Pump controller system and method

• US 10,416,690 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Flow Technologies LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Koehl, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Binh Q
• Application Number:
  US15/219,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 417 441, 417 4411, 417 32, 417 45, 417 53, 4174233, 417213, 417252, 417253, 417302
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/10 Other safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/02 Stopping of pumps, or operating valves, on occurrence of unwanted conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0236 Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37371 Flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/202 actuated by an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0852 directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor in a control circuit H02H7/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a pump control system. One or more embodiments of the invention include a pump controller that can perform a self-calibrating procedure, can provide precise motor speed control, can provide a limp mode before shutting down the motor when system parameters are exceeded and/or fault conditions occur, can detect fault conditions, and can store fault conditions for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A pumping system programmable by a user, the pumping system comprising:

a pump;

a motor connected to the pump to drive the pump;

a controller including a variable speed drive that is electrically coupled to the motor to operate the motor at a variable speed;

a terminal including an auxiliary relay having a programmable output and in communication with the controller, the terminal is configured to receive a terminal input from the controller and to operate the auxiliary relay to control an auxiliary device via the programmable output;

an external device configured to receive an external device input; and

a communication means for transferring the external device input from the external device to the controller and for transferring parameters from the controller to the external device.

2. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include a run/stop input status.

3. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of variable speed drive frequency and motor speed.

4. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of bus voltage, bus current, input line voltage, and input line current.

5. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of input power to the pumping system and output power to the motor.

6. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of total operating hours, powered time, and running time.

7. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of a fault condition code, fault history, and dry running status.

8. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of controller parameters and software versions.

9. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include heat sink temperature.

10. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include auxiliary output relay status.

11. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the parameters include at least one of proportional gain, integral gain, calibrated minimum speed value, and a voltage-hertz curve setting.

12. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the external device is configured to run a terminal program.

13. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the communication means is permanently connected to the external device.

14. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the communication means is removably connected to the external device.

15. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the external device input is a software reset command.

16. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the controller has an Internet-protocol address.

17. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the communication means connects the controller via a network to a monitoring system.

18. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the communication means connects a plurality of controllers, each one of the plurality of controllers connected to a separate pumping system, via a network to a monitoring system.

37. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary device is at least one of a booster pump or a chemical dosing pump.

19. A method of programming a pumping system comprising a pump, a motor connected to the pump to drive the pump, a controller including a variable speed drive that is electrically coupled to the motor to operate the motor at a variable speed, a terminal including an auxiliary relay having a programmable output and in communication with the controller, the terminal is configured to receive a terminal input from the controller and to operate the auxiliary relay to control an auxiliary device via the programmable output, an external device configured to receive an external device input, a communication means for providing communication between the external device and the controller, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the external device and the controller over the communication means;

accessing the controller with the external device in order to communicate the external device input from the external device to the controller;

receiving the external device input at the controller; and

implementing the external device input with the controller.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read a run/stop input status.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of current drive frequency and motor speed.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of bus voltage, bus current, input line voltage, and input line current.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of input power and output power to the motor.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of total operating hours, powered time, and running time.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of a fault condition code, fault history, and dry running status.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of controller parameters and software versions.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read a heat sink temperature.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read an auxiliary output relay status.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a request to read at least one of proportional gain, integral gain, calibrated minimum speed value, and a voltage-hertz curve setting.

30. The method of claim 19 and further comprising the external device running a terminal program.

31. The method of claim 19 wherein establishing communication between the external device and the controller over the communication means further comprises permanently connecting a serial communication link to the external device.

32. The method of claim 19 wherein establishing communication between the external device and the controller over the communication means further comprises removably connecting a serial communication link to the external device.

33. The method of claim 19 wherein the external device input is a software reset command.

34. The method of claim 19 and further comprising assigning an Internet-protocol address to the controller.

35. The method of claim 19 and further comprising connecting the communication means to the controller via a network to a monitoring system.

36. The method of claim 19 and further comprising connecting the communication means to a plurality of controllers, each one of the plurality of controllers connected to a separate pumping system, via a network to a monitoring system.

38. The method of claim 19 further comprising connecting at least one of a booster pump or a chemical dosing pump to the auxiliary relay of the terminal.