413 results about "Power capability" patented technology

An integrated voltage/current/power regulator/switch (VCPRS) system and method are disclosed in which regulator/switch circuitry is vertically integrated on top of an existing integrated circuit. The present invention does not require additional integrated circuit chip area for the regulator pass device as is required in the prior art, and by virtue of its construction provides a significantly reduced on-resistance as compared to all prior art implementations. The present invention both stabilizes the power supply for large area integrated circuits and permits individual areas of the integrated circuit to have switched power capability, a highly desirable feature in low power and battery power applications. The present invention permits an increase in the power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) for digital, analog, and especially mixed-signal integrated circuit designs by permitting various circuit blocks to have localized power regulation that is obtained from a common power supply plane within the integrated circuit framework. Finally, the present invention appears to be the only economically practical method of addressing the power supply regulation requirements of modern and future integrated microprocessor designs.

The present invention is generally related to electrolytes containing anion receptor additives to enhance the power capability of lithium-ion batteries. The anion receptor of the present invention is a Lewis acid that can help to dissolve LiF in the passivation films of lithium-ion batteries. Accordingly, one aspect the invention provides electrolytes comprising a lithium salt; a polar aprotic solvent; and an anion receptor additive; and wherein the electrolyte solution is substantially non-aqueous. Further there are provided electrochemical devices employing the electrolyte and methods of making the electrolyte.

A method and corresponding apparatus provide a determination of available power capacity of a phase of a power supply in a data center rack. The method includes metering the power of a power supply and calculating an average peak power draw per phase of the power supply. Using average peak power draw per phase of the power supply and the expected power draw data corresponding to data center equipment coupled to the power supply, the available power capacity can be calculated on a per phase of the power supply. A method and corresponding apparatus for managing data center equipment may use the phase based available power capacity calculations to determine the optimal placement of new data center equipment within a data center configuration.

A robotic data storage library with soft power on/off capability and a method for providing soft power capability in a robotic data storage library are disclosed. The method and apparatus control the application of power to at least one component of a robotic data storage library to reduce issues caused by transitioning the library between an ON state and an OFF state. One embodiment of a robotic data storage library, for example, comprises: (a) a plurality of storage locations, each capable of holding at least one data storage element; (b) a data transfer interface for receiving a data storage element and establishing a communication path with a data storage element so that data can be transferred between the data storage element and a host computer; (c) a transport unit for moving a data storage element between one of the plurality of storage locations and the data transfer interface; (d) a power supply for providing power to a component of the library; (e) a power switch switchable between an ON state and an OFF state; and (f) a power controller for monitoring the power switch for a transition between the ON state and the OFF state and after detecting a transition of the power switch between the ON state and the OFF state, controlling the application of power to the component.

A control system for an energy production facility includes a plant controller for receiving an indication of a measured power output of the energy production facility that includes power generators and produces output signals. The system also includes a processing unit operably coupled to the plant controller and responsive to executable computer instructions when executed on the processing unit cause the plant controller to: create an output signal that causes an energy storage device to discharge in the event power reserves of the power generators can not met the requested ramp down rate; and create an output signal that causes the energy storage device to charge up in the event that the power capability of the power generators can meet the requested ramp down rate.

The author suggests a new method and a new inexpensive, large blade-rope type wind rotor, that will be suspended at high altitude and produce huge quantities of energy. The air installation embodiment includes (FIG. 25): propeller 220, wing 226, rope transmission 229, electric generator 12 located at ground. Water rotors can utilize energy of ocean and sea streams. The invention contains 11 projects: 6 for air, 1 for a river, 3 for the sea and ocean, and 1 for ships. They have a power capacity of up to 60 MgW (air), up to 200 MgW (water) for one unit. The suggested installations have the following advantages: 1. Huge power production capacity-up to 5000-10000 times more than conventional ground-based rotor designs. 2. The rotor operates at high altitude of 1-14 kilometers, where wind has high speed and high stability (permanent flows). 3. The installation is much less expensive compared to conventional currently-employed windmills, partly because no tower is necessary to fix the rotor in space. 4. Wind energy is free -environmentally friendly.

Methods are described for determining the state of charge and/or the operability of a charge accumulator using estimates. The information, which is obtained at a least two different operating points or operating conditions of the energy accumulator, is taken into account in the estimates. The estimates are carried out with regard to an instantaneous and/or future state of charge and/or an instantaneous and/or future operability of the charge accumulator. Different methods are executed, depending on the operating point or operating condition. The methods may be run in a processor of a control unit.

A secure localization method for wireless networks utilizes access point variable transmission power capability to transmit encoded localization signals at different power levels to a wireless device in the network. Based on the particular combination of encoded signals collected by the wireless device and reported back to a network controller, the location of the wireless device may be determined in conjunction with information contained in a location database.

The present invention relates to a method for increasing a total reactive power capability of a cluster of wind turbines operationally connected to a grid. The method comprises the steps of generating a voltage value representative of a grid voltage level, determining a total required reactive power value based on the voltage value, and activating at least one wind turbine in said cluster to increase the total reactive power capability from a present value to the required total reactive power value by a predetermined amount. Moreover, the present invention relates to a system suitable for carrying out the before-mentioned method.

