Pump controller system and method

• US 20090104044A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Flow Technologies LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Sta-Rite Industries LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Koehl, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,976,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/53
• 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 regulating a speed of a motor in a pump, the pump connected to a water distribution system, the method comprising:

measuring an actual pressure in the water distribution system;

determining whether the actual pressure is less than, greater than, or equal to a constant pressure setpoint;

subtracting the actual pressure from a desired pressure to determine a pressure error if the actual pressure is less than or greater than the constant pressure setpoint;

determining an integral of the pressure error;

multiplying the integral by an integral gain to determine a first value;

multiplying the pressure error by a proportional gain to determine a second value;

summing the first value and the second value; and

generating an updated speed control command based on the sum of the first value and the second value.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising measuring the actual pressure between the pump and a water tank.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating an updated speed control command that includes a pulse-width modulated signal.

4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating an updated speed control command that includes a space vector pulse-width modulated signal.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating the updated speed control command in real-time.

6. The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating an updated speed control command that includes a motor drive frequency.

7. The method of claim 1 and further comprising determining whether the actual pressure is greater than a high band pressure or less than a low band pressure.

8. The method of claim 7 and further comprising generating an updated speed control command when the actual pressure is less than the low band pressure.

9. The method of claim 7 and further comprising generating an updated speed control command until the actual pressure is greater than the high band pressure.

10. The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating a motor command including the updated speed control command and a minimum calibrated speed value.

11. The method of claim 1 and further comprising measuring an actual 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 booster system.