Systems and methods of controlling a maximum power output level of an engine-driven power source system

• US 10,416,701 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lincoln Global Incorporated (Lincoln Electric Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Enyedy, Edward A., Chantry, Bruce John
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Tha-O H
• Application Number:
  US15/638,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 700297
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/67 to the maximum power available from a generator, e.g. from solar cell

Abstract

An electric arc generation device includes an internal combustion engine operatively coupled to a generator, an arc generation power supply powered by the generator, an ECU configured to control a maximum power output level of the engine according to one of a low power routine and a high power routine, and a position signal receiver operatively connected to the ECU. The position signal receiver is configured to receive a position signal, generate current position information based on the position signal, and provide the current position information to the ECU. The ECU is configured to compare the current position information to predetermined region data, and automatically switch from one of the high power routine and the low power routine to a different one of the high power routine and the low power routine based on a result of the comparing, to automatically control the maximum power output level of the engine.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an engine-driven electric arc generation device, comprising the steps of:

providing the engine-driven electric arc generation device, wherein the engine-driven electric arc generation device comprises;

an internal combustion engine operatively coupled to an electric generator;

an arc generation power supply powered by the electric generator;

an engine control unit (ECU) configured to control a maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine when running, according to one of a low power routine and a high power routine; and

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver operatively connected to the ECU;

receiving, by the GNSS receiver, GNSS signals;

determining current position information of the engine-driven electric arc generation device from the GNSS signals;

comparing the current position information to predetermined low power routine region data; and

automatically switching, by the ECU, from the high power routine to the low power routine based on a result of comparing the current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data, to automatically limit the maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine according to the low power routine when running.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data is performed by the ECU.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data is performed by a central controller that is remote from the engine-driven electric arc generation device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically switching, by the ECU, from the low power routine to the high power routine based on another result of comparing current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the engine-driven electric arc generation device includes a welding torch operatively connected to the arc generation power supply.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the engine-driven electric arc generation devices includes a cutting torch operatively connected to the arc generation power supply.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GNSS receiver is a GPS receiver configured to receive GPS signals.

8. An engine-driven electric arc generation device, comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

an electric generator driven by the internal combustion engine;

an arc generation power supply powered by the electric generator;

an engine control unit (ECU) configured to control a maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine when running, according to one of a low power routine and a high power routine; and

a position signal receiver operatively connected to the ECU, wherein the position signal receiver is configured to receive a position signal, generate current position information based on the position signal, and provide the current position information to the ECU,

wherein the ECU is configured to compare the current position information to predetermined region data, and automatically switch from one of the high power routine and the low power routine to a different one of the high power routine and the low power routine based on a result of comparing the current position information to the predetermined region data, to automatically control the maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine according to said different one of the high power routine and the low power routine when running.

9. The engine-driven electric arc generation device of claim 8, wherein the position signal receiver is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver.

10. The engine-driven electric arc generation device of claim 8, wherein the predetermined region data defines a low power routine region in which the low power routine is used by the ECU to automatically limit the maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine when running.

11. The engine-driven electric arc generation device of claim 10, wherein the ECU is configured to automatically switch from the low power routine to the high power routine when the engine-driven electric arc generation device exits the low power routine region.

12. The engine-driven electric arc generation device of claim 8, further comprising a welding torch operatively connected to the arc generation power supply.

13. The engine-driven electric arc generation device of claim 8, further comprising a cutting torch operatively connected to the arc generation power supply.

14. A method of controlling an engine-driven device, comprising the steps of:

providing the engine-driven device, wherein the engine-driven device comprises;

an internal combustion engine;

an engine control unit (ECU) configured to control a maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine when running, according to one of a low power routine and a high power routine; and

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver operatively connected to the ECU;

receiving, by the GNSS receiver, GNSS signals;

determining current position information of the engine-driven device from the GNSS signals;

comparing the current position information to predetermined low power routine region data; and

automatically switching, by the ECU, from the high power routine to the low power routine based on a result of comparing the current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data, to automatically limit the maximum power output level of the internal combustion engine according to the low power routine when running.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of comparing the current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data is performed by the ECU.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of comparing the current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data is performed by a central controller that is remote from the engine-driven device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of automatically switching, by the ECU, from the low power routine to the high power routine based on another result of comparing current position information to the predetermined low power routine region data.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the GNSS receiver is a GPS receiver configured to receive GPS signals.