Self adapting motor controller

• US 6,169,383 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Johnson, Lynn Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/165,679
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 318/770-832, 363/32, 363/40, 363/48
• US Class Current: 318/771
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 1/32 by star-delta switching
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/20 for pole-changing

Abstract

Problems associated with maintaining a large inventory of multiple types of motor controllers designed to accommodate a single motor type are eliminated in a motor controller that automatically senses if it connected to a delta motor or a wye motor and configures itself for operation in a compatible mode.

Claims

1. A motor controller for controlling operation of a multiphase motor, comprising:

a plurality of switching means connectable between a multiphase power source and multiphase motor windings;

a configuration detection circuit operatively connected to the multiphase motor windings for automatically detecting if the multiphase motor windings are arranged in a first configuration or in a second configuration; and

a controller circuit, connected to the configuration detection circuit and the switching means, operable to control the switching means in a first mode in response to the windings being arranged in the first configuration and in a second mode in response to the windings being arranged in the second configuration.

2. The motor controller according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of switching means comprise solid state devices.

3. The motor controller according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of switching devices comprise a plurality of triacs.

4. The motor controller according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of switching devices comprise a plurality of SCRs.

5. A motor controller for controlling operation of a multiphase motor, comprising:

a plurality of solid state switching means connectable between first, second and third supply lines of a multiphase power source and first, second and third windings of a multiphase motor respectively;

a configuration detection circuit operatively connectable to the first, second and third supply lines and the first, second and third windings for automatically detecting if the first, second and third windings are arranged in a delta configuration or a wye configuration; and

a controller circuit, connected to the configuration detection circuit and the solid state switching means, operable to control the plurality of solid state switching means in a first mode in response to the windings being arranged in a delta configuration and in a second mode in response to the windings being arranged in a wye configuration.

6. The motor controller according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of solid state switching means comprise a plurality of trials.

7. The motor controller according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of solid state switching means comprise a plurality of SCRs.

8. The motor controller according to claim 5 wherein the plurality of solid state switching means comprises a first, second and third solid state switching means connectable between first, second and third supply lines and first, second and third motor windings respectively.

9. The motor controller according to claim 8 wherein the configuration detection circuit further comprises:

a sensing circuit, operably connectable between first, second and third supply lines and first, second and third motor windings, operable to generate a plurality of outputs representative of each of the voltages across the first, second and third solid state switching means, first, second and third line to line voltages and first, second and third line to neutral voltages.

10. The motor controller according to claim 8 wherein the configuration detection circuit further comprises a decoding circuit connected to the sensing circuit for determining if first, second and third windings are arranged in a delta configuration or a wye configuration;

the first, second and third windings being arranged in the delta configuration if the first line to line voltage and the voltage across the first switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the second line to line voltage and the voltage across the second switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the third line to line voltage and the voltage across the third switching means are synchronously greater than zero;

the first, second and third windings being arranged in the wye configuration if the first line to neutral voltage and the voltage across the first switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the second line to neutral voltage and the voltage across the second switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the third line to neutral voltage and the voltage across the third switching means are synchronously greater than zero.

11. A motor controller for controlling operation of a multiphase motor, comprising:

a first, second and third solid state switching means connectable between first, second and third supply lines of a multiphase power source and first, second and third windings of a multiphase motor respectively;

a sensing circuit operably connectable between the first, second and third supply lines and the first, second and third motor windings, operable to generate a plurality of outputs representative of each of the voltages across the first, second and third solid state switching means, first, second and third line to line voltages and first, second and third line to neutral voltages;

a decoding circuit connected to the sensing circuit for determining if the first, second and third windings are arranged in a delta configuration or a wye configuration;

the first, second and third windings being arranged in the delta configuration if the first line to line voltage and the voltage across the first switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the second line to line voltage and the voltage across the second switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the third line to line voltage and the voltage across the third switching means are synchronously greater than zero;

the first, second and third windings being arranged in the wye configuration if the first line to neutral voltage and the voltage across the first switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the second line to neutral voltage and the voltage across the second switching means are synchronously greater than zero and the third line to neutral voltage and the voltage across the third switching means are synchronously greater than zero; and

a controller circuit, connected to the decoding circuit and the first, second and third solid state switching means, operable to control the first, second and third solid state switching means in a first mode in response to the windings being arranged in a delta configuration and in a second mode in response to the windings being arranged in a wye configuration.