Method and apparatus for sizing a power processing device serving multiple drive units

• US 20060074573A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/60
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/60 controlling combinations of dc and ac dynamo-electric motors H02P5/46 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for determining supply requirements for a motor control system includes determining a performance profile for each of a plurality of drive units. A power supply parameter for each drive unit is generated based on the performance profiles. The power supply parameters for the drive units are combined to generate a rating parameter for the motor control system. In some embodiments, instructions for implementing the method may be encoded on a program storage device or programmed into a processing device for execution.

Claims

1. A method for determining supply requirements for a motor control system, comprising:

determining a performance profile for each of a plurality of drive units;

generating a power supply parameter for each drive unit based on the performance profiles; and

combining the power supply parameters for the drive units to generate a rating parameter for the motor control system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power supply parameter comprises determining a current parameter for each of the drive units, and determining the rating parameter further comprises determining a combined current parameter for the motor control system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the current parameter for each of the drive units further comprises determining at least one of a continuous current parameter and a peak current parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the performance profile comprises determining a power profile for each of the drive units.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the power supply parameter further comprises determining a current parameter based on the power profile.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving synchronization data relating at least two of the drive units; and

combining the power supply parameters based on the synchronization data to generate the rating parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the generated rating parameter to a rating parameter of a power processing device; and

determining the suitability of the power processing device for providing power to the motor control system responsive to the generated rating parameter being less than the rating parameter of the power processing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the generated rating parameter to rating parameters associated with a plurality of power processing devices; and

selecting at least one of the power processing devices as being suitable for providing power to the motor control system based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the generated rating parameter to rating parameters associated with a plurality of power processing devices;

dividing the plurality of drive units into at least two sets; and

selecting at least one of the power processing devices for each of the sets based on the comparison.

10. A program storage device encoded with instruction that, when executed by a processing device, perform a method for determining supply requirements for a motor control system, the method comprising:

determining a performance profile for each of a plurality of drive units;

generating a power supply parameter for each drive unit based on the performance profiles; and

combining the power supply parameters for the drive units to generate a rating parameter for the motor control system.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein determining the power supply parameter in the method comprises determining a current parameter for each of the drive units, and determining the rating parameter in the method further comprises determining a combined current parameter for the motor control system.

12. The program storage device of claim 11, wherein determining the current parameter for each of the drive units in the method further comprises determining at least one of a continuous current parameter and a peak current parameter.

13. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein determining the performance profile in the method comprises determining a power profile for each of the drive units.

14. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein generating the power supply parameter in the method further comprises determining a current parameter based on the power profile.

15. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving synchronization data relating at least two of the drive units; and

combining the power supply parameters based on the synchronization data to generate the rating parameter.

16. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the generated rating parameter to a rating parameter of a power processing device; and

determining the suitability of the power processing device for providing power to the motor control system responsive to the generated rating parameter being less than the rating parameter of the power processing device.

17. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the generated rating parameter to rating parameters associated with a plurality of power processing devices; and

selecting at least one of the power processing devices as being suitable for providing power to the motor control system based on the comparison.

18. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the generated rating parameter to rating parameters associated with a plurality of power processing devices;

dividing the plurality of drive units into at least two sets; and

selecting at least one of the power processing devices for each of the sets based on the comparison.

19. A sizing tool for determining supply requirements for a motor control system, comprising:

a processing device programmed with instructions, that when executed, perform a method, comprising;

determining a performance profile for each of a plurality of drive units;

generating a power supply parameter for each drive unit based on the performance profiles; and

combining the power supply parameters for the drive units to generate a rating parameter for the motor control system.

20. A sizing tool for determining supply requirements for a motor control system, comprising:

means for determining a performance profile for each of a plurality of drive units;

means for generating a power supply parameter for each drive unit based on the performance profiles; and

means for combining the power supply parameters for the drive units to generate a rating parameter for the motor control system.