Elevator apparatus with rechargeable power supply and discharge control

• US 6,533,074 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• 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, Tominaga, Shinji, Suga, Ikuro, Tajima, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US10/209,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20020189906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 187/290, 187/293, 187/296, 187/391, 187/393, 187/414, 187/375, 318/376, 318/138, 320/128, 320/130, 320/131, 320/132, 320/133, 320/135, 307/66, 307/68
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/06 Controlling the motor in four quadrants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 50/00 Energy efficient technologies in elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies

Abstract

An elevator control apparatus includes a converter, an inverter, a controller for controlling a motor based on AC power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency supplied from the inverter and operating an elevator; a power storage unit for storing DC power; a charge/discharge control circuit that issues a drive signal such that discharge from the power storage unit increases within a range of power that can be discharged when an elevator is driven immediately following completion of uniform charging; and a charge/discharge circuit for charging the power storage unit in accordance with the drive signal. This arrangement permits quick discharging while effectively using discharge electric power until a state of charge is reached wherein regenerative electric power can be used for charging.

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 controller for controlling a motor, based on the AC power of the variable voltage and the variable frequency, operating an elevator;

a power storage unit for storing the DC power;

a charge/discharge control circuit issuing a drive signal for controlling charge current to a constant current value when charging the power storage unit with regenerative electric power if a charge state of the power storage unit indicates at least a predetermined value immediately following completion of uniform charging; and