Pump control system and method

• US 8,540,493 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Flow Technologies LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Sta-Rite Industries LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Koehl, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): DWIVEDI, VIKANSHA S
• Application Number:
  US10/730,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20050123408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,578 Days
• Field of Search: 417/44.11, 417/45, 417/44.1, 417/32, 417/53, 318/635, 318/650, 318/638, 318/71, 318/634, 318/641
• US Class Current: 417/44.11
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/06 Control using electricity regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/10 Other safety measures
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0088 Testing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/02 Stopping of pumps, or operating valves, on occurrence of unwanted conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0236 Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37371 Flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/202 actuated by an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0852 directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor in a control circuit H02H7/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a pump control system. One or more embodiments of the invention include a pump controller that can perform a self-calibration procedure, can provide precise motor speed control, can provide a limp mode before shutting down the motor when system parameters are exceeded and/or fault conditions occur, can detect fault conditions, and can store fault conditions for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A method of operating a motor of a pump for use with at least one of a pool and a spa, the method comprising:

measuring an AC line current;

determining whether the AC line current is greater than a programmed threshold due to a foreign object obstruction in at least one of the pool and the spa;

automatically reducing at least one of an output voltage provided to the motor and an operating frequency of the motor if the AC line current is greater than the programmed threshold in order to drive the motor in a limp mode in an attempt to clear the foreign object obstruction; and

automatically shutting down the motor within up to about 30 seconds if the motor does not operate within operational limits while being driven in the limp mode and the foreign object obstruction cannot be cleared.

2. A method of operating a motor of a pump for use with at least one of a pool and a spa, the method comprising:

measuring a parameter including at least one of an actual pressure, a bus current, a bus voltage, a line current, a temperature of a heat sink, and a speed of the motor;

determining if the parameter is outside of a range of programmed thresholds due to a foreign object obstruction in at least one of the pool and the spa;

executing an automatic recovery operation if the parameter is outside of the range of programmed thresholds in an attempt to clear the foreign object obstruction, the automatic recovery operation including at least one of generating an updated speed control command, driving the motor in a limp mode, shutting down the motor for up to about 30 seconds and then restarting the motor, and operating the motor in a reverse direction for up to about 30 seconds and then operating the motor in a forward direction; and

automatically shutting down the motor within up to about 30 seconds if the recovery operation fails and the foreign object obstruction cannot be cleared.