Methods and systems for recording operating information of an electric motor

• US 10,069,451 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Inventors: Beifus, Brian L., Selking, Paul N., Gurudasani, Vijay D., Koller, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Antony M
• Application Number:
  US15/460,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 318565, 31840021, 3185681, 31840001, 31840012, 31840032, 318783, 318799, 318515, 318543, 31840022, 318490, 318700, 318727, 318782, 361 22, 361 23, 361 56, 361 88, 361 90, 361 911, 361111, 361272, 361534, 361 30, 388903, 388904, 388909, 363 5605, 363 5608, 363 5607, 363 5612
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23193 Memory stores lifetime, different settings, configurations of controlled device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24053 Diagnostic of controlled machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24067 Processor stores variables, events and date in eeprom, for external monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/02 Providing protection against overload without automatic interruption of supply protection against faults of stepper motors H02P8/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/024 Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/0241 the fault being an overvoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/06 Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/34 Modelling or simulation for control purposes

Abstract

A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a motor controller communicatively coupled to an electric motor, said motor controller comprising;

a processing device configured to collect operating data from the electric motor, collect motor controller information from said motor controller, and identify when a motor controller failure occurs;

a memory device communicatively coupled to said processing device, said memory device configured to receive and store (i) motor operating information in response to identifying the motor controller failure, and (ii) motor controller information for use by a successive motor controller; and

a voltage protection circuit coupled to said memory device, said voltage protection circuit configured to prevent high-voltage damage to said memory device; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to said motor controller, said computing device configured to communicate with said motor controller to retrieve at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information for display to a user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computing device is further configured to communicate wirelessly with said memory device to retrieve the at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said memory device is further configured to communicate wirelessly with said processing device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the motor operating information comprises at least one of production process information, scratch-pad information, a total length of time said electric motor receives power, a total length of time said electric motor has run, a total length of time said electric motor has operated in a cutback region, a total length of time said electric motor has operated with a temperature above a thermal limit setting, a total number of cycles said electric motor has completed, a high operating temperature, a low operating temperature, a final operating torque level, a final operating bus voltage, a last operating speed, a last module temperature, a count of fault events, a count of reset cycles, a count of oscillator stop events, and a count of stall events.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller is integral with the electric motor.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller is positioned remotely from the electric motor.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said voltage protection circuit comprises one or more signal diodes that limit a terminal voltage at said memory device to a predefined voltage.

8. A method of recording operating information of a motor, said method comprising:

collecting, by a processing device of a motor controller coupled to the motor, (i) operating data from the motor, and (ii) motor controller data from the motor controller;

identifying, by the processing device, when a motor controller failure occurs;

receiving and storing, by a memory device communicatively coupled to the processing device, (i) operating data in response to identifying the motor controller failure, and (ii) motor controller data for use by a successive motor controller for controlling the motor upon replacement of the motor controller;

coupling a voltage protection circuit to the memory device to prevent high-voltage damage to the memory device; and

retrieving, by a computing device communicatively coupled to the motor controller, at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information for display to a user.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein coupling the voltage protection circuit to the memory device further comprises coupling at least one Zener diode to the memory device.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein retrieving at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information comprises wirelessly communicating with the memory device to retrieve the at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the memory device is further configured to communicate wirelessly with the processing device.

12. A system comprising:

a motor controller communicatively coupled to an electric motor, said motor controller comprising;

a processing device configured to collect operating data from the electric motor, collect motor controller information from said motor controller, and identify when a motor controller failure occurs; and

a memory device communicatively coupled to said processing device, said memory device configured to receive and store (i) motor operating information in response to identifying the motor controller failure, (ii) motor controller information for use by a successive motor controller, and (iii) identification and tracking information for each electric motor that has been coupled to said motor controller; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to said motor controller, said computing device configured to communicate with said motor controller to retrieve at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information for display to a user.

13. A method of recording operating information of a motor, said method comprising:

collecting, by a processing device of a motor controller coupled to the motor, (i) operating data from the motor, and (ii) motor controller data from the motor controller;

identifying, by the processing device, when a motor controller failure occurs;

receiving and storing, by a memory device communicatively coupled to the processing device, (i) operating data in response to identifying the motor controller failure, (ii) motor controller data for use by a successive motor controller for controlling the motor upon replacement of the motor controller, and (iii) identification and tracking information for each electric motor that has been coupled to the motor controller; and

retrieving, by a computing device communicatively coupled to the motor controller, at least one of the motor operating information and the motor controller information for display to a user.