC bridge ter...	02/20/2007
7177165	System and method for unbalanced independent AC phase voltage control of a 3-phase, 4-wire output DC/AC inverter Independent phase output voltage control for a 3-phase 4-wire DC/AC inverter, for example, is provided. With the independent phase output voltage control, all three phase output voltages from the DC/AC inverter can be separately and effectively controlled to provide...	02/13/2007
7158395	Method and apparatus for tracking maximum power point for inverters, for example, in photovoltaic applications A power system employs an outer voltage feedback loop and an inner current feedback loop to control a power converter, such as a DC to AC inverter for transferring electrical power between a power source, for example a photovoltaic array, and a load, for example a p...	01/02/2007
7106564	Devices and methods for detecting islanding operation of a static power source Devices and methods for detecting islanding operation of a static power source involve injection of a non-harmonic error on the phase angle of the static power source in regular steps to introduce a very small intentional phase shift for the output voltage of the st...	09/12/2006
7098569	Rotor assembly for a permanent magnet power electric machine A rotor assembly for use in an electric motor or generator where the mass of the rotor assembly is reduced with respect to conventional rotor assemblies. In addition, the rotor assembly is configured to be scalable to different sized electric motors. Within the roto...	08/29/2006
7084588	Method, apparatus and article for motor control voltage dropout detection A control subsystem for an electric motor determines whether power was interrupted, and delays torque production if power was interrupted. The control subsystem may employ two separate non-volatile memory locations, or alternatively a single non-volatile memory loca...	08/01/2006
7071759	Method for determining RMS values for grid-linked converters Techniques for determining root mean square (RMS) values of a signal for controlling operation of grid-linked converters, such as DC-to-AC inverters, via squaring the signal, sampling the squared signal n times during a cycle period to obtain n samples, summing the ...	07/04/2006
7058755	EEPROM emulation in flash memory An efficient emulation of EEPROM employing flash memory employs a fixed location for an address pointer in flash memory and such that an erase operation is required only once every nth update where n is the number of bits at the fixed location, thus avoiding the nee...	06/06/2006
7046535	Architecture for power modules such as power inverters Power converters such as power modules configured as inverters employ modularized approaches. In some aspects, semiconductor devices are thermally coupled directly to thermally conductive substrates without intervening dielectric or insulative structures. Additional...	05/16/2006
7019996	Power converter employing a planar transformer A power converter may employ a planar transformer to minimize winding conduction loss, and the switching devices of the power converter may be aligned in lines parallel to an edge of the planar transformer to minimize the termination leakage inductance. The windings...	03/28/2006
7014928	Direct current/direct current converter for a fuel cell system Fuel cell systems and control methods including a fuel cell and a second energy source, such as a battery that is adapted to supplement the fuel cell. In addition, the fuel cell system utilizes a single bipolar switching module, such as an IGBT six pack module that ...	03/21/2006
7012810	Leadframe-based module DC bus design to reduce module inductance A DC bus for use in a power module has a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. One or more positive leads are connected to the positive bus and are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source. One or more negative ...	03/14/2006
7012822	Integrated traction inverter module and DC/DC converter Integrated power conversion systems and methods for use in an electric vehicle having an electric motor, a primary high-voltage energy source, and an auxiliary energy source including a traction inverter module operable for converting a DC current generated by the h...	03/14/2006
6987670	Dual power module power system architecture A dual power module architecture employing a high degree of modularity, that allows a base power module to be quickly, easily, and cost effectively configured to address a large variety of applications. ...	01/17/2006
6940735	Power converter system A power converter system advantageously employs a modular, bi-directionally symmetrical power converter assembly in a readily customizable configuration to interconnect a direct current power source to a three-phase alternating power grid. Connections external to th...	09/06/2005
6936991	Method and apparatus for motor control A closed-loop permanent magnet motor control method and system optimally partitions torque and flux-weakening currents to produce a desired torque without exceeding the capability of the DC source. A maximum limit for allowable torque current and a minimum threshold...	08/30/2005
6937483	Device and method of commutation control for an isolated boost converter A device and method of commutation control for an isolated boost converter provides a unique commutation logic to limit voltage spikes by utilizing switches on the secondary side to minimize a mismatch between current in the inductor and current in the leakage induc...	08/30/2005
6927988	Method and apparatus for measuring fault diagnostics on insulated gate bipolar transistor converter circuits A method for diagnosing faults using a load. In the method IGBTs are controlled such that certain currents are expected. If the currents are not as expected, a fault may be diagnosed. ...	08/09/2005
