METHOD OF ENABLING REGENERATIVE MOTOR DRIVE TO POWER AN ELEVATOR AND RECEIVE POWER FROM A RENEWABLE POWER SOURCE

• US 20140116810A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jack Vrankovic
• Original Assignee: Jack Vrankovic
• Inventors: Vrankovic, Jack
• Application Number:
  US13/832,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140116810A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/302 for energy saving

Abstract

A method of running an elevator system in both passenger operation mode and a renewable energy mode. The method includes determining if a request has been received for an elevator cab to move to a specific location; determining if a request has been received to operate the elevator cab in a specific alternative mode if there are no requests for the elevator cab to move to a specific location; signaling a semiconductor switch to connect a renewable energy source to a regenerative motor drive if it is determined there are no requests received to operate the elevator cab in a specific alternative mode; and absorbing regenerative power produced by the renewable power source until the elevator control system receives a request to enter passenger operation mode. Additional processes are provided for multiple car and multiple renewable source embodiments.

Claims

1. A method of running an elevator system in both passenger operation mode and a renewable energy mode, the method comprising:

determining, by an elevator control system, if a request has been received for an elevator cab to move to a specific location;

determining, by the elevator control system, if a request has been received to operate the elevator cab in a specific alternative mode if there are no requests for the elevator cab to move to a specific location;

signaling, by the elevator control system, a semiconductor switch to connect a renewable energy source to a regenerative motor drive if it is determined there are no requests received to operate the elevator cab in a specific alternative mode; and

absorbing, by the regenerative drive, regenerative power produced by the renewable power source until the elevator control system receives a request to enter passenger operation mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the renewably energy source comprises at least one of a solar panel array and a wind turbine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if a request has been received for the elevator cab to move to a specific location comprises monitoring a car call demand signal for indication of a request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling the semiconductor comprises monitoring a fault contactor operably connected to the semiconductor in the event the semiconductor fails.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising interrupting, by the control system, current flow between a power source and the regenerative motor drive when the regenerative motor drive is absorbing power from the renewable energy source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the regenerative drive is further configured to absorb regenerative power from a plurality of renewable energy sources.

7. A method of running an elevator system comprising a plurality of elevator cabs in both passenger operation mode and a renewable energy mode, the method comprising:

determining, by an elevator control system, if a request has been received for each of the plurality of elevator cabs to move to a specific location;

determining, by the elevator control system, if a request has been received to operate each of the plurality of elevator cabs in a specific alternative mode if there are no requests for the elevator cab to move to a specific location;

signaling, by the elevator control system, a semiconductor switch to connect a renewable energy source to a regenerative motor drive for each of the plurality of elevator cabs if it is determined there are no requests received to operate each of the plurality of elevator cabs in a specific alternative mode;

absorb, by each of the regenerative drives, regenerative power produced by the renewable power source until the elevator control system receives a request to enter passenger operation mode;

receiving, by the elevator control system, a request for at least one of the elevator cabs to move to a specific location; and

determining, by the elevator control system, which of the plurality of elevator cabs to move to the specific location and which to leave in regenerative mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining which of the plurality of elevator cabs to move to the specific location and which to leave in regenerative mode comprises:

determining, by the elevator control system, an amount of power being produced by each renewable energy source to identify the renewable energy source producing a lowest amount of power; and

changing operation of the elevator cab associated with the identified renewable energy source having the lowest amount of power to passenger operation mode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the renewably energy sources comprise at least one of a solar panel array and a wind turbine.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining if a request has been received for each of the plurality of elevator cabs to move to a specific location comprises monitoring a car call demand signal for indication of a request.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein signaling the semiconductor comprises monitoring a fault contactor operably connected to the semiconductor in the event the semiconductor fails.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising interrupting, by the control system, current flow between a power source and the regenerative motor drive for each of the plurality of elevator cabs when the regenerative motor drive is absorbing power from the renewable energy source.