Motor power module

• US 8,508,374 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S.J. Electro Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sje-Rhombus
• Inventors: Wolfe, Aaron R., Chandler, William D. Jr., Calkins, Louis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US12/824,954
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 340/618, 340/612, 340/620, 340/525, 340/562, 341/20, 341/21, 341/33, 700/17, 318/786
• US Class Current: 340/618
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/14 by measurement of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/168 with electric indicating or recording

Abstract

A motor power module is provided that includes a control board mounted to the terminals of a relay. The control board includes a control circuit with a processor. The processor is operative to monitor a level of current supplied by the control circuit to at least one windings terminal connected to a single phase AC motor. The processor is responsive to monitored level of current corresponding to a predetermined level to cause the control circuit to remove a supply of electrical power from a start capacitor of the start windings of the motor while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power to the run windings of the motor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a module adapted to connect to a relay that includes a plurality of terminals, wherein the module includes;

at least one control circuit that is adapted to connect to the plurality of terminals of the relay,

wherein the control circuit includes at least one power terminal which receives a connection of at least one AC power line,

wherein the control circuit includes at least one windings terminal which receives a connection to at least one of run windings, start windings or a combination thereof of a single phase AC motor,

wherein the control circuit includes at least one start capacitor terminal that receives a connection to a start circuit including a start capacitor in operative connection with the start windings of the motor,

wherein the control circuit is configured to control the relay to open and close portions of the control circuit that connect electrical power supplied from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal and to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor,

wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor a usage of at least one of the start capacitor, the start windings or a combination thereof, wherein responsive to the monitored usage corresponding to at least a predetermined level, the control circuit is configured to at least temporarily remove a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor a level of current supplied by the control circuit to the at least one windings terminal, wherein responsive to the monitored level of current corresponding to a predetermined level, the control circuit is configured to remove a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor, wherein responsive to the monitored level of current increasing to at least a predetermined load trigger point, the control circuit is configured to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein responsive to the monitored level of current increasing to at least the predetermined load trigger point, the control circuit is configured to pulse the start circuit by periodically supplying electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control circuit includes a user interface, wherein the user interface includes at least one processor, at least one input device and at least one output device, wherein the at least one output device is operable to output visual information indicative of whether the control circuit is in a state that is causing the motor to run, wherein the at least one input device is operable to enable a user to select an overload threshold level, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the control circuit to stop the motor responsive to the monitored level of current having increased to a level corresponding to the user selected overload threshold level.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the relay, wherein the relay includes a base end and a terminal end, wherein the terminal end includes a plurality of terminals extending from the terminal end, further comprising at least one control board mounted in supporting connection to the terminals, wherein the control board includes the control circuit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing includes an interior area, wherein the interior area includes at least one mounting surface operable to support internally mounted devices, wherein the relay is mounted to the mounting surface with the base end of the relay adjacent the mounting surface, wherein the relay is mounted between the at least one control board and the mounting surface.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising the start capacitor mounted in the interior area of the housing and a pump external to the housing, wherein the pump includes the motor, wherein the pump is operable to move liquid out of a reservoir, further comprising a depth level control circuit mounted in the housing, wherein the depth level control circuit is operative configured to determine a depth level of the liquid, wherein responsive to the determined depth level of the liquid increasing to at least a predetermined level, the depth level control circuit is configured to cause the module to start the motor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a current temperature, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine an operational delay of the relay responsive to the determined current temperature and data stored in a data store that correlates temperature with operational delays of the relay, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the relay to open responsive to the determined operational delay and a cross-over point of the AC current through the relay.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine an actual operational delay between when the relay was instructed to be open and when the relay opened in response thereto, wherein the at least one processor is configured to update the table responsive to the determined temperature and determined actual operational delay.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor the usage of at least one of the start capacitor, the start windings or a combination thereof of the motor, wherein responsive to the monitored usage corresponding to a predetermined level, the at least one processor is configured to cause the control circuit to temporarily remove a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the monitored usage includes an amount of time that electrical power has been supplied from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal.

