Method of operating an engine cooling permanent magnet DC motor to increase motor life

• US 20060004501A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Simofi-Ilyes, Attila, Volkening, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/174,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004501A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/082 the unit having provision for cooling the motor
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/5806 Cooling the drive system

Abstract

A method is provided for cleaning a DC permanent magnet motor 15 of a vehicle. The motor 15 has a commutator 16 and brushes 18 and is capable of operating at, at least a low speed and a high speed. The method obtains certain operating data associated with the vehicle. The certain operating data is compared to a threshold. If the certain operating data is greater than the threshold, it is determined if a speed of the vehicle is greater than a certain value. If the speed of the vehicle is greater than the certain value, the motor 15 is operated at high speed for a certain amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a DC permanent magnet motor of a vehicle, the motor having a commutator and brushes and being capable of operating at, at least a low speed and a high speed, the method including:

obtaining certain operating data associated with the vehicle,

comparing the certain operating data to a threshold,

if the certain operating data is greater than the threshold, determining if a speed of the vehicle is greater than a certain value, and

if the speed of the vehicle is greater than the certain value, operating the motor at high speed for a certain amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operating data is distance the vehicle was driven.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is a distance driven of at least 5000 kilometers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operating data is hours of operation of an engine of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold is at least 100 hours of operations of the engine of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain operating data is a number of times the motor is operated only at low speed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold is at least 30 times the motor is operated only at low speed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain value of vehicle speed is at least 60 km/hr.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor is operated by a controller.

10. The method claim 1, wherein the certain amount of time is at least ten minutes.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for cleaning a DC permanent magnet motor of a vehicle based on obtaining certain operating data associated with the vehicle, the motor having a commutator and brushes and being capable of operating at, at least a low speed and a high speed, the sequence of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

comparing the certain operating data to a threshold,

if the certain operating data is greater than the threshold, determining if a speed of the vehicle is greater than a certain value, and

if the speed of the vehicle is greater than the certain value, operating the motor at high speed for a certain amount of time.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the certain operating data is distance the vehicle was driven.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the threshold is a distance driven of at least 5000 kilometers.

14. The media of claim 11, wherein the certain operating data is hours of operation of an engine of the vehicle.

15. The media of claim 14, wherein the threshold is at least 100 hours of operations of the engine of the vehicle.

16. The media of claim 11, wherein the certain operating data is a number of times the motor is operated only at low speed.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the threshold is at least 30 times the motor is operated only at low speed.

18. The media of claim 11, wherein the certain value of vehicle speed is at least 60 km/hr.

19. The media of claim 11, in combination with a controller having a processor, the controller being constructed and arranged to control operation of the motor.

20. A controller for operating a DC permanent magnet motor of a vehicle to clean the motor, the motor having a commutator and brushes and being capable of operating at, at least a low speed and a high speed, the controller comprising:

means for obtaining certain operating data associated with the vehicle,

means for comparing the certain operating data to a threshold, and

if the certain operating data is greater than the threshold, means for determining if a speed of the vehicle is greater than a certain value,

wherein, if the speed of the vehicle is greater than the certain value, the controller being constructed and arranged to operate the motor at high speed for a certain amount of time.

21. The controller of claim 20, wherein the means for obtaining certain operating data is a timer that determines run time of an engine of the vehicle.

22. The controller of claim 20, wherein the means for obtaining certain operating data is a counter that counts a number of startups of the motor at low speed only.

23. The controller of claim 20, wherein the means for obtaining certain operating data is a device that measures distance traveled of the vehicle.