Paul Scott Bixel
Engineers at Diamond Rd, Salem, VA

6339309, Jan 15, 2002

Dec 3, 1999

09/453408

Paul Scott Bixel - Salem VA
Craig William Moyer - Roanoke VA
Barry Earle Dick - Salem VA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

H02P 124

318727, 318800, 318822

A method and apparatus for switching an AC motor between two power supplies such as supply mains and a variable frequency AC motor drive. In a transfer procedure, the motor drive is coupled to the motor to power the motor. When the supply main is connected to the motor, a resulting current spike in the output of the motor drive is detected to disconnect the motor drive from the motor very quickly while limiting current. In a capture procedure, both power supplies are coupled to the motor with the motor drive in an idle mode. When the supply mains are disconnected from the motor, the voltage change in the output of the motor drive is detected to quickly activate the motor drive to power the motor.

6542390, Apr 1, 2003

Dec 27, 2001

09/683422

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

H02M 700

363 71, 363 67, 363 68

A power conversion system for driving a load is provided. The power conversion system comprises a power transformer having at least one primary winding circuit and at least one secondary winding circuit, the primary winding circuit being electrically connectable to an AC power source. The system further comprises at least one power cell, each of the at least one power cell having a power cell input connected to a respective one of the at least one secondary winding circuit. Each power cell also has a single phase output connectable to the load. An SCR arrangement including a gate drive and at least one SCR is connected to the power cell input and a DC bus. An SCR controller is connected to the SCR arrangement and the power cell input. The power cell also has a PWM output stage having a plurality of PWM switches connected to the DC bus and the single phase output. A local modulation controller is connected to the PWM output stage.

6384565, May 7, 2002

Dec 6, 1999

09/455470

Paul Scott Bixel - Salem VA
Richard William Carter - Roanoke VA
Barry Earle Dick - Salem VA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

H02P 146

318727, 318723, 318722, 318802, 318810, 318798, 318799, 318800

A method and apparatus for deriving characteristics of a utility signal for synchronizing the output of a motor drive with the utility for a transfer or capture operation. With the drive in idle, the voltage and phase angle of an input to the drive are detected by instrumentation of the drive. The voltage and phase angle of a signal from a utility are detected by instrumentation of the drive at the output of the drive. A phase angle difference and scaling factor are determined to correlate the input signal to the motor drive with the signal at the output of the motor drive. The phase angle difference and scaling factor are stored and subsequently used to derive the signal at the motor due to the utility at the time of the transfer or capture procedure.

6355987, Mar 12, 2002

Jun 27, 2000

09/605011

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

H02P 900

290 52, 322 28

An arrangement and method for controlling a microturbine. Back-to-back inverters are provided such that a second inverter provides power to the DC bus prior to achieving self-sustaining operation of the turbine, and a first converter provides power to the DC bus and optionally controls its voltage once the turbine is self-sustaining. The second inverter operates in either AC utility voltage and frequency control mode or output current control mode depending upon the needs of the application.

6847531, Jan 25, 2005

Mar 12, 2003

10/387368

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA, US

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

H02M 700

363 71, 363 65, 363 68

A power conversion system for driving a load is provided. The power conversion system comprises a power transformer having at least one primary winding circuit and at least one secondary winding circuit, the primary winding circuit being electrically connectable to an AC power source. The system further comprises at least one power cell, each of the at least one power cell having a power cell input connected to a respective one of the at least one secondary winding circuit. Each power cell also has a single phase output connectable to the load. A power switching arrangement including at least one power switch is connected to the power cell input and a DC bus, and a switch controller is connected to the power switching arrangement and the power cell input. The power cell also has a PWM output stage having a plurality of PWM switches connected to the DC bus and the single phase output. A local modulation controller is connected to the PWM output stage.

2012005, Mar 8, 2012

Sep 11, 2009

13/319105

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA, US
Marcelo Andres Lara - Salem VA, US

B66C 13/18, B60L 1/00, G06F 19/00

701 50, 307 91

A system and method for efficiently regulating the fuel consumption of a variable speed combustion engine used to control loads such as a hoist motor in a mobile gantry crane based on load motor speed commands issued by a crane operator. The system and method can rely on a programmable logic controller to issue engine fuel commands to regulate engine speed based on interpolations derived from data representing the relationship between load motor voltage and engine speed and data representing the relationship between engine speed and engine power capacity. The method may also be used in modified form by combustion engines which need digital fixed speed commands.

7834577, Nov 16, 2010

May 13, 2005

11/576558

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA, US

TM GE Automation Systems LLC - Roanoke VA

H02P 29/04

318779, 318727, 318722, 318732

A system and method for starting and regulating a wound rotor motor () including a phase-controlled SCR converter () and a drive circuit () having a voltage source inverter () and a voltage source converter (). The SCR converter () regulates power transmitted to the drive circuit from the rotor of the motor () so that the ratings of the drive circuit are not exceeded.

7511446, Mar 31, 2009

Aug 5, 2005

11/576576

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA, US

TM GE Automation Systems LLC - Roanoke VA

H02P 1/26, H02M 5/458

318778, 318732, 318785, 318786, 318783, 363 34, 363 37

A system and method for starting and regulating a wound rotor motor () including a phase-controlled SCR converter () and a drive circuit () having a voltage source inverter () and a voltage source converter (). The SCR converter () regulates power transmitted to the drive circuit from the rotor of the motor so that the ratings of the drive circuit are not exceeded. A shorting contactor () is employed in various embodiments to increase the efficiency of the circuit.

7456601, Nov 25, 2008

Oct 8, 2007

11/868545

Paul S. Bixel - Salem VA, US

TM GE Automation Systems LLC - Roanoke VA

H02P 1/26, H02H 5/04, H02H 7/08

318783, 318466, 700286, 307115, 361 36

A system and method for starting and regulating a wound rotor motor especially during the period between inactivity and a speed determined by the voltage ratings of the drive system. In a first embodiment, a starting resistor and a starting bypass contactor are connected between the rotor of the motor and a low voltage source inverter. In an alternative embodiment, the arrangement of the first embodiment is altered by connecting a shorting contactor on one side to the junction of the voltage source inverter, the starting resistor and the starting bypass contactor so as to be short circuited on the opposite side of the shorting contactor.

5907192, May 25, 1999

Jun 9, 1997

8/871171

James Patrick Lyons - Niskayuna NY
Albert Andreas Maria Esser - Niskayuna NY
Paul Scott Bixel - Salem VA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F03D 900, H02P 904

290 44

Stored rotational energy in an operating variable speed wind turbine is used to pitch blades and brake the wind turbine in the event of utility power grid failure. In one embodiment, a generator IGBT converter and the main power utility grid IGBT converter supply control and pitch servo power during turbine deceleration, and a ride-through capacitor on a DC emergency power supply bus and the main DC link capacitor provide additional energy storage. In another embodiment, a step-down DC/DC power converter adds to the intermediate DC link of the power conversion system with the secondary of the step down converter powering both the hub pitch controller and the wind turbine control system.