Pump Controller System and Method

• US 20160334810A1
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Flow Technologies LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Koehl, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,416,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/10 Other safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/02 Stopping of pumps, or operating valves, on occurrence of unwanted conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0236 Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37371 Flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/202 actuated by an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0852 directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor in a control circuit H02H7/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a pump control system. One or more embodiments of the invention include a pump controller that can perform a self-calibrating procedure, can provide precise motor speed control, can provide a limp mode before shutting down the motor when system parameters are exceeded and/or fault conditions occur, can detect fault conditions, and can store fault conditions for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A pumping system programmable by a user, the pumping system comprising:

a pump;

a motor coupled to the pump;

a drive connected to the motor;

a controller connected to the drive

a serial communication link; and

an external device including at least one of a personal computer and a personal digital assistant;

the serial communication link being connectable to the external device;

the user accessing the controller with the external device through the serial communication link in order to at least one of read drive parameters, configure drive parameters, run the drive, and stop the drive.

2. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include a run/stop input status.

3. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of drive frequency and motor speed.

4. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of bus voltage, bus current, input line voltage, and input line current.

5. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of input power to the pumping system and output power to the motor.

6. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of total operating hours, powered time, and running time.

7. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of a fault condition code, fault history, and dry running status.

8. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of controller parameters and software versions.

9. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include heat sink temperature.

10. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include auxiliary output relay status.

11. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of proportional gain, integral gain, calibrated minimum speed value, and a voltage-hertz curve setting.

12. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the external device runs a terminal program.

13. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the serial communication link is permanently connected to the external device.

14. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the serial communication link is removably connected to the external device.

15. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the external device receives a software reset command from the user.

16. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the controller has an Internet-protocol address.

17. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the serial communication link connects the controller via a network to a monitoring system.

18. The pumping system of claim 1 wherein the serial communication link connects a plurality of controllers, each one of the plurality of controllers connected to a separate pumping system, via a network to a monitoring system.

19. A method of programming a pumping system, the method comprising:

providing a pump coupled to a motor connected to a drive connected to a controller;

connecting a serial communication link between the controller and an external device, the external device including at least one of a personal computer and a personal digital assistant; and

accessing the controller with the external device in order to at least one of read drive parameters, configure drive parameters, run the drive, and stop the drive.

20. The method of claim 19 and further comprising reading a run/stop input status.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of current drive frequency and motor speed.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of bus voltage, bus current, input line voltage, and input line current.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein wherein the drive parameters include at least one of input power and output power to the motor.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of total operating hours, powered time, and running time.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of a fault condition code, fault history, and dry running status.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of controller parameters and software versions.

27. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include heat sink temperature.

28. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include auxiliary output relay status.

29. The method of claim 19 wherein the drive parameters include at least one of proportional gain, integral gain, calibrated minimum speed value, and a voltage-hertz curve setting.

30. The method of claim 19 and further comprising the external device running a terminal program.

31. The method of claim 19 and further comprising permanently connecting the serial communication link to the external device.

32. The method of claim 19 and further comprising removably connecting the serial communication link to the external device.

33. The method of claim 19 and further comprising the external device receiving a software reset command from a user.

34. The method of claim 19 and further comprising assigning an Internet-protocol address to the controller.

35. The method of claim 19 and further comprising connecting the serial communication link to the controller via a network to a monitoring system.

36. The method of claim 19 and further comprising connecting the serial communication link to a plurality of controllers, each one of the plurality of controllers connected to a separate pumping system, via a network to a monitoring system.