Controller for a motor and a method of controlling the motor
First Claim
1. A pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid, a drain, and a return, the pumping apparatus being connectable to a power source and comprising:
- a pump including an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return, the pump adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return;
a motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump;
a sensor connectable to the power source and configured to generate a signal having a relation to a parameter of the motor;
a switch coupled to the motor and configured to control at least a characteristic of the motor; and
a microcontroller coupled to the sensor and the switch, the microcontroller configured to generate a derivative value based on the signal, and to control the motor based on the derivative value.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid system includes a pump having an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return. The pump is adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return. The pumping apparatus includes a motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump, a sensor connectable to the power source and configured to generate a signal having a relation to a parameter of the motor, and a switch coupled to the motor and configured to control at least a characteristic of the motor. The pumping apparatus also includes a microcontroller coupled to the sensor and the switch. The microcontroller is configured to generate a derivative value based on the signal, and to control the motor based on the derivative value.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid, a drain, and a return, the pumping apparatus being connectable to a power source and comprising:
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a pump including an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return, the pump adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return; a motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump; a sensor connectable to the power source and configured to generate a signal having a relation to a parameter of the motor; a switch coupled to the motor and configured to control at least a characteristic of the motor; and a microcontroller coupled to the sensor and the switch, the microcontroller configured to generate a derivative value based on the signal, and to control the motor based on the derivative value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid, a drain, and a return, the pumping apparatus being connectable to a power source and comprising:
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a pump including an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return, the pump adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return; a motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump; a sensor coupled to the motor and configured to generate a signal having a relation to a power of the motor; a switch coupled to the motor and configured to control at least a characteristic of the motor; and a microcontroller coupled to the sensor and the relay circuit, the microcontroller configured to generate a derivative value of a parameter based on the signal, and to control the motor based on the derivative value. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling a motor operating a pumping apparatus of a fluid-pumping application, the pumping apparatus comprising a pump having an inlet to receive a fluid and an outlet to exhaust the fluid, and the motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump, the method comprising:
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sensing a motor current; sensing a motor voltage; obtaining a derivative value of the motor power based on the sensed voltage and the sensed current; determining whether the derivative value indicates a condition of the pump; and controlling the motor to operate the pump based on the condition of the pump. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid, a drain, and a return, the pumping apparatus being connectable to a power source and comprising:
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a pump including an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return, the pump adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return; a motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump; a sensor connectable to the power source and configured to generate a signal having a relation to a parameter of the motor; a switch coupled to the motor and configured to control at least a characteristic of the motor; and a derivative device coupled to the sensor and the switch, the derivative device configured to generate a derivative value based on the signal to control the motor based on the derivative value.
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- 20. The pumping apparatus of claim 20, wherein the derivative device includes an operational amplifier circuit.
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25. A pumping apparatus for a jetted-fluid system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid, a drain, and a return, the pumping apparatus being connectable to a power source and comprising:
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a pump comprising an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return, the pump adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return; a motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump; a sensor configured to generate a signal having a relation to a parameter of the motor; a switch coupled to the motor and configured to control a characteristic of the motor; and a microcontroller coupled to the sensor and the switch, the microcontroller configured to generate a value based on the signal, the value having a relation to the motor torque, and to control the motor based on the value. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of controlling a motor operating a pumping apparatus of a jetted fluid system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid, a drain, and a return, the pumping apparatus comprising a pump having an inlet connectable to the drain, and an outlet connectable to the return, the pump adapted to receive the fluid from the drain and jet fluid through the return, and the motor coupled to the pump to operate the pump, the method comprising:
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controlling the motor to operate the pump; sensing a current of the motor; calculating a torque of the motor based on the sensed current; determining whether the torque indicates a condition of the pump; and further controlling the motor to operate the pump based on the condition of the pump. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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Specification