Solid-State Transformer for Industrial Plants Patent Landscape
Solid-State Transformer for Industrial Plants Patent Landscape in 2026
The solid-state transformer for industrial plants patent space is highly concentrated, with the top five filers accounting for the dominant share among the hundred largest filers and GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd holding the leading position. Annual filing volume peaked in 2021 and has eased since, signaling a maturing field where incumbents hold structural advantages.
GE Energy Power Conversion leads a tightly held, maturing field
GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (GB) holds the top position in the applicant ranking with 12 patent families, followed by Ohmium International Inc and Georgia Tech Research Corporation each with 8 patent families.
The top five filers account for 86% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers, indicating a strongly concentrated competitive structure with a pronounced gap between the lead tier and remaining entrants. Southwest Jiaotong University and ABB (Schweiz) AG each hold 2 patent families, illustrating the steep drop-off beyond the top three.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd | 12 | |
| 2 | Ohmium International Inc | 8 | |
| 3 | Georgia Tech Research Corporation | 8 | |
| 4 | Southwest Jiaotong University | 2 | |
| 5 | ABB (Schweiz) AG | 2 | |
| 6 | Sentient Technology Holdings LLC | 2 | |
| 7 | General Electric Co | 1 | |
| 8 | Board of Regents, The University of Texas System | 1 | |
| 9 | VINJAMURI USHA RANI | 1 |
The incumbents’ positions — anchored in H02M power conversion — suggest that newcomers face a high barrier to establishing differentiated claims in the core conversion architecture, making adjacency strategies (motor control, thermal processing) more accessible entry points.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are likely under-counted due to typical patent publication lag of 18–24 months and should not be read as a sustained decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2021 filing peak, with power conversion dominating the technology mix
Annual filing activity surged to a peak in 2021 then eased, while the technology composition reveals that H02M power conversion commands the vast majority of activity. The two charts together indicate a field consolidating around a proven core architecture.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible from 2017 to 2019, accelerated sharply through 2020–2021 (peaking at 11 families in 2021), then moderated. The 2024–2026 bars should be treated as preliminary given publication lag.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02M (power conversion AC/DC) is the dominant branch, followed at a distance by H02J (power supply and grid systems), C25B (electrolytic production), H01F (magnets and transformers), and H03K (pulse and logic circuits). F27B, H05B, and H05K each have minimal representation, marking them as under-served adjacent branches.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Power electronic voltage transforming apparatus
The present invention provides a power electronic voltage transforming apparatus, which relates to the fields of electrified railway traction power supply technology, the industrial electricity etc. The power electronic voltage transforming apparatus can solve the problems of dynamic control of negative-sequence current, compensation of reactive power and… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isolated dynamic current converters | 83 |
| 2 | Power electronic voltage transforming apparatus | 24 |
| 3 | Isolated dynamic current converters | 24 |
| 4 | Multiple-Switch Types Hybrid PEBB Power Converter | 15 |
| 5 | Self Reconfigurable, Adaptable Power Electronics B… | 9 |
| 6 | Systems and circuits for connecting components of … | 4 |
| 7 | Systems and circuits for connecting components of … | 2 |
| 8 | Systems and circuits for connecting components of … | 2 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of high concentration, a post-peak filing trajectory, and narrow technology breadth defines the strategic context. Each dimension has a distinct implication for where incremental R&D investment will or will not find open space.
Post-peak: the field is consolidating around established architectures
The lifecycle stage is Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2021 peak. On a multi-year basis activity is still present, but the downward trend in recent annual volume indicates that the core H02M power-conversion architecture is maturing. New entrants are unlikely to displace incumbent claim positions in the primary conversion topology without a distinctly novel approach.
Lifecycle: Post-PeakTop-five filers hold 86% of the leading-filer pool — entry barriers are high in the core
GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd, Ohmium International Inc, and Georgia Tech Research Corporation collectively dominate the ranking. The top five filers’ 86% share of the hundred largest filers leaves very little unclaimed space in the dominant H02M subclasses. Differentiation through adjacent branches — motor control (H02P), thermal processing (F27B), or board-level integration (H05K) — represents a more tractable strategy than frontal competition in the core.
Highly ConcentratedIntra-GE co-filing is the only detected collaborative link
The most active co-filing relationships are between General Electric Co and GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (UK), with 2 jointly filed patent families observed on each detected link. No cross-organization collaboration between distinct industrial or academic entities is evidenced, suggesting that the GE entity cluster is consolidating its portfolio internally rather than building an open ecosystem.
