Method and apparatus for sizing a drive unit for multiple applications with varying voltage requirements

• US 7,966,168 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Timothy J., Elvis, Graham F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silver; David
• Application Number:
  US11/094,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20060238147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 706/6, 706/7, 703/6, 703/7, 703/18
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/0077 Characterised by the use of a particular software algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 5/00 Arrangements specially adapted for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P6/04, H02P8/40 take precedence

Abstract

A method for sizing components of a motor control system powered by a power supply includes receiving an upper nominal line voltage parameter for the power supply. A lower nominal line voltage parameter for the power supply is received. A first performance measure of the motor control system is determined based on the upper nominal line voltage parameter. A second performance measure of the motor control system is determined based on the lower nominal line voltage parameter. Components suitable for use in the motor control system are identified based on at least the first and second performance measures.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sizing components of a motor control system configured to be powered by each of a first and second power supply, the method comprising:

receiving a first nominal line voltage parameter for the first power supply;

receiving a second nominal line voltage parameter for the second power supply, wherein the second nominal line voltage parameter is different from the first nominal line voltage parameter;

determining a first performance measure of the motor control system based on the first nominal line voltage parameter;

determining a second performance measure of the motor control system based on the second nominal line voltage parameter;

identifying components, using the first and second performance measures, that are configured for use in the motor control system when powered by each of a first and second power supply; and

wherein the number of performance measures used to identify components that are configured for use in the motor control system is only equal to the number of power supplies for use with the motor control system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first performance measure further comprises determining a regenerative load parameter of the motor control system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second performance measure further comprises determining a velocity performance parameter of the motor control system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a first tolerance parameter, wherein determining the first performance measure further comprises determining the first performance measure of the motor control system based on the first nominal line voltage parameter and the first tolerance parameter.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving a second tolerance parameter, wherein determining the second performance measure further comprises determining the second performance measure of the motor control system based on the second nominal line voltage parameter and the second tolerance parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a set of candidate motor control system arrangements;

determining the first and second performance measures for each of the candidate motor control system arrangements; and

ranking the set of candidate motor control system arrangements based on the first and second performance measures associated with each candidate.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying components suitable for use in the motor control system further comprises:

calculating a voltage range specified by the first nominal line voltage parameter and the second nominal line voltage parameter; and

comparing the voltage range to voltage ratings for a plurality of components; and

based on the comparison, identifying at least one of the plurality of components as being suitable for use in the motor control system.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein only the first and second performance measures are used to identify components that are configured for use in the motor control system when powered by each of a first and second power supply.

7. A program storage device having processor readable code embodied thereon that, when executed by a processing device, size components of a motor control system powered by a power supply by:

receiving a first nominal line voltage for the power supply;

receiving a second nominal line voltage for the power supply;

determining a first performance measure of the motor control system based on the first nominal line voltage;

determining a second performance measure of the motor control system based on the second nominal line voltage;

identifying components suitable for use in the motor control system at both the first and second nominal line voltages based on at least the first and second performance measures; and

wherein the number of performance measures used to identify components suitable for use in the motor control system is only equal to the number of nominal line voltage for use with the power supply.

8. The program storage device of claim 7, wherein determining the first performance measure in the method further comprises determining a regenerative load parameter of the motor control system.

9. The program storage device of claim 7, wherein determining the second performance measure in the method further comprises determining a velocity performance parameter of the motor control system.

10. The program storage device of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a first tolerance parameter; and

determining the first performance measure of the motor control system based on the first nominal line voltage and the first tolerance parameter.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second tolerance parameter; and

determining the second performance measure of the motor control system based on the second nominal line voltage and the second tolerance parameter.

12. The program storage device of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a set of candidate motor control system arrangements;

determining the first and second performance measures for each of the candidate motor control system arrangements; and

ranking the set of candidate motor control system arrangements based on the first and second performance measures associated with each candidate.

13. A sizing tool implemented on an electronic computer for sizing components of a motor control system powered by a power supply, comprising:

a component database;

an application requirements interface including a first field specifying a first nominal line voltage parameter for the power supply and a second field specifying a second nominal line voltage parameter for the power supply;

a motion analyzer engine operable to determine a first performance measure of the motor control system based on the first nominal line voltage parameter, determine a second performance measure of the motor control system based on the second nominal line voltage parameter, and based on at least the first and second performance measures, identify components in the component database suitable for use in the motor control system for both the first and second nominal line voltage parameters; and

wherein the number of performance measures used to identify components in the component database suitable for use in the motor control system is not more than the number of nominal line voltage for use with the power supply.

14. The sizing tool of claim 13, wherein the first performance parameter comprises a regenerative load parameter of the motor control system.

15. The sizing tool of claim 13, wherein the second performance parameter comprises a velocity performance parameter of the motor control system.

16. The sizing tool of claim 13, wherein the application requirements interface includes a third field specifying a first tolerance parameter, and the motion analyzer engine is operable to determine the first performance measure of the motor control system based on the first nominal line voltage parameter and the second tolerance parameter.

17. The sizing tool of claim 16, wherein the application requirements interface includes a fourth field specifying a second tolerance parameter, and the motion analyzer engine is operable to determine the second performance measure of the motor control system based on the second nominal line voltage parameter and the second tolerance parameter.

18. The sizing tool of claim 13, wherein the motion analyzer engine is further operable to identify a set of candidate motor control system arrangements, determine the first and second performance measures for each of the candidate motor control system arrangements, and rank the set of candidate motor control system arrangements based on the first and second performance measures associated with each candidate.