Elevator control apparatus

• US 20010017236A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kazuyuki, Araki, Hiroshi, Tominaga, Shinji, Suga, Ikuro, Tajima, Shinobu
• Granted Patent: US 6,454,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/30 effective on driving gear , e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor

Abstract

An elevator control apparatus solves a problem in that charging and discharging characteristics of a battery used for a power storage unit changes with temperatures, and charging all regenerative electric power of the elevator may cause a sudden rise in the temperature of the battery especially at a low temperature, and a gas may be generated in the battery, leading to significant deterioration of the battery. The elevator control apparatus includes: a converter; an inverter; a controller for controlling a motor based on the AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency supplied from the inverter so as to operate an elevator; a power storage unit for storing the DC power; a thermistor for detecting a temperature of the power storage unit; a charge/discharge control circuit for controlling a charging and discharging electric energy based on the detected temperature and issuing a drive signal; and a charge/discharge circuit for charging and discharging the power storage unit based on the drive signal. The elevator control apparatus is capable of estimating a charging and discharging capability of the power storage unit and of protecting the power storage unit, restraining sudden deterioration of the power storage unit.

Claims

1. An elevator control apparatus comprising:

a converter for rectifying AC power to convert it into DC power;

an inverter for converting the DC power into AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency;

a controller for controlling a motor based on the AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency so as to operate an elevator;

a power storage unit for storing the DC power;

temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of the power storage unit;

a charge/discharge control circuit for controlling a charging and discharging electric energy based on the detected temperature and issuing a drive signal; and

a charge/discharge circuit for charging and discharging the power storage unit based on the drive signal.

3. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit issues a drive signal so that charging is carried out within a permissible range of a charge state of the power storage unit if a detected temperature of the power storage unit is lower than a preset predetermined temperature.

4. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes a setting range of the charge state of the power storage unit based on the detected temperature.

5. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes an upper limit value of the charge state of the power storage unit based on a mean temperature of the temperatures detected during a preset predetermined period of time.

6. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes the upper limit value of the charge state of the power storage unit based on a lowest temperature of the temperatures detected during a preset predetermined period of time.

7. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit carries out control so that an input voltage of the inverter is set at a constant voltage of a preset predetermined voltage, and issues a drive signal for charging the power storage unit with the regenerative electric power while conducting control so that, when a charge current supplied to the power storage unit reaches an upper limit value based on the detected temperature, the charge current does not exceed the upper limit value.

8. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit carries out control to charge the power storage unit with regenerative electric power so that an input voltage of the inverter is set at a constant voltage of a preset predetermined voltage, and issues a drive signal for stopping charging the power storage unit with regenerative electric power when a voltage of the power storage unit reaches a preset predetermined upper limit value based on the detected temperature.

9. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit carries out control so that charge current supplied to the power storage unit is set at a constant current of a preset predetermined current value, and carries out control to set the charge current supplied to the power storage unit at a constant current restricted to be lower than the predetermined current value and issues a drive signal for charging the power storage unit with the regenerative electric power if the detected temperature is not more than a first preset predetermined temperature or not less than a second preset predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature.

10. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising a resistor disposed in the vicinity of the power storage unit,

wherein the charge/discharge control circuit causes the resistor to consume regenerative electric power if the detected temperature of the power storage unit is a predetermined temperature or less.

11. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 10

, further comprising a second resistor disposed at a location away from the power storage unit,

wherein the charge/discharge control circuit causes the resistor disposed in the vicinity of the power storage unit to consume regenerative electric power if the detected temperature of the power storage unit is below a predetermined temperature, or causes the second resistor to consume the regenerative electric power if the detected temperature of the power storage unit is a predetermined temperature or more and the power storage unit cannot be charged with the regenerative electric power.

2. An elevator control apparatus comprising:

a converter for rectifying AC power to convert it into DC power;

an inverter for converting the DC power into AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency;

a controller for controlling a motor based on the AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency so as to operate an elevator;

a power storage unit for storing the DC power;

temperature detecting means for detecting an environmental temperature;

a charge/discharge control circuit for controlling a charging and discharging electric energy based on the detected temperature and issuing a drive signal; and

a charge/discharge circuit for charging and discharging the power storage unit based on the drive signal.

13. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes a setting range of the charge state of the power storage unit based on the detected temperature.

14. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes an upper limit value of the charge state of the power storage unit based on a mean temperature of the temperatures detected during a preset predetermined period of time.

15. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes the upper limit value of the charge state of the power storage unit based on a lowest temperature of the temperatures detected during a preset predetermined period of time.

16. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit carries out control so that an input voltage of the inverter is set at a constant voltage of a preset predetermined voltage, and issues a drive signal for charging the power storage unit with regenerative electric power while carrying out control so that, when charge current to the power storage unit reaches a preset predetermined upper limit value based on the detected temperature, the charge current does not exceed the upper limit value.

17. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit carries out control to charge the power storage unit with regenerative electric power so that an input voltage of the inverter is set at a constant voltage of a preset predetermined voltage, and issues a drive signal for stopping charging the power storage unit with regenerative electric power when a voltage of the power storage unit reaches a preset predetermined upper limit value based on the detected temperature.

18. An elevator control apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit carries out control so that charge current supplied to the power storage unit is set at a constant current of a preset predetermined current value, and issues a drive signal for charging the power storage unit with the regenerative electric power while conducting control to set the charge current supplied to the power storage unit at a constant current restricted to be lower than the predetermined current value if the detected temperature is not more than a first preset predetermined temperature, or not less than a second preset predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature.

12. An elevator control apparatus comprising:

a converter for rectifying AC power into DC power;

an inverter for converting the DC power into AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency;

a controller for controlling a motor based on the AC power of a variable voltage and a variable frequency so as to operate an elevator;

a power storage unit for storing the DC power;

clock means for clocking time of day;

a charge/discharge control circuit for controlling a charge/discharge electric energy based on an acquired time of day from the clock means and for issuing a drive signal; and

a charge/discharge circuit for charging or discharging the power storage unit based on the drive signal.