Method of controlling motor drive speed

• US 7,259,533 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Tae-kyung, Park, Sung-min, Kim, Tae-won, Yang, Soon-bae
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/266,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 318/434
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2240/403 with inverter for speed control
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0525 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/075 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/10 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/605 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/08 characterised by varying the rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/28 Safety arrangements; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/02 Providing protection against overload without automatic interruption of supply protection against faults of stepper motors H02P8/36

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of controlling drive speed of a motor operating in overload conditions. The method includes the steps of: driving the motor at a predetermined reference speed; detecting phase voltage and phase current applied to the motor; determining whether or not the motor is operating in overload conditions based on the detected phase voltage and phase current; and controlling the motor according to whether or not the motor is operating in overload conditions. Accordingly, the present invention can prevent occurrence of over-current due to the instantaneous acceleration of the motor to a predetermined initial speed.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a compressor motor, the method comprising:

driving the motor at a predetermined reference speed;

detecting a phase voltage and a phase current applied to the motor;

determining whether the motor is operating in overload conditions based on the detected phase voltage and phase current; and

controlling the motor according to whether the motor is operating in overload conditions, the controlling including accelerating the motor in a stepwise manner including more than one step, when the motor is determined not to operate in overload conditions, and decelerating the motor when the motor is determined to operate in overload conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining includes:

estimating a speed of the motor based on the detected phase voltage and phase current; and

determining whether the motor is operating in overload conditions by comparing the estimated speed of the motor with the predetermined reference speed of the motor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the motor is determined to operate in overload conditions when the estimated speed is lower than the predetermined reference speed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining monitors a time the motor is driven at a decelerated speed and determines that the overload conditions of the motor are removed when the motor is driven at the decelerated speed for over a predetermined time period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling includes accelerating the motor when it is determined that the overload conditions of the motor are removed.

6. A method of controlling a compressor motor, the method comprising:

driving the motor at a predetermined reference speed;

detecting a phase voltage and a phase current applied to motor;

determining whether the motor is operating in overload conditions based on the detected phase voltage and phase current; and

controlling the motor according to whether the motor is operating in overload conditions,

wherein the determining includes;

estimating a speed of the motor based on the detected phase voltage and phase current; and

determining whether the motor is operating in overload conditions by comparing the estimated speed of the motor with the predetermined reference speed of the motor,

wherein controlling the motor includes decelerating the motor when the motor is determined to operate in overload conditions, and

wherein decelerating the motor includes;

calculating a deceleration amount of the motor speed decelerated from the estimated speed of the motor; and

decelerating the motor in a stepwise manner according to the calculated deceleration amount.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the deceleration amount of the motor speed is differently set according to the estimated speed of the motor.

8. A method of controlling a compressor motor, the method comprising:

driving the motor at a predetermined reference speed;

detecting a phase voltage and a phase current applied to motor;

determining whether the motor is operating in overload conditions based on the detected phase voltage and phase current; and

controlling the motor according to whether the motor is operating in overload conditions,

wherein determining monitors a time the motor is driven at a decelerated speed and determines that the overload conditions of the motor are removed when the motor is driven at the decelerated speed for over a predetermined time period,

wherein the controlling includes accelerating the motor when it is determined that the overload conditions of the motor are removed, and wherein accelerating the motor includes;

calculating an acceleration amount of the motor speed accelerated from the decelerated speed of the motor; and

accelerated the motor in a stepwise manner according to the calculated acceleration amount.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the acceleration amount of the motor speed is differently set according to the decelerated speed of the motor.