BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR WITH SOFT-STARTING OF PWM SIGNALS

• US 20100253266A1
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluffton Motor Works LLC (Wpa Participações e Serviços SA)
• Original Assignee: Sail Sustainable Louisiana Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Jeung, Young-Chun
• Granted Patent: US 8,232,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/400.260
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/09 against over-voltage; against reduction of voltage; against phase interruption
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/20 Arrangements for starting H02P6/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/28 Arrangements for controlling current H02P6/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A DC motor is provided. The DC motor prevents rush or overload of current in the DC motor during and/or after power input irregularities to the DC motor. A control circuit of the DC motor is configured to control current provided to the DC motor. When power irregularities in the power input to the DC motor are detected by the control circuit, the control circuit stops generating PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) signals and stops the current provided to the DC motor. After the stoppage of PWM signals, the control circuit can perform a soft-start of the PWM signals when the power irregularities are no longer detected. The soft starting of the PWM signals generates gradual increase in current to the DC motor, thus, preventing sudden rush of current that cause malfunction of the DC motor.

Claims

1. A motor apparatus comprising:

a DC motor comprising a stator and a rotor;

an AC to DC converter configured to receive an AC power input and to convert the AC power input to a DC power;

a PWM signal generator configured to generate PWM signals;

a switching circuit configured to generate a PWM switched power using the DC power and the PWM signals, and to supply the PWM switched power to the DC motor; and

an input power irregularity detector configured to detect irregularities in the AC power input and to send a control signal to the PWM signal generator, wherein upon receiving the control signal the PWM signal generator is configured to stop generating the PWM signals and then restart generating a new set of PWM signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input power irregularity detector comprises a surge detecting circuit configured to detect surges in the AC power input, wherein the input power irregularity detector is configured to send the control signal upon detecting of at least one surge in the AC power input that is greater than a predetermined value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the input power irregularity detector is configured to send the control signal upon detecting of more than one surge during a predetermined time period.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the PWM signal generator is configured to restart generating the new set of PWM signals when no surges are detected for a predetermined time period after stoppage of generating the PWM signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predetermined time period is 5 sec or longer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input power irregularity detector comprises an outage detecting circuit configured to detect an outage of the AC power input that is longer than a predetermined time period, wherein the input power irregularity detector is configured to send the control signal upon detecting of an outage of the AC power input that is longer than the predetermined time period.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the predetermined time period is 0.2 msec or longer.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outage detecting circuit configured to detect an outage of the AC power input that is shorter than a predetermined period, wherein the input power irregularity detector is configured to send the control signal upon detecting of an outage of the AC power input that is shorter than the predetermined period.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the input power irregularity detector is configured to send the control signal upon detecting of an outage of the AC power input that is shorter than 10 sec.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input power irregularity detector comprises an outage detecting circuit configured to detect low values in the AC power input that is lower than a predetermined value or substantially zero, wherein the input power irregularity detector is configured to send the control signal upon detecting of low values in the AC power input that is lower than a predetermined value.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AC power input and the DC power are in voltage.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a voltage dividing circuit connected to the AC power input and configured to scale down the AC power input to a logic circuit voltage level, wherein the input power irregularity detector monitors the scale-down version of the AC power input.

13. A method of operating a motor apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a motor apparatus comprising;

a DC motor comprising a stator and a rotor,

an AC to DC converter,

an input power irregularity detector,

a PWM signal generator, and

a switching circuit;

generating PWM signals at the PWM signal generator;

converting an AC power input to a DC power at the AC to DC converter;

generating a PWM switched power using the DC power and the PWM signals at the switching circuit;

supplying the PWM switched power to the DC motor;

detecting irregularities in the AC power input at the input power irregularity detector;

stopping to generate the PWM signals upon detecting at least one irregularity in the AC power input; and

subsequent to stopping, restarting to generate a new set of PWM signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the input power irregularity detector comprises a surge detecting circuit, wherein detecting irregularities comprises detecting at least one surge in the AC power input that is greater than a predetermined value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein stopping occurs upon detecting of more than one surge during a predetermined time period.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the new set of PWM signals is restarted when no surges are detected for a predetermined time period after stoppage of generating the PWM signals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined time period is 5 sec or longer.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the input power irregularity detector comprises an outage detecting circuit, wherein detecting irregularities comprises detecting an outage of the AC power input that is longer than a predetermined time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined time period is 0.2 msec or longer.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the input power irregularity detector monitors a scale-down version of the AC power input in a logic circuit voltage level.