6919650	Hybrid synchronization phase angle generation method A hybrid use of a phase-locked-loop controller and a microprocessor-based controller to synchronize the phase angles of a three-phase AC power source, such as a static power converter, with those of a three-phase power grid. The phase-angle synchronization may enabl...	07/19/2005
6914354	Assembly and method for direct cooling of motor end-winding Methods and related systems providing removal of heat from electric motors via fluid baths. ...	07/05/2005
6906404	Power module with voltage overshoot limiting A power module employs at least one capacitor electrically coupled across the input terminals to reduce voltage overshoot. The capacitor may be surface mounted to a high side collector plating area and a low side emitter plating area. The power module may employ a l...	06/14/2005
6900643	Ride through in electronic power converters A system including a current sensor to sense a current provided by an electronic power converter, the current sensor includes an output; an overcurrent detection circuit with an input coupled to an output of the current sensor; and a logic control circuit configurab...	05/31/2005
6894450	Circuit configuration for permanent magnet synchronous motor control Circuits and methods for use with an integrated circuit chip having internal back EMF estimation to control a permanent magnet synchronous motor includes an AC current feedback circuit, a scaling circuit, and a current regulator. Additionally, a speed regulator may ...	05/17/2005
6890218	Three-phase connector for electric vehicle drivetrain A three-phase connector carries all three phases in one connector and keeps the phases properly isolated from each other and the motor case. The three-phase connector has metal connector components that are spaced from one another and supported in a nylon over moldi...	05/10/2005
6867987	Multilevel inverter control schemes A multilevel inverter control system having logic configured to substantially minimize and area between a target waveform and a step signal of a multilevel inverter. ...	03/15/2005
6861835	Method and system for non-invasive power transistor die voltage measurement A non-invasive, non-destructive method and system for determining power transistor peak die voltage utilizes values for each of a plurality of parameters determined by measurement of external terminal voltages for any number of switches, such as transistors of an in...	03/01/2005
6853940	Anti-islanding device and method for grid connected inverters using random noise injection A device and method for detecting islanding of a grid connected inverter makes use of an injected white noise as a perturbing force on the output voltage of the inverter. The white noise is injected at least once in every cycle and can be generated at different rate...	02/08/2005
6845020	Power converter system A power conversion system which comprises a controller and conversion assemblies which selectively rectify and invert an electrical signal. Conversion assemblies comprise a plurality of integrated gate bipolar transistor assemblies. The power conversion system is ef...	01/18/2005
6845017	Substrate-level DC bus design to reduce module inductance A DC bus for use in a power module includes a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. The positive bus and negative bus permit counter-flow of currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances, and ...	01/18/2005
6844701	Overmodulation systems and methods for induction motor control Systems and methods for controlling an induction motor including detecting a field weakening operation state of the motor, wherein the field weakening operation state is detected when a flux current, Id, in the motor is reduced to a predetermined fraction...	01/18/2005
6843749	Apparatus and method to achieve multiple effective ratios from a fixed ratio transaxle A motor vehicle drive train assembly for achieving multiple effective ratios from a single ratio transaxle enables application of a fixed ratio transaxle, such as used in electric vehicle drive trains, to a multi-speed requirement, for example, in airport ground sup...	01/18/2005
6815925	Systems and methods for electric motor control Systems and methods for controlling and/or calculating the torque for a field oriented induction motor operating at a given stator frequency. The systems and methods include calculating the torque using a first algorithm when the motor is at or below a first predete...	11/09/2004
6793502	Press (non-soldered) contacts for high current electrical connections in power modules An electrical connector for use in a power module includes a first end portion for forming an electrical connection with a substrate, a second end portion, and a compliant portion situated between the first end portion and the second end portion. The compliant porti...	09/21/2004
6778411	Start-up circuit for power converters with controller power supply connected at output side A start-up circuit for converters with controller power supply connected at output side. With this start-up circuit, all the control and supporting circuitries are connected at the converter output low voltage side and protected from high input DC voltage. After the...	08/17/2004
6744158	Electric machine with cooling rings An electric machine in accordance with the invention includes a stator core having first and second ends and having windings therein with end turns of the windings protruding from the first and second ends of the stator core. A rotor is rotatably positioned within t...	06/01/2004

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Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation