PUMP ASSEMBLY HAVING AN INTEGRATED USER INTERFACE

• US 20100189572A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grundfos Pumps Corporation (POUL DUE Jensen's FOND)
• Original Assignee: Grundfos Pumps Corporation (POUL DUE Jensen's FOND)
• Inventors: HANSEN, KIM HOERDUM
• Granted Patent: US 9,360,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 417/44.100
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0027 Varying behaviour or the very pump F04D15/0055 and F04D29/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0227 Lack of liquid level being detected using a flow transducer

Abstract

A pump assembly includes a permanent magnet motor having a stator with coil windings, a rotor assembly having a shaft and an impeller attached to the shaft, with the shaft being driven by the stator and the impeller driving fluid through the pump assembly, and a control module having a controller and a user interface. The controller measures characteristics of the stator, the controller determines at least one of the flow rate and the pressure of the fluid moved through the pump assembly based on the characteristics measured, and the user interface is configured to display an output representative of the flow rate. A method of operating a pump includes the steps of measuring at least one operating characteristic of the pump utilizing the controller integrated with the pump, determining a flow characteristic of the pump based on the at least one measured operating characteristic, and displaying the determined flow characteristic on a user interface integrated with the pump.

Claims

1. A pump assembly comprising:

a permanent magnet motor having a stator with coil windings;

a rotor assembly having a shaft, and an impeller attached to the shaft, the shaft being driven by the stator, the impeller driving fluid through the pump assembly; and

a control module having a controller and a user interface, the controller measuring characteristics of the stator, the controller determining at least one of the flow rate and the pressure of the fluid moved through the pump assembly based on the characteristics measured, and the user interface being configured to display an output representative of at least one of the flow rate arid the pressure of the fluid.

2. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the stator for supplying power to the coil windings, the controller measuring the amount of power used to drive the permanent magnet motor, the controller determining at least one of the flow rate and the pressure of the fluid moved through the pump assembly based on a power balance formula.

3. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the stator for supplying power to the coil windings, the controller measuring at least one of a current and a voltage of the permanent magnet motor, the controller determining at least one of the flow rate and the pressure of the fluid moved through the pump assembly based on the current or the frequency measured.

4. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller measures characteristics relating to a power consumed by the stator and a speed of the rotor to determine at least one of the flow rate and the pressure of the fluid moved through the pump assembly.

5. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the control module determines the flow rate and the pressure without the use of a flow sensor.

6. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the control module is housed within a pump housing.

7. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the user interface is provided on an outer surface of the pump assembly.

8. The pump assembly of claim 1, wherein the coil windings are electrically connected to the controller and the user interface is electrically connected to the controller.

9. A control module for a permanent magnet motor pump, the control module comprising:

a controller configured to be coupled to a stator of the permanent magnet motor, the controller being configured to be coupled to a power source, the controller supplying power to coil windings of the stator and the controller measuring characteristics of the stator, wherein the controller determines a flow characteristic of the fluid moved by the permanent magnet motor pump based on the characteristics of the stator measured;

, and.

a user interface integrated with the controller, the user interface displaying an output representative of the flow characteristic of the fluid.

10. The control module of claim 9, wherein the controller measures a current supplied to the coil windings and the controller measures a voltage of a power supply to the pump, the controller determining the flow characteristic based on the current measured and the voltage measured.

11. The control module of claim 9, wherein the controller measures characteristics relating to a power consumed by the stator and a speed of a rotor driven by the stator to determine the flow characteristic including a flow rate and a pressure.

12. The control module of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a circuit board, the user interface being mechanically and electrically connected to the circuit board.

13. A method of operating a pump, the method comprising:

measuring at least one operating characteristic of the pump utilizing the controller integrated with the pump;

determining a flow characteristic of the fluid moved through the pump based on the at least one measured operating characteristic; and

displaying the determined flow characteristic on a user interface integrated with the pump.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of measuring at least one operating characteristic of the pump includes measuring a current supplied to the pump and measuring a speed of a rotor of the pump.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the pump comprises a permanent magnet motor pump having a stator, the step of measuring at least one operating characteristic of the pump includes measuring at least one operating characteristic of the stator of the permanent magnet motor pump.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the pump comprises a permanent magnet motor pump having a stator with coil windings, the step of measuring at least one operating characteristic of the pump includes measuring a voltage frequency of the coil windings.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining is performed without the use of a flow sensor measuring the flow rate of the throughput of the pump and without the use of a pressure sensor measuring the flow pressure of the throughput of the pump.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the controller within a housing of the pump, wherein the user interface is mechanically and electrically coupled to the controller.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling a power source to the controller, wherein the step of measuring at least one operating characteristic of the pump includes measuring a power supply provided to the pump, and wherein the step of determining includes determining the flow rate of the pump based on a power balance equation.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting an operation of the pump based on the determined flow characteristic.