Load demand throttle control for portable generator and other applications
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- an engine including an output shaft and a throttle, the output shaft, in operation, rotating at a speed in accordance with the setting of the throttle;
a generator including a rotor, rotationally driven by said output shaft, and a stator including at least one stator winding disposed such that rotation of the rotor induces current in the stator windings;
a circuit for generating indicia of the output of the stator;
an actuator, responsive to control signals applied thereto, for controlling the setting of the throttle;
a control circuit, responsive to the indicia of the stator output, for generating the control signals to the actuator.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The throttle of an engine in an engine driven generator system operating subject to a wide and rapidly variable load, as in supplying current to a welder, is operated such that control signals are sent to a throttle actuator for adjusting the engine throttle position in response to load changes. The throttle actuator may be a solenoid pulling against a spring in accordance with the average current through the solenoid coil. In this embodiment, the processor causes pulse width modulated signals to be applied across the solenoid coil with throttle position changes being reflected in changes to the width of the pulses, such changes in the pulse width being delayed for at least the predetermined time since the last preceding adjustment to the throttle. Alternatively, the throttle actuator may be a stepper motor which is stepped by throttle position change signals from a processor which monitors engine speed and generator load to determine whether the throttle should be adjusted and, if so, in which direction and to what extent for optimum response.
194 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. Apparatus comprising:
-
an engine including an output shaft and a throttle, the output shaft, in operation, rotating at a speed in accordance with the setting of the throttle; a generator including a rotor, rotationally driven by said output shaft, and a stator including at least one stator winding disposed such that rotation of the rotor induces current in the stator windings; a circuit for generating indicia of the output of the stator; an actuator, responsive to control signals applied thereto, for controlling the setting of the throttle; a control circuit, responsive to the indicia of the stator output, for generating the control signals to the actuator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification