Pump controller system and method

• US 20080260540A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Flow Technologies LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Flow Technologies LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Koehl, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,371,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/44.2
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/10 Other safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/02 Stopping of pumps, or operating valves, on occurrence of unwanted conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0236 Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37371 Flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/202 actuated by an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0852 directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor in a control circuit H02H7/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a pump control system. One or more embodiments of the invention include a pump controller that can perform a self-calibrating procedure, can provide precise motor speed control, can provide a limp mode before shutting down the motor when system parameters are exceeded and/or fault conditions occur, can detect fault conditions, and can store fault conditions for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating a pump having a motor, the pump connected to a water distribution system, the method comprising:

operating the motor in a forward direction;

sensing a pressure in the water distribution system;

determining whether the sensed pressure has increased by a pressure increment;

increasing an operating frequency of the motor by a frequency increment if the sensed pressure has not increased by the pressure increment; and

storing a speed of the motor as a minimum calibrated speed value if the sensed pressure has increased by the pressure increment.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising reducing the speed of the motor by at least one frequency increment before storing the speed of the motor as the minimum calibrated speed value.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising sensing a pressure between the pump and a water tank.

4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising determining whether the sensed pressure has increased by a pressure increment of one pound per square inch and increasing an operating frequency of the motor by a frequency increment of one Hertz.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising setting at least one gain based on the minimum calibrated speed value.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising sensing a pressure in a water distribution system connected to at least one of a well pump system, a municipal water system, a pool system, a spa system, a recreational vehicle water system, a marine craft water system, a turf or irrigation system, and a pressure boost system.

7. The method of claim 1 and further comprising performing a regulation mode to increase the pressure in a water tank to a tank pressure setpoint and performing a search mode to increase the pressure in the water tank to a pressure increment above the tank pressure setpoint.

8. The method of claim 1 and further comprising setting a gain for a proportional/integral control loop based on the minimum calibrated speed value.