A convenient source of charging power for portable communication devices is an integral power node of a computer data bus, such as a USB (universal serial bus) port. Unfortunately, USB ports have limited power capacity, making them generally incompatible with battery charge controllers (BCCs) which are designed to receive a steady, high capacity input. The invention provides a battery charging circuit which adjusts to the parameters of an external power supply such as a USB port by adding a regulating circuit to a standard BCC design. This regulating circuit maximizes the current drawn by the BCC, while keeping the voltage to the BCC above a preset minimum (the low voltage shut off level for the BCC). If the voltage to the BCC begins to drop, the regulating circuit reduces the current drawn, so the voltage rises and stays within the operating range of the BCC.

The present invention is a positive electrode active material that can be used in secondary lithium and lithium-ion batteries to provide the power capability, i.e., the ability to deliver or retake energy in short periods of time, desired for large power applications such as power tools, electric bikes and hybrid electric vehicles. The positive electrode active material of the invention includes at least one electron conducting compound of the formula LiM¹_x−y{A}_yO_z and at least one electron insulating and lithium ion conducting lithium metal oxide, wherein M¹ is a transition metal, {A} is represented by the formula Σw_iB_i wherein B_i is an element other than M¹ used to replace the transition metal M¹ and w_i is the fractional amount of element B_i in the total dopant combination such that Σw_i=1; B_i is a cation in LiM¹_x−y{A}_yO_z; 0.95≦x≦2.10; 0≦y≦x/2; and 1.90≦z≦4.20. Preferably, the lithium metal oxide is LiAlO₂ or Li₂M²O₃ wherein M² is at least one tetravalent metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Sn, Mn, Mo, Si, Ge, Hf, Ru and Te. The present invention also includes methods of making this positive electrode active material.

A bi-directional dc-dc converter is provided that may provide voltage conversion for two separate electrical power systems. The two electrical power systems may have different functions, electrical requirements and power transfer directions. The bi-directional dc-dc converter may include back-to-back bi-directional dc-dc converter circuits isolated from each other by a transformer. Multiple such dc-dc converters may be connected in parallel to increase power capability. Phase shift pulse width modulation (PWM) may be used to switch the parallel dc-dc converters so as to decrease both voltage ripple and current ripple. The number of dc-dc converters may be modified to meet the different needs of various electric power systems. A single bi-directional dc-dc converter of the invention may be employed to provide electric power conversion for multiple electric power systems, even where those systems have different power requirements and different power transfer directions.

An alternator system (50, 52) that, in one aspect, utilizes a Lundell style alternator that is augmented by power electronic switching components (62) in the output section. In one embodiment, some of these power switching embodiments employ a scaling of stator turns and wire size to achieve the superior performance at higher speeds. The alternator system provides significantly enhanced power capability above idle as compared with classical Lundell alternator systems using Lundell alternators of the same size that are designed with the same power capability at idle. In one preferred dual voltage embodiment, a power switch (semi-conductor) connects the alternator output directly to the low voltage load at low engine speeds and when the power switch is "opened" at higher speeds, the alternator's power is channeled to the higher voltage. In a 14-volt/42-volt dual-voltage system, this arrangement provides triple the alternator's power capability at high speeds as compared to a conventional unenhanced capabilities of the altenator system of the present invention are accomplished without increasing the alternator size or required current capacity and without using high frequency semiconductor power modulation (106).

A hybrid transformer is provided that includes an electromagnetic transformer and an AC-AC converter with a DC bridge. The AC-AC converter is operable to keep the input voltage and current of the hybrid transformer substantially in phase and to reduce fluctuation in the output voltage of the hybrid transformer in the event of an increase or decrease in the input voltage.

The invention discloses an electric field coupled power transfer system and a control method based on the novel topology. The system comprises a high-frequency inverter, a high-frequency resonator, an electric field coupling mechanism and an electric energy conversion link, and is characterized in that the high-frequency inverter is a double-E type amplifying high-frequency inverter, a high-frequency transformer is arranged between the high-frequency inverter and the high-frequency resonator, the high-frequency resonator is further connected with a controller, and the output end of the controller is connected with an inductance compensation tuning module and a drive circuit. The electric field coupled power transfer system has the obvious effects that the high-frequency voltage at the two ends of a coupling mechanism is increased, the strength of an electric field is enhanced, the transmission distance is lengthened, the voltage at the two ends of a high-frequency switch tube is increased to meet the requirement of high-frequency power electronic devices at the present stage, the power capacity of the system is improved, the voltage of the switch tube is reduced, the switch loss is reduced, and the adaptive ability of the system is improved.

An improved air tool includes an integrated air motor and electrical generator wherein the stator is positioned on a side of the rotor body opposite the working end of the tool to reduce vibrations transmitted to the stator. The stator is also positioned between the compressed air inlet and the rotor body such that compressed air flows across the stator to prevent overheating of the stator. The air tool includes an indicating circuit connected to the battery charging circuit for indicating a battery charge condition, a battery discharge condition, and a low lubrication condition of the air vanes. A light ring assembly is attached to the working end of the tool housing to provide light at the working end of the tool. Materials chosen for the magnets and the poles of the stator increase the power capability of the electrical generator. An illuminating apparatus for a conventional air tool includes a light ring with integral generator.