Methods and systems for recording operating information of an electric motor

• US 9,236,819 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc. (Regal Rexnord Corp.)
• Inventors: Beifus, Brian L., Selking, Paul N., Gurudasani, Vijay D., Koller, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Antony M
• Application Number:
  US14/166,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 318/565, 318/400.21, 318/568.1, 318/400.01, 318/400.12, 318/400.32, 318/727, 318/782, 318/783, 318/799, 318/515, 318/543, 318/400.22, 318/490, 318/700, 318/432, 388/903, 388/904, 388/909, 388/934, 361/22, 361/23, 361/56, 361/88, 361/90, 361/91.1, 361/111, 361/272, 361/534, 359/341.43, 363/56.05, 363/56.07, 363/56.08, 363/56.12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23193 Memory stores lifetime, different settings, configurations of controlled device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24053 Diagnostic of controlled machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24067 Processor stores variables, events and date in eeprom, for external monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/02 Providing protection against overload without automatic interruption of supply protection against faults of stepper motors H02P8/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/024 Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/0241 the fault being an overvoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/06 Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/34 Modelling or simulation for control purposes

Abstract

A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.

Claims

1. A unit for recording operating information of an electric motor, said unit comprising:

a motor controller communicatively coupled to an electric motor, said motor controller comprising a processing device configured to control said unit, collect operating data from an electric motor, and identify when a change in operating conditions of the electric motor occurs;

a memory device communicatively coupled to said processing device, said memory device configured to receive and store motor operating information in response to identifying the change in operating conditions of the electric motor; and

a voltage limiting circuit coupled to said memory device, wherein said voltage limiting circuit protects said memory device from an over voltage condition caused by the change in operating conditions.

2. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said memory device is further configured to store motor controller information associated with a current motor controller for use by a successive motor controller.

3. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said memory device comprises a communications interface configured to allow a user to access the contents of said memory device.

4. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said processing device comprises a random access memory (RAM) configured to temporarily store the motor operating information.

5. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said memory device comprises at least one of an erasable programmable read-only memory and a flash memory.

6. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said processing device comprises an internal memory device.

7. A unit according to claim 1, wherein the motor operating information comprises at least one of production process information, scratch-pad information, a total length of time said electric motor receives power, a total length of time said electric motor has run, a total length of time said electric motor has operated in a cutback region, a total length of time said electric motor has operated with a temperature above a thermal limit setting, a total number of cycles said electric motor has completed, a high operating temperature, a low operating temperature, a final operating torque level, a final operating bus voltage, a last operating speed, a last module temperature, a count of fault events, a count of reset cycles, a count of oscillator stop events, and a count of stall events.

8. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor comprises an electronically commutated motor (ECM).

9. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said memory device comprises a non-volatile memory.

10. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller is integral with the electric motor.

11. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller is positioned remotely from the electric motor.

12. A unit according to claim 1, wherein said voltage limiting circuit comprises a plurality of signal diodes that limit a terminal voltage at said memory device to a predefined voltage.

13. A method for providing a system to record operating information of an electric motor, said method comprising:

configuring a processing device to collect operating data from an electric motor;

configuring the processing device to identify when a change in operating conditions of the electric motor occurs;

configuring a memory device to receive and store the operating data in response to identifying the change in operating conditions of the electric motor; and

coupling a voltage limiting circuit to the memory device, wherein the voltage limiting circuit protects the memory device from an over voltage condition caused by the change in operating conditions.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising configuring the memory device to receive and store system controller information associated with a current system controller for use by a successor system controller upon replacement of the current system controller.

15. A method according to claim 13 further comprising configuring the processing device to temporarily store the operating data in a random access memory (RAM).

16. A method according to claim 14 further comprising configuring the processing device to transfer the operating data stored in the RAM to the memory device.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein coupling the voltage limiting circuit to the memory device further comprises coupling at least one Zener diode to the memory device.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein the electric motor comprises an electronically commutated motor (ECM).

19. A motor system comprising:

an electric motor;

a motor controller coupled to said electric motor and configured to communicate with said electric motor, said motor controller comprising a processing device configured to control operation of said electric motor, collect operating data from said electric motor, and identify when a change in operating conditions of the electric motor occurs;

a memory device communicatively coupled to said processing device, said memory device configured to receive the operating information from said processing device, and store the operating information collected by said processing device in response to identifying the change in operating conditions of the electric motor; and

a voltage limiting circuit coupled to said memory device, wherein said voltage limiting circuit protects said memory device from an over voltage condition caused by the change in operating conditions.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said memory device comprises a communications interface configured to allow a user to access the contents of said memory device.

21. A system according to claim 19, wherein said voltage limiting circuit comprises a plurality of signal diodes that limit a terminal voltage at said memory device to a predefined voltage.

22. A system according to claim 19, wherein said processing device comprises a random access memory (RAM) configured to temporarily store the operating information.

23. A system according to claim 19, wherein said processing device comprises an internal memory device.

24. A system according to claim 19, wherein said memory device comprises at least one of an erasable programmable read-only memory and a flash memory.

25. A system according to claim 19, wherein the operating information comprises at least one of production process information, scratch-pad information, a total length of time said electric motor receives power, a total length of time said electric motor has run, a total length of time said electric motor has operated in a cutback region, a total length of time said electric motor has operated with a temperature above a thermal limit setting, a total number of cycles said electric motor has completed, a high operating temperature, a low operating temperature, a final operating torque level, a final operating bus voltage, a last operating speed, a last module temperature, a count of fault events, a count of reset cycles, a count of oscillator stop events, and a count of stall events.

26. A system according to claim 19, wherein said electric motor comprises an electronically commutated motor (ECM).

27. A system according to claim 19, wherein said memory device is further configured to store motor controller information for use by a successor motor controller upon replacement of a current motor controller.

28. A method for recording operating information of an electric motor, said method comprising:

collecting operating data from an electric motor;

identifying when a change in operating conditions of the electric motor occurs;

storing the electric motor operating data in a memory device in response to identifying the change in operating conditions of the electric motor;

protecting the memory device from an over voltage condition caused by the change in operating conditions using a voltage limiting circuit coupled to the memory device;

recovering the stored electric motor operating data after the at least one of a motor failure and a motor controller failure; and

providing the stored electric motor operating data to a replacement motor controller.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein protecting the memory device from the over voltage condition further comprises limiting a terminal voltage at the memory device to a predefined voltage.