William A Wolfe

US Patent:

55325742, Jul 2, 1996

Filed:

Mar 28, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/219125

Inventors:

William R. Wolfe - Penn Hills PA
Raymond M. Calfo - Murrysville PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

H02H 100
H02H 706

US Classification:

322 37

Abstract:

A protection circuit for a brushless excitation system is provided which directly monitors the output voltage of the diode bridge rectifier of the system. The protection circuit includes a reference signal generator subcircuit which provides a reference signal which tracks the dc output voltage of the diode bridge. The reference signal can vary as the system voltage is varied under certain circumstances. The protection circuit also provides for the calculation of a predetermined percentage of the reference signal voltage to create a tolerance band for testing the actual output voltage of the diode bridge rectifier. The percentage represents an acceptable limit of the ratio of a peak-to-peak ripple of the reference signal to the dc voltage of the reference signal. Using the reference signal and the percentage value to create a tolerance band, a comparator is used to test the actual output voltage of the diode bridge to determine if the output voltage is within the tolerance band. If the output voltage is detected to be outside the tolerance band, then the comparator generates a signal which activates trip circuitry associated with the system to interrupt the system.

US Patent:

51793423, Jan 12, 1993

Filed:

Feb 11, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/653571

Inventors:

William R. Wolfe - Penn Hills PA
James R. Logan - Hampton Township, Allegheny County PA
Eric P. Shook - West Mifflin PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

G01R 3111

US Classification:

324533

Abstract:

In a method and apparatus for detecting and locating a quench zone in a superconducting coil, a sensor is positioned adjacent to and in heat transfer communication with the entire length of the superconducting coil. When a portion of the superconducting coil becomes normal, the adjacent portion of the sensor becomes resistive. A series of electrical pulses sent along the sensor are reflected back by the discontinuity in impedance which occurs at such a normal zone. The reflected pulses and echo pulses produced by various terminations on the sensor are detected by an associated receiver and processor which calculates the location of the resistive zone along the sensor and the corresponding quench zone along the superconducting coil using information derived from the pulses. A second embodiment provides two sensors which are adjacent to and in heat transfer communication with the coil which are pulsed from opposite ends.

US Patent:

56786476, Oct 21, 1997

Filed:

Sep 7, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/301806

Inventors:

William R. Wolfe - Pittsburgh PA
Owen S. Taylor - Jeannette PA
Theodore R. Vasilow - Irwin PA
Arthur L. Wolfe - Murrysville PA
Joseph F. Pierre - Valencia PA
John W. Wiss - Pittsburgh PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

B60L 1118
H01M 810

US Classification:

180 653

Abstract:

An apparatus for directly powering a unipolar electric motor with direct current (DC) power includes a control mechanism, and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) having a fuel input and an oxidizer input. The control mechanism may control the fuel input and the oxidizer input. The fuel input may utilize a hydrocarbon fuel or, alternatively, an arbitrary mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The electric motor may have a field excitation current and the control mechanism may further control the field excitation current. Alternatively, an apparatus may power a vehicle, such as a ship or automobile, and may include an electric motor for powering the vehicle, a fuel cell for providing fuel cell power, a turbine-generator for providing turbine-generator power, and a control mechanism. The electric motor may include a motor power input. The fuel cell may include a fuel input, a fuel cell oxidizer input, a thermal exhaust output, and a fuel cell power output.

US Patent:

53751019, Dec 20, 1994

Filed:

Jun 17, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/079116

Inventors:

William R. Wolfe - Penn Hills PA
Thomas Kupiszewski - Harrison City PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

H04R 900

US Classification:

367175

Abstract:

A sonar transmitter includes a source means for providing an actuation signal to drive an electromagnetic transducer projector without the use of bias magnetization. The invention utilizes an offset actuation frequency technique in which electrical driving signals are applied which have a frequency or frequencies other than the desired frequency of the acoustic signal projected into a liquid medium. In presently preferred embodiments, one or two driving signals may be utilized. If one driving signal is utilized, the acoustic signal will be at twice the driving signal frequency. If two driving signals are utilized, the acoustic signal will be at the sum or difference frequency of the driving signal frequency. The actuation signal is applied to coils of the transducer's electromagnets to produce an electromagnetic attractive force having a significant component at the desired frequency of the acoustic signal. The force component urges movement of the electromagnets, causing a radiating surface of the transducer to elastically flex, thereby producing the acoustic signal.

US Patent:

48766259, Oct 24, 1989

Filed:

Nov 4, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/267133

Inventors:

William R. Wolfe - Penn Hills PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

H02H 308

US Classification:

361 93

Abstract:

A composite circuit breaker includes a plurality of circuit breaker modules inserted in paralleled branches of the main conductor. The branch phase currents associated with each breaker module and a signal representative of the total currents in the main conductor are auctioneered to select the largest of the current for application to the trip circuit of the breaker to provide protection for the individual breakers against current hogging while composite protection is provided for the load/source. The signal representative of each phase of the total current is generated by a primary current transformer which feeds series connected auxiliary current transformers each of which is associated with one of the individual breakers.

US Patent:

49899899, Feb 5, 1991

Filed:

Aug 31, 1989

Appl. No.:

7/401593

Inventors:

William R. Wolfe - Penn Hills PA
James R. Logan - Hampton Twp., Allegheny County both of PA

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

G01K 312

US Classification:

374107

Abstract:

The present invention provides a hydraulic sensor for quench detection and location in a superconductor, and particularly a superconductor used to form an inductor or a magnet. The sensor consists of an insulating tube (1) adjacent to and preferably co-wound with the super conductor (2) and filled with a supercooled working fluid (3). When joule heating occurs in the superconducting conductor as a result of a portion of it becoming normal, the heat is transferred directly to the corresponding portion of the adjacent tube (1). This heat causes the vapor pressure of the working fluid (3) at that point in the tube to change. This change in pressure propagates in both directions at the speed of sound in the working fluid. By detecting with sensors (6,7) when a change in pressure arrives at the ends (5,6) of the tube (1) and calculating the difference between the arrival times, not only can a quench be detected, but the exact location of the quench initiation region can be determined.