Limited Cross-Org CollaborationUS-centric filing with selective PCT and EPO coverage
The United States leads in jurisdictional filings, followed by WIPO PCT routes and the European Patent Office. Australia and India each show modest representation, and UAE and Canada each have a single filing. The PCT presence indicates that at least some applicants are pursuing broad international coverage, but the overall geographic footprint remains US-weighted, leaving non-US markets relatively less contested.
US-Led, PCT SelectiveGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric Co | GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (UK) | 2 |
| General Electric Co | GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECH LIMITEDU | 2 |
| GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (UK) | GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECH LIMITEDU | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
GE Power Conversion leads in H02M depth; Ohmium differentiates into electrolytic applications
The two largest filers have meaningfully different technology emphases: the GE entity is concentrated in AC/DC power conversion, while Ohmium International Inc extends into electrolytic compound production — reflecting its hydrogen electrolyzer focus. Both are marked as new entrants in momentum terms, consistent with the post-2019 formation of the corpus.
GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd
Holds 12 patent families, the largest position in the ranking. Technology emphasis is concentrated in H02M subclasses covering AC/DC power conversion (H02M3, H02M7, H02M1), with recent filings of 3 families flagged as a new entrant in the post-peak window. The closely related General Electric Co entity adds 2 additional families with overlapping H02M focus, and intra-GE co-filings reinforce the cluster’s consolidated position.
families: 12Ohmium International Inc
Holds 8 patent families, tied with Georgia Tech Research Corporation for second place. Its technology emphasis diverges from the field norm: C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) and H01F (magnets and transformers) appear prominently alongside H02M3, reflecting an application focus on solid-state transformer integration within hydrogen electrolyzer systems. With 6 recent families and a new-entrant momentum signal, Ohmium is the most active recent filer in the corpus.
families: 8| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric Co | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Ohmium International Inc | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Georgia Tech Research Corporation | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (UK) | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECH LIMITEDU | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches in motor control, thermal processing, and board integration
Four IPC branches in the corpus show notably sparse representation relative to the dominant H02M core. These are observations of relative filing sparsity; whether each constitutes an actionable opportunity depends on technical fit and organizational capability.
H02P · Control of motors and generators
H02P accounts for only 5 patent records and a 7% share of the technology composition — the largest of the under-represented branches. Solid-state transformers in industrial plants increasingly interface with variable-speed drives and motor-control loops; the sparse filing activity here suggests that integrated SST–drive control architectures are largely unclaimed. An entrant with existing motor-control IP could plausibly extend into this gap by addressing closed-loop control of SST-fed drive systems.
Search this in Eureka →F27B · Furnaces and kilns
F27B has only 1 patent record in the corpus, a 1% share, yet industrial furnaces and kilns are a direct end-use for solid-state transformers that offer precise, high-frequency power delivery. ABB (Schweiz) AG is the only applicant with an F27B filing (F27B3, arc furnace subclass), indicating that this application domain is essentially open. The entry path is technically specific — SST-based power supply for electric arc or induction furnaces — but the thermal processing market for solid-state power conversion is plausibly large.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02M 3 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02M 1 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02M 7 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02J 3 · Power supply & grid systems | H02M 5 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Electric Co | Strong · 8 | Moderate · 2 | Moderate · 4 | Absent | Moderate · 2 |
| GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (UK) | Strong · 6 | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Emerging · 1 | Absent |
| Ohmium International Inc | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 3 | Absent |
| Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Moderate · 2 | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 35 patent families in scope. Given the typical 18–24 month publication lag, filings from 2024 onward are likely under-counted in this total.
GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (GB) leads with 12 patent families, focused on H02M AC/DC power conversion subclasses. Ohmium International Inc and Georgia Tech Research Corporation each follow with 8 patent families.
It is highly concentrated: the top five filers account for 86% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers. This leaves limited open space in the core H02M power-conversion subclasses for new entrants.
H02M (power conversion AC/DC) is by far the dominant branch, followed by H02J (power supply and grid systems), C25B (electrolytic production of compounds), H01F (magnets, inductors and transformers), and H03K (pulse technique and logic circuits). F27B, H05B, and H05K each have minimal representation.
The field is assessed as Decline stage, with annual filings easing back from a peak in 2021. The most recent annual bars (2024–2026) are preliminary due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as the full picture of recent activity.
The United States leads in jurisdictional filings, followed by WIPO PCT routes and the European Patent Office. Australia and India have modest representation, while UAE and Canada each have a single filing, indicating a US-weighted geographic footprint.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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