Chiller Motor Control System

• US 20130043819A1
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: De, Tathagata
• Granted Patent: US 9,825,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/503
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/025 the fault being a power interruption
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/026 the fault being a power fluctuation

Abstract

A chiller system (200) includes a motor (212), a motor controller (214) connected to the motor (212), the motor controller (214) operative to send a control signal to the motor (212), a rectifier (206) connected to an alternating current (AC) power source (204), the rectifier (206) operative to receive AC power and output direct current (DC) power, a DC bus (208) connected to the rectifier (206), a first inverter (210) connected to the DC bus (208) and the motor (212), the first inverter (210) operative to receive DC power from the DC bus (208) and output AC power to the motor (212), and a second inverter (213) connected to the DC bus (208) operative to receive DC power and output AC power to the motor controller (214).

Claims

1. A chiller system including:

a motor;

a motor controller connected to the motor, the motor controller operative to send a control signal to the motor;

a rectifier connected to an alternating current (AC) power source, the rectifier operative to receive AC power and output direct current (DC) power;

a DC bus connected to the rectifier;

a first inverter connected to the DC bus and the motor, the first inverter operative to receive DC power from the DC bus and output AC power to the motor; and

a second inverter connected to the DC bus operative to receive DC power and output AC power to the motor controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a chiller unit mechanically driven by the motor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the DC bus includes a capacitor electrically connected to the DC bus.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the capacitor is operative to receive DC power from the rectifier and store a capacitive charge.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first inverter is operative to receive the stored capacitive charge from the capacitor.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second inverter is operative to receive the stored capacitive charge from the capacitor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the motor controller is communicatively connected to the motor via a variable frequency drive unit controller

8. A chiller system including:

a variable frequency drive unit connected to an alternating current (AC) power source;

a chiller motor connected to the variable frequency drive unit, the chiller motor operative to receive AC power from the variable frequency drive unit;

an inverter connected to the variable frequency drive unit, the inverter operative to receive DC power from the variable frequency drive unit and output AC power; and

a motor controller connected to the inverter and the chiller motor, the motor controller operative to receive AC power from the inverter and send a control signal to the chiller motor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the variable frequency drive unit includes a rectifier connected to an AC power source operative to receive AC Power and rectify the AC power into DC power.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the variable frequency drive unit includes a capacitor operative to receive DC power from the rectifier and store a DC charge.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the variable frequency drive unit includes a second inverter operative to receive DC power from the capacitor and output the AC power to the chiller motor.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the system includes a chiller unit mechanically connected to the chiller motor.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the variable frequency drive unit includes a variable frequency drive unit controller communicatively linked to the motor controller and the chiller motor.

14. A method for controlling a system, the method including:

receiving alternating current (AC) power from an AC power source;

rectifying the AC power into direct current (DC) power;

charging a capacitor with the DC power;

inverting DC power from the capacitor into AC power; and

outputting AC power to a chiller motor and a motor controller.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes controlling the chiller motor with the motor controller.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes driving the chiller motor with the AC power.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the method includes mechanically driving a chiller unit with the chiller motor.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the DC power from the capacitor is inverted into AC power by a first inverter connected to the chiller motor.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the DC power from the capacitor is inverted into AC power by a second inverter connected to the motor controller.