Elevator power control for adjusting ratio of power supplied from each of dual power sources

• US 6,474,447 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Tokyo Electric Power Company
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kazuyuki, Araki, Hiroshi, Suga, Ikuro, Tajima, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/742,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20010008195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 187/290, 187/296, 187/391, 187/393, 318/798-815, 307/66, 307/69
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/30 effective on driving gear , e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor

Abstract

To reduce a total power amount required to drive an elevator by a commercial power supply during a peak power-consumption time period, for instance, afternoon in summer time, a control apparatus for this elevator is arranged by employing: a converter for rectifying AC electric power to be converted into DC electric power; and inverter for inverting the DC electric power into AC electric power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency; a motor driven by said AC electric power having the variable voltage and the variable frequency so as to operate an elevator; a power storage apparatus for charging thereinto electric power; and a power controller for using both the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply so as to supply the electric power to the inverter, and for controlling at least any one of the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply in order to supply electric power which is required for the inverter.

Claims

1. An elevator control apparatus for controlling power delivered from respective sources to power an elevator, the apparatus comprising:

a power storage apparatus for storing and supplying DC electric power;

a converter for rectifying AC electric power from a commercial power source to produce DC electric power;

an inverter for inverting DC electric power supplied from the power storage apparatus and the converter into AC electric power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency;

a motor driven by the AC electric power having the variable voltage and variable frequency and operating an elevator; and

a power controller for controlling power supplied by both the power storage apparatus and the commercial power source to the inverter so that power is supplied to the motor from the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply simultaneously, during normal operation of the elevator, in a ratio controlled to improve efficiency of electric power utilization by the inverter.

2. The elevator power control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a difference between power supplied to the inverter from one of the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply and power demand of the inverter is supplied from the other of the power storage apparatus and the commercial power supply.

3. The elevator power control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said power controller detects a voltage appearing on a bus connecting the converter to the inverter to control power supplied from the power storage apparatus to the inverter.

4. The elevator power control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power controller limits electrical current supplied from the power storage apparatus to the inverter.

5. The elevator power control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power controller controls maximum power supplied from the power storage apparatus to the inverter.

6. The elevator power control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power controller controls maximum power supplied from the commercial power supply to the inverter.