Process and device for flow control of an electrical motor fan

• US 7,244,106 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Frojd, Hans-Olof, Kallman, Bengt
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; William H.
• Application Number:
  US10/380,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20040101412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 417/43, 417/44.1, 417/45, 417/42, 417/423.9
• US Class Current: 417/44.1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/004 by varying driving speed
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/335 Output power or torque
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0676 by action on flow sources G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A method and configuration from maintaining a constant of air to a protective helmet (4) from a fan (3) in a battery powered fresh air unit. The fan (3) is a radial fan with a filter (5) positioned on the suction side of the fan and is operated by a brushless continuous current motor (2). With the aid of signals from position sensors (30) in the motor (2), a control unit (12) can determine the speed of the fan (3). The control unit also detects the motor'"'"'s power consumption and compares this and the speed with a characteristic curve for the motor (2) for a given flow from the fan, which is stored in a memory (14). In the event of any deviation, the control unit (12) regulates a change of the voltage supply to the motor (2) so that the deviation is reduced.

Claims

1. A method for flow regulation at a fan (3) having a suction side, the fan powered by an electric motor (2), specifically for maintaining the flow from a fan at a constant level, said fan having a filter (5) positioned at the suction side of the fan, characterized in that values representing actual power consumption and speed of the motor (2) are determined, in that a pulse signal (p) is created in the motor (2), which pulse signal indicates the position of the motor'"'"'s rotor, said pulse signal being converted into a speed indicating signal,

a control unit (12) compares the values representing actual power consumption and speed of the motor with a curve or table stored in a memory (14), which indicates the correlation between power consumption and speed for a given flow from the fan,

the control unit (12), if one of the values representing actual power consumption and speed of the motor lies at a point on the curve or in the table but another of the values representing actual power consumption and speed of the motor deviates from this point, determines whether the deviating value is too high or too low,

the control unit (12) controls a change of the electrical power supplied to the motor to reduce the deviation,

and that new ones of the values representing actual power consumption and speed of the motor are determined repetitively until there is no deviation of the values representing actual power consumption and speed of the motor.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a brushless direct current motor (2) is chosen as the motor.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a desired constant flow is set by selecting a curve corresponding to this from a plurality of curves (A, B) stored in the memory (14), each relating to a flow.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (12) compares the values for speed and power consumption with a minimum curve representing a predetermined minimum flow, and emits a warning signal (qs) if the value equate to a flow less than this minimum flow.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (12) compares the speed value with a minimum value for speed at various power consumption levels stored in the memory, and that regulation of the motor (2) is carried out so that the motor speed is prevented from dropping below the minimum value which corresponds to the current value for power consumption.

6. A configuration for flow control of a fan (3), which is powered by an electric motor (2), specifically for maintenance of a constant flow from a fan having a rotor and a filter (4) positioned on a suction side of the fan, characterized in that a control unit (12) is connected to the motor, the control unit controls the voltage supply to the electric motor;

a first sensor (26) is connected to the control unit (12), with the aid of which the actual value of the motor'"'"'s power consumption is determined;

a second sensor (30) comprised in the motor to indicate the position of the rotor, with the aid of which the motort'"'"'s actual speed is determined;

a memory (14) in which at least one curve (A, B) or a table is stored, which states the correlation between the speed and power consumption of the motor (2) at a given flow at the fan (3); and

a comparison means in the control unit set to compare both the motor'"'"'s actual speed and the motor'"'"'s power consumption with a selected flow curve from the memory and in the event of any deviation of the motor'"'"'s actual speed and the motor'"'"'s power consumption to control the voltage supply to the motor so that the deviation is reduced.

7. The configuration according to claim 6, characterized in that the motor is a brushless direct current motor (2).

8. The configuration according to claim 7, characterized in that the second sensor comprises a Hall sensor.

9. The configuration according to claim 6, characterized in that the fan is a radial fan (3).

10. The configuration according to claim 6, characterized in that the fan (3) is part of a fresh air unit for a respiratory aid.

11. The configuration according to claim 6, characterized in that the control unit (12) controls a warning means (40, 42) fitted in an alarm unit (38), for indicating if the flow from the fan (3) drops below a predetermined minimum level.

12. A flow control for a fan, said fan being powered by an electric motor having a rotor, comprising:

a control unit operatively coupled to said electric motor, said control unit controlling a voltage supply to said motor;

a first sensor sensing a parameter from which a power consumption of said electric motor is determined;

a second sensor sensing a parameter indicative of a position of said rotor from which an actual speed of said electric motor is determined;

a memory in which is stored values representative of a correlation between said actual speed of said electric motor and said power consumption of said motor at a given flow rate at said fan; and

a comparator operatively coupled to said memory for comparing said power consumption and said actual speed of said electric motor with said stored values from said memory representative of a selected flow rate;

said control unit operative to control said voltage supply to said motor to reduce any deviation between said power consumption and said actual speed and said stored values from said memory representative of said selected flow rate.