MOTOR, A METHOD OF OPERATING A MOTOR, AND A SYSTEM INCLUDING A MOTOR

• US 20070152613A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: A. O. Smith Corporation
• Inventors: Mullin, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/432
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

An air movement system including a blower and an external controller operable to receive signals from a sensing device and generate a command based on the received signals. The command includes an address. The system also includes a communication channel coupled to the external controller and configured to communicate the command, and a motor assembly operable to drive the blower. The motor assembly includes a stator and rotor assembly coupled to the blower, and a drive circuit coupled to the stator and rotor assembly. The motor assembly includes a second controller and a memory. The memory includes a set of data having a plurality of addresses and an instruction associated with each address, respectively.

Claims

1. An air movement system comprising:

a blower;

an external controller operable to receive signals from a sensing device and generate a command based on the received signals, the command including an address;

a communication channel coupled to the external controller and configured to communicate the command;

a motor assembly operable to drive the blower, the motor assembly including

a stator and rotor assembly coupled to the blower, and

a drive circuit coupled to the stator and rotor assembly and having a second controller and a memory, the memory including a set of data having a plurality of addresses and an instruction associated with each address, respectively, of the plurality of addresses, the second controller being coupled to the communication channel, the second controller being configured to receive the command, to obtain an instruction from the set of data using the address of the command, and to drive the stator and rotor assembly based on the obtained instruction.

2. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a thermostat.

3. The movement system of claim 2, further comprising a second communication channel directly coupling the thermostat and the motor assembly such that the motor assembly drives the blower based on signals received from the thermostat via the second communication channel.

4. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the sensing device includes a temperature sensor.

5. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the second controller includes the memory.

6. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the communication channel includes a serial communication channel.

7. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes a second set of data corresponding to characterization data of the air movement system.

8. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the set of data includes a first address and a first instruction associated with the first address, and the set of data further includes a second address and a second instruction associated with the second address.

9. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first speed demand and the second instruction includes a second speed demand.

10. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first torque demand and the second instruction includes a second torque demand.

11. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first air-flow demand and the second instruction includes a second air-flow demand.

12. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first time delay and the second instruction includes a second time-delay.

13. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first timing profile and the second instruction includes a second timing profile.

14. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first speed demand and a first timing profile, and the second instruction includes a second speed demand and a second timing profile.

15. The movement system of claim 8, wherein the first instruction includes a first air flow demand and a first timing profile, and the second instruction includes a second air flow demand and a second timing profile.

16. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the address of the command includes an indication of the status of the air movement system.

17. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the air movement system further comprises a thermostat having the external controller, and wherein the address indicates a state of the thermostat.

18. The movement system of claim 1, wherein the address relates to a state of the air movement system.

19. A method for assembling an air movement system, the method comprising:

providing an external controller operable to receive signals from a sensing device, and generate commands based on the received signals, the command including an address;

providing a motor assembly including

a stator and rotor assembly operable to drive a blower, and

a drive circuit having a second controller and a memory;

coupling the external controller to the second controller with a communication channel;

programming the memory with a first set of data corresponding to characterization data of the air movement system; and

programming the memory with a second set of data having a plurality of addresses and an instruction associated with each address, respectfully, of the plurality addresses.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the programming the memory with a second set of data includes relating the plurality of addresses to the instruction associated with each address, respectfully.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein coupling the external controller to the second controller includes providing a serial cable and connecting the external controller to the second controller with the serial cable.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising directly coupling a thermostat to the external controller.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising directly coupling a thermostat to the motor assembly.

