Motor controller and control method thereof, and error detecting apparatus of inverter

• US 20070040532A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Pyeong-ki, Hamaoka, Koji, Seo, Jeong-ho, Kim, Yun-jeong, Bae, Hun-yub, Oh, Kwang-kyo, Yoo, Han-joo
• Application Number:
  US11/442,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040532A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/801
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0833 for electric motors with control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/093 against increase beyond, or decrease below, a predetermined level of rotational speed centrifugal switches H01H35/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2205/01 Current loop, i.e. comparison of the motor current with a current reference

Abstract

A motor controller, including: a power supply which supplies DC power; an inverter which converts the DC power into AC power to be supplied to a motor; a shunt resistor which connects the power supply and the inverter; and a controller which supplies a control signal to the inverter to drive the motor and determines an error of the inverter when it is determined that a size of voltage between both ends of the shunt resistor is less than a predetermined first reference value. Thus, a motor controller is provided which detects an error of an inverter more easily and precisely, and a control method thereof and an error detecting apparatus of an inverter.

Claims

1. A motor controller, comprising:

a power supply which supplies DC power;

an inverter which converts the DC power into AC power to be supplied to a motor;

a shunt resistor which connects the power supply and the inverter; and

a controller which supplies a control signal to the inverter to drive the motor and determines an error of the inverter when a size of a voltage between ends of the shunt resistor is less than a predetermined first reference value.

2. The motor controller according to claim 1, further comprising a display part which displays information indicting an error thereon,

wherein the controller controls the display part to indicate the error of the inverter thereon.

3. The motor controller according to claim 2, wherein the controller comprises a voltage detector which detects the size of the voltage between ends of the shunt resistor, and a microcomputer which supplies the control signal to the inverter to drive the motor, and causes a display of a break of at least one switching element in the inverter, on the display part when the size of the detected voltage is less than the predetermined first reference value.

4. The motor controller according to claim 3, wherein the microcomputer calculates an average size of the voltage detected for predetermined periods of time, and causes a display of the break of at least one switching element in the inverter, on the display part when the calculated average size of the voltage is less than the first reference value.

5. The motor controller according to claim 2, wherein the controller supplies the control signal to the inverter to drive the motor and displays the error of the inverter on the display part when the size of the voltage between ends of the shunt resistor is greater than a predetermined second reference value.

6. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein the motor comprises a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor.

7. The motor controller according to claim 2, wherein the motor comprises a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor.

8. The motor controller according to claim 3, wherein the motor comprises a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor.

9. The motor controller according to claim 4, wherein the motor comprises a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor.

10. The motor controller according to claim 5, wherein the motor comprises a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor.

11. A method of controlling a motor controller having a shunt resistor and an inverter, comprising:

a supplying a control signal to the inverter to drive a motor;

a detecting a size of a voltage between ends of the shunt resistor;

a comparing the size of the detected voltage with a first reference value; and

a displaying an error of the inverter when the size of the detected voltage is less than the first reference value.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

comparing the size of the detected voltage with a second reference value; and

displaying the error of the inverter when the size of the detected voltage is greater than the second reference value.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

a calculating an average size of the voltage detected for predetermined periods of time; and

a displaying the error of the inverter when the calculated average size is less than the first reference value or greater than the second reference value.

14. An error detecting apparatus of an inverter having a shunt resistor, comprising:

a voltage detector which detects a size of a voltage between ends of the shunt resistor; and

a microcomputer which determines an error of the inverter when the size of the voltage detected by the voltage detector is less than a first reference value.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a display part which displays a warning message thereon, wherein

the microcomputer causes the display of an indication of the error of the inverter on the display part when determined that the inverter is broken.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the microcomputer causes the display of an indication of the error of the inverter on the display part when the size of the voltage detected by the voltage detector is greater than a second reference value.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the microcomputer calculates an average size of the voltage detected for predetermined periods of time, and causes the display of an indication of the error of the inverter on the display part when the calculated average size of the voltage is less than the first reference value or greater than the second reference value.

18. A motor controlling system, comprising:

a shunt resistor which connects a power supply to a power inverter which converts DC power from the power supply into AC power to be supplied to a motor; and

a controller which supplies a control signal to drive a motor to an inverter and determines whether there is an error of the inverter when a size of a voltage between ends of the shunt resistor is less than a predetermined reference value.