12. A method of controlling a single phase AC motor with a module including a relay and a control circuit in operative connection with a plurality of terminals of the relay, wherein the control circuit includes at least one power terminal which receives a connection of at least one AC power line, wherein the control circuit includes at least one windings terminal which receives a connection to at least one of start windings, run windings or a combination thereof of the motor, wherein the control circuit includes at least one start capacitor terminal that receives a connection to a start circuit that includes a start capacitor in operative connection with the start windings of the motor, the method comprising:

a) through operation of the control circuit, causing the relay to close a portion of the control circuit that connects electrical power supplied from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal and the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor;

b) through operation of the control circuit, monitoring a usage of at least one of the start capacitor, the start windings, or a combination thereof of the motor; and

c) responsive to the monitored usage in (b) corresponding to at least a predetermined level, causing through operation of the control circuit, at least a temporary removal of a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

d) responsive to the monitored level of current decreasing to at least a predetermined level, causing through operation of the control circuit, removal of a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor;

e) through operation of the control circuit, determining that the monitored level of current has increased to at least a predetermined load trigger point;

f) responsive to (e) through operation of the control circuit supplying electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor;

g) through operation of the control circuit, determining that the monitored level of current has decreased to below the predetermined load trigger point;

h) responsive to (g) through operation of control circuit ceasing supplying electrical power to the start circuit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein (f) includes the control circuit pulsing the start circuit by periodically supplying electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal, wherein (h) includes the control circuit ceasing pulsing the start circuit.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one control circuit includes at least one processor and a user interface, wherein the user interface includes at least one input device and at least one output device, wherein the at least one output device is operable to output visual indicia indicative of whether the control circuit is in a state that is causing the motor to run, wherein the at least one input device is operable to enable a user to select a threshold level that triggers the control circuit to stop the motor, further comprising:

d) receiving through operation of the at least one input device an input from a user, which input is representative of an overload threshold level;

e) through operation of the at least one processor, monitoring the level of current supplied by the control circuit to the at least one windings terminal;

f) responsive to the monitored level of current increasing to the inputted overload threshold level, causing through operation of the at least one processor, the control circuit to remove a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the motor is included in a pump in a reservoir, wherein (a) through (c) cause the pump to operate to move liquid out of a reservoir, further comprising:

d) determining with a depth level control circuit that a depth level of a liquid in the reservoir has increased to at least a predetermined level;

e) responsive to (d) causing through operation of the depth level control circuit, the module to carry out steps (a) through (c).

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the control circuit includes at least one processor, further comprising:

d) through operation of the at least one processor, determining a current temperature;

e) through operation of the at least one processor, determining an operational delay of the relay responsive to the determined current temperature and data stored in a data store that correlates temperature with operational delays of the relay;

f) through operation of the at least one processor, causing the relay to open responsive to the operational delay determined in (e) and a cross-over point of the AC current through the relay.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

g) through operation of the least one processor, determining an actual operational delay between when the relay was instructed to be open in (f) and when the relay opened in response thereto;

h) through operation of the at least one processor, updating the table responsive to the current temperature determined in (d) and the actual operational delay determined in (g).

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the control circuit includes the at least one processor, wherein (b) includes the at least one processor, monitoring usage of at least one of the start capacitor, the start windings, or a combination thereof of the motor.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein in (b) the monitored usage includes an amount of time that electrical power has been supplied from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal.

