MOTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH ENERGY HARVESTING

• US 20150226177A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JAIN Irrigation Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: JAIN Irrigation Systems Limited
• Inventors: DeFrank, Michael Patrick, Goldberg, Jack, Houk, Randy L., Hall, Jonathan R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,753,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/0486 the spray jet being generated by a rotary deflector rotated by liquid discharged onto it in a direction substantially parallel its rotation axis
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/06 using liquid flow with predominantly kinetic energy conversion, e.g. of swinging-flap type , "run-of-river", "ultra-low head" F03B13/264 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 3/04 driven by sand or like fluent solid material
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/065 operated by the hand
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

A motion control apparatus and method is disclosed. The motion control apparatus comprises a movable mechanism coupled to an external energy source, the energy source providing kinetic energy to the mechanism. An energy conversion module is mechanically coupled to the mechanism for converting kinetic into electrical energy. An electronic circuit is coupled to the energy conversion module and a storage module and a mechanism controller is coupled to the electronic circuit. A sensor module is coupled to both the electronic circuit and the movable mechanism to sense the movement of the movable mechanism to determine speed of the movable mechanism and transmit speed information to the electronic circuit. The method comprises applying energy to a movable mechanism, converting kinetic to electrical energy, storing the electrical energy converted, controlling the motion of the mechanism and sensing the movement of the mechanism.

Claims

1. A motion control apparatus comprising:

a. a movable mechanism;

b. an external energy source coupled to the movable mechanism, said external energy source providing kinetic energy to the movable mechanism;

c. an energy conversion module mechanically coupled to the movable mechanism for converting kinetic energy to electrical energy;

d. an electronic circuit coupled to the energy conversion module;

e. an electrical energy storage module coupled to the electronic circuit;

f. a mechanism controller coupled to the electronic circuit; and

g. at least one sensor module coupled to both the electronic circuit and the movable mechanism to sense the movement of the movable mechanism to determine speed of the movable mechanism and transmit speed information to the electronic circuit.

2. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said external energy source is one of a hydraulic source, a human-powered source and a gravity-fed source.

3. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable mechanism is a rotating machine which is mechanically connected with the energy conversion module.

4. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said external energy source is pressurized flowing water.

5. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said rotating machine is a sprinkler and wherein said electronic circuit comprises a microcontroller.

6. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said energy conversion module is an electric generator which converts input mechanical energy into electrical energy which powers the electronic circuit.

7. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said microcontroller is coupled to a wireless communications module, the wireless communication module configured to receive commands wirelessly to control motion of the movable mechanism.

8. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to transmit information wireles sly, the said transmitted information comprising information about the status of the motion control apparatus, the status of the motion control apparatus comprising information about the motion of the movable mechanism and charge status of the electrical energy storage module.

9. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism controller is an electromagnetic device having an electrical load to control the motion of the movable mechanism and wherein said electrical load is adjusted by said electronic circuit.

10. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising indicators and a display.

11. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said sensor module is configured to sense rotational speed of the sprinkler by determining the frequency of an alternating current signal at the output of the sensor module.

12. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 4 which further comprises a valve coupled to the electronic circuit for turning on and turning off the flow of the pressurized flowing water.

13. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to operate the valve on a multitude of duty cycles.

14. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the valve is a low power electrically actuated valve.

15. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said electric generator comprises one of a center-tapped alternating current generator and a direct current generator

16. A motion control apparatus as claimed in claims 5 wherein water pressure is calculated by placing a known electrical load on said energy conversion module and comparing the sensed rotational speed of the sprinkler to a reference speed.

17. A method of motion control comprising:

a. applying energy to a movable mechanism from an energy source external to the movable mechanism;

b. converting kinetic energy of the movable mechanism to electrical energy by an energy conversion module;

c. storing electrical energy derived from kinetic energy of the movable mechanism in an energy storage module;

d. controlling the motion of the movable mechanism by a mechanism controller, the mechanism controller coupled and controlled by an electronic circuit, the electronic circuit coupled to the energy conversion module and the energy storage module; and

e. sensing the movement of the movable mechanism by at least one sensor module, the sensor module coupled to the electronic circuit.

18. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 17, wherein the movable mechanism is a movable rotating mechanism and wherein the sensing is sensing of the rotational speed of the movable mechanism.

19. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 18, wherein controlling the rotational speed of the movable rotating mechanism comprises adjusting an electrical load on the mechanism controller.

20. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 19, wherein sensing the rotational speed of the movable rotating mechanism comprises sensing the rotational speed by processing a signal from the sensor module.

21. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 18, wherein controlling the rotational speed of the movable rotating mechanism comprises applying a braking force from the mechanism controller.

22. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 18, wherein the electronic circuit controls the rotational speed of the movable rotating mechanism with a closed loop method, the closed loop method comprising:

a. sensing the rotational speed of the movable rotating mechanism by the sensor module; and

b. controlling the rotational speed of the movable rotating mechanism based upon said sensing to achieve a predetermined rotational speed.

23. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 17, wherein said energy conversion module is an electric generator which converts input mechanical energy into electrical energy which powers the electronic circuit.

24. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a microcontroller, the microcontroller being coupled to a wireless communication module, the wireless communication module being configured to receive commands wireles sly to control motion of the movable mechanism.

25. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 24, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to transmit information wireles sly, the said transmitted information comprising information about the status of the motion control apparatus.

26. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 17, wherein said sensor module is configured to sense rotational speed of the movable mechanism by determining the frequency of an alternating current signal at the output of the sensor module.

27. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 17, further comprising controlling a valve by the electronic circuit for turning on and off the flow of the external energy source, the external energy source being pressurized flowing water.

28. A method of motion control as claimed in claim 27, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to operate the valve on a multitude of duty cycles.