Elevator control apparatus

• US 6,460,658 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electric Power Corporation (Government of South Korea), Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kazuyuki, Araki, Hiroshi, Suga, Ikuro, Tajima, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US09/771,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20010017234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 187/290, 187/293, 187/296, 187/297, 320/112, 320/113, 320/129, 320/132, 320/134, 320/150, 312/375, 312/376, 312/377, 307/66, 307/69
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/30 effective on driving gear , e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor

Abstract

An elevator control apparatus includes a power storage unit for storing the DC power; a charge/discharge control circuit that controls a state of charge of the power storage unit, outputs a drive signal to charge the power storage unit with the DC power during a halt of the elevator based on operational information regarding the elevator received from the controller, and outputs a stop signal to stop charging when a voltage of the power storage unit reaches a preset voltage; and a charge/discharge circuit for starting charging the power storage unit with the DC power in response to the drive signal, and stopping the charging in response to the stop signal. This arrangement ensures landing of the elevator in case of a power failure, eliminates a peak in power consumption, and permits energy saving by effectively using power produced in a regenerative mode of the elevator.

Claims

1. An elevator control apparatus comprising:

a converter for rectifying AC power into DC power;

an inverter for converting the DC power into AC power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency;

a power storage unit connected to the converter and the inverter for storing DC power produced by the converter and for supplying DC power to the inverter for producing the AC power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency;

a controller for controlling a motor driven by the AC power having the variable voltage and the variable frequency, the motor operating an elevator, the controller controlling supply of power simultaneously and independently from each of the converter and the DC power storage unit to the elevator;

a charge/discharge control circuit controlling a state of charge of the power storage unit, outputting a drive signal to charge the power storage unit with the DC power from the converter only when the elevator is stopped, based on operational information regarding the elevator received from the controller, and outputting a stop signal to stop charging of the power storage unit when a voltage of the power storage unit reaches a preset voltage; and

a charge/discharge circuit for starting charging of the power storage unit with the DC power in response to the drive signal, and stopping charging of the power storage unit in response to the stop signal.

2. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising temperature detecting means for detecting temperature of the power storage unit wherein the charge/discharge control circuit changes the preset voltage based on the temperature of the power storage unit detected by the temperature detecting means.

3. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit corrects the state of charge of the power storage unit when the voltage of the power storage unit reaches the preset voltage.

4. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the charge/discharge control circuit corrects the state of charge of the power storage unit when the voltage of the power storage unit reaches the preset voltage.

5. The elevator control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the present voltage indicates a state of charge of the power storage unit at less than 100%, whereby regenerative power generated by the motor in a regenerative operation of the elevator can charge the power storage while the elevator is moving.