Motor drive component verification system and method

• US 8,400,092 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kasunich, John M., Denning, Stephen E., Radosevich, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US12/838,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 318/490, 318/400.33, 318/632, 318/164, 318/561, 318/400.02, 318/445, 318/685, 318/560
• US Class Current: 318/490
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0251 Abstraction hierarchy, e.g. "complex systems", i.e. system is divided in subsystems, subsystems are monitored and results are combined to decide on status of whole system
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/34 Modelling or simulation for control purposes

Abstract

A technique is provided for verifying the proper selection, installation, communication and operability of components in power electronic systems, such as motor drives. A processing circuit is coupled to multiple components or subsystems that identify themselves to the processing system. An identification code is stored that is compared to a similar code built based upon the information reported by the components at the time of commissioning, operation or servicing. If the comparison indicates that all components are properly installed, and communicating and operative, operation may continue. The technique may be applied in parallel motor drives at a power layer level to allow separate and parallel verification of component and component operation in the parallel drives.

Claims

1. A motor control system comprising:

a plurality of monitored circuit components configured to cooperate to generate output signals for powering an electric motor;

memory circuitry configured to store reference identification data representative of circuit components that should be present, correct, communicating and operative in the system; and

processing circuitry coupled to the memory circuitry and configured to receive data from each of the monitored circuit components, to generate component identification data, and to compare the component identification data to the reference data to determine whether all monitored circuit components are present, correct, communicating and operative.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit components comprise power electronic switch control and sensing components, and wherein the processing circuitry comprises power layer circuitry.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the circuit components comprise current sensor components and driver circuits for power electronic switches that generate controlled frequency AC output waveforms.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit components, the memory circuitry and the processing circuitry comprise one of a plurality of self-similar motor drives coupled in parallel to produce a combined multi-phase output, and wherein each motor drive comprises substantially identical circuit components, memory circuitry and processing circuitry.

5. The system of claim 4, comprising common control circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry of each motor drive.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry of each motor drive is configured to report results of the comparison to the common control circuitry.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the common control circuitry is configured to disable at least one of the motor drives if the comparison in the respective motor drive indicates that at least one of the monitored circuit components is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the common control circuitry is configured to disable all of the motor drives if the comparison in any one of the motor drives indicates that at least one of the monitored circuit components is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.

9. A motor control system comprising:

a plurality of motor drives coupled in parallel to produce a combined multi-phase output, each motor drive comprising a plurality of monitored circuit components configured to cooperate to generate output signals for powering an electric motor, memory circuitry configured to store reference identification data representative of the monitored circuit components, and processing circuitry coupled to the memory circuitry and configured to receive data from each of the monitored circuit components, to generate component identification data, and to compare the component identification data to the reference data to determine whether all monitored circuit components are present, correct, communicating and operative; and

common control circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry of each inverter drive and configured to receive data indicative of results of the comparison and to control operation of the inverter drives based upon the received data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the common control circuitry is configured to disable at least one of the motor drives if the comparison in the respective motor drive indicates that at least one of the monitored circuit components is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the common control circuitry is configured to disable all of the motor drives if the comparison in any one of the motor drives indicates that at least one of the monitored circuit components is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the circuit components comprise power electronic switch control and sensing components, and wherein the processing circuitry comprises power layer circuitry.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the circuit components comprise current sensor components and driver circuits for power electronic switches that generate controlled frequency AC output waveforms.

14. A motor control method comprising:

(a) coupling a plurality of monitored circuit components in a motor drive, the circuit components being configured to cooperate to generate output signals for powering an electric motor;

(b) communicating identification data from each of the monitored circuit components to processing circuitry;

(c) generating in the processing circuitry composite identification data based upon the communicated identification data;

(d) comparing the composite identification data to reference identification data representative of circuit components that should be present, correct, communicating and operative in the motor drive; and

(e) storing data representative of the results of the comparison.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising disabling the motor drive if the comparison indicates that any of the monitored components is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the motor drive is one of a plurality of motor drives in a motor drive system, outputs of each of the plurality of motor drives being combined to produce a common multi-phase output.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein steps (c) and (d) are performed in processing circuitry of each respective motor drive in the motor drive system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of steps (c) and (d) is performed in common control circuitry coupled to all of the motor drives in the motor drive system.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising disabling at least one of the motor drives if the comparison indicates that at least one of the monitored circuit components of the respective motor drive is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising disabling all of the motor drives if the comparison indicates that at least one of the monitored circuit components of any of the motor drives is not present, is incorrect, is non-communicating or is inoperative.