24. A method of operating an air movement system including

a blower,

an external controller, and

a motor assembly having

a stator and rotor assembly coupled to the blower, and

a drive circuit coupled to the stator and rotor assembly, having a second controller coupled to the external controller via a communication channel, and a memory including a first set of data having a plurality of addresses and an instruction associated with each address, respectively, and a second set of data corresponding to characterization data of the air movement system, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal with the external controller;

generating a command based on the first signal, the command including an address;

transmitting a second signal from the external controller to the second controller, the second signal including the command;

processing the second signal;

selecting an instruction from the first set of data based on the address of the command and the plurality of addresses of the set of data; and

driving the blower with the motor according to the selected instruction.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising selecting an instruction from the second set of data based on the address of the command and the plurality of addresses of the set of data.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the second controller includes the memory.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein receiving the first signal includes receiving the first signal from a thermostat coupled to the external controller.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the generating a command includes generating the address corresponding to an address in the first set of data.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein selecting data includes

relating the address of the command to an address of the first set of data, and

selecting the instruction associated with the related address of the first set of data.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the generating a command includes generating the address corresponding to an address in the second set of data.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the generating a command includes generating the address indicating a state of the air movement system.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the air movement system includes a thermostat, and wherein the generating a command includes generating the address indicating a state of the thermostat.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the transmitting a second signal includes transmitting the second signal via a serial cable.

34. The method of claim 24, further comprising

sending a delay signal from the external controller to the second controller,

processing the delay signal by the second controller, and

driving the blower according to the processed delay signal.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected instruction includes a speed demand, and wherein the driving the blower with the motor is according to the speed demand.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected instruction includes a torque demand, and wherein the driving the blower with the motor is according to the torque demand.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected instruction includes an air flow demand, and wherein the driving the blower with the motor is according to the air flow demand.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected instruction includes a timing profile, and wherein the driving the blower with the motor is according to the timing profile.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected instruction includes a speed demand and a timing profile, and wherein the driving the blower with the motor is according to the speed demand and the timing profile.

40. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected instruction includes an air-flow demand and a timing profile, and wherein the driving the blower with the motor is according to the air flow demand and the timing profile.

41. A method of operating an air movement system including

a blower;

an external controller,

a motor assembly having

a stator and rotor assembly coupled to the blower, and

a drive circuit coupled to the stator and rotor assembly, having a second controller coupled to the external controller, the second controller having a first set of data with a plurality of addresses and an instruction associated with each address, respectively, and a second set of data corresponding to characterization data of the air movement system, and

a thermostat coupled to the external controller, the method comprising;

receiving a first signal from the thermostat with the external controller;

generating a command based on the first signal, the command including a status portion;

sending a second signal including the command from the external controller to the second controller;

processing the second signal;

selecting an instruction from the first set of data based on the status portion and the plurality of addresses of the first set of data; and

driving the blower with the motor according to the selected instruction.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the generating the status portion includes generating the status portion based on a state of the air movement system.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the generating the status portion includes generating the status portion based on a state of the thermostat.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the selecting an instruction includes

relating the status portion to an address of the first set of data, and

selecting the instruction associated with the related address of the first set of data.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the selecting an instruction includes

relating the status portion to an address of the second set of data, and

selecting the instruction associated with the related address of the second set of data.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the transmitting a second signal includes transmitting the second signal via a serial cable.

47. A method of operating an air movement system including

a blower,

a thermostat, and

a motor assembly having

a stator and rotor assembly coupled to the blower, and

a drive circuit coupled to the stator and rotor assembly, having a second controller coupled to the thermostat, the second controller having a first set of data having a plurality of addresses and an instruction associated with each address, respectively, and a second set of data corresponding to characterization data of the air movement system, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from the thermostat with the external controller;

generating a command based on the first signal, the command including a status portion;

sending a second signal including the command from the thermostat to the second controller;

processing the second signal;

selecting an instruction from the first set of data based on the status portion and the plurality of addresses of the set of data; and

driving the blower with the motor according to the selected instruction.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the generating the status portion includes generating the status portion based on a state of the thermostat.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the selecting an instruction includes

relating the status portion to an address of the first set of data, and

selecting the instruction associated with the related address of the first set of data.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the selecting an instruction includes

relating the status portion to an address of the second set of data, and

selecting the instruction associated with the related address of the second set of data.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the transmitting a second signal includes transmitting the second signal via a serial cable.