21. At least one processor readable medium comprising non-transitory processor executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor in a control circuit of a module, cause the at least one processor to carry out a method, wherein the module includes a relay and a control circuit in operative connection with a plurality of terminals of the relay, wherein the control circuit includes at least one power terminal which receives a connection of at least one AC power line, wherein the control circuit includes at least one windings terminal which receives a connection to at least one of start windings, run windings or a combination thereof of the motor, wherein the control circuit includes at least one start capacitor terminal that receives a connection to a start circuit that includes a start capacitor in operative connection with the start windings of the motor, the method comprising:

a) through operation of the at least one processor of the control circuit, causing the relay to close a portion of the control circuit that connects electrical power supplied from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal and the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor;

b) through operation of the at least one processor, monitoring a usage of at least one of the start capacitor, the start windings or a combination thereof of the motor; and

c) responsive to the monitored usage in (b) corresponding to at least a predetermined level, causing through operation of the at least one processor, the control circuit to at least temporarily remove a supply of electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one start capacitor terminal while the control circuit continues to supply electrical power from the at least one power terminal to the at least one windings terminal that supplies power to the run windings of the motor.

22. An apparatus comprising:

at least one control circuit that is configured to operate a single phase AC motor having run windings and start windings, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to control a first switch and a second switch to selectively provide electrical power to the start windings and run windings of the motor, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to monitor a usage of the start windings, which monitored usage is based at least in part on a measure of the total current to the start and run windings, wherein responsive at least in part to the monitored usage of the start windings corresponding to at least a predetermined level, the at least one control circuit is configured to control the first switch to;

temporarily remove a supply of electrical power to the start windings while the at least one control circuit continues to permit the second switch to supply electrical power to the run windings of the motor.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising at least one start capacitor in operative connection with the start windings of the motor, wherein the monitored usage of the start windings includes monitored usage of the at least one start capacitor by the at least one control circuit.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the monitored usage of the start capacitor includes an amount of time that electrical power has been supplied to the at least one start capacitor.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the first switch includes a triac and the second switch includes a relay, wherein the at least one control circuit includes the triac, wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the triac and the relay to operate to connect electrical power to the start windings and run windings of the motor, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to cause the triac to temporarily remove the supply of electrical power to the start windings while the control circuit continues to permit electrical power to be supplied through the relay to the run windings of the motor.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a module and the relay, wherein the module includes the at least one control circuit therein, wherein the relay includes a terminal end and an opposed base end, wherein the relay extends in the module such that the terminal end is in operative connection with the at least one control circuit and the base end is operatively configured to directly mount to a support surface.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the at least one control circuit includes a single current sensor configured to monitor the usage of the start windings and the run windings, wherein the control circuit is configured to both:

stop the motor responsive to the monitored level of current by the single current sensor having increased to a level corresponding to an overload threshold level; and

to remove the supply of electrical power to the start windings responsive, at least in part to the monitored level of current by the single current sensor.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to remove the supply of electrical power to the start windings responsive at least in part to an amount of time that electrical power has been supplied to the start windings, wherein the at least one control circuit is configured to reapply a supply of electrical power to the start windings responsive at least in part to an amount of time that electrical power has been removed from the start windows.

27. A method of operating a single phase AC motor having run windings and start windings, comprising:

a) through operation of at least one control circuit, causing at least one of a first switch, a second switch or a combination thereof to provide electrical power to the start windings and run windings of the motor;

b) through operation of the at least one control circuit, monitoring usage of the start windings, which monitored usage is based at least in part on the total current to the start and run windings;

c) through operation of the at least one control circuit responsive at least in part to the monitored usage of the start windings in (b) corresponding to at least a predetermined level, causing the first switch to temporarily remove a supply of electrical power to the start windings while permitting the second switch to continue to supply electrical power to the run windings of the motor.

30. The method according to claim 27, wherein in (b) the at least one control circuit includes a single current sensor that monitors the total current to the start and run windings, wherein (c) includes through operation of the at least one control circuit responsive at least in part to the monitored total current in (b) corresponding to at least a predetermined level, causing the first switch to temporarily remove a supply of electrical power to the start windings while permitting the second switch to continue to supply electrical power to the run windings of the motor, further comprising:

d) through operation of the at least one control circuit responsive at least in part to the monitored level of current in (b) having increased to a level corresponding to an overload threshold level, causing at least one of the first and second switches to operate to stop the motor by removing a supply of electrical power to the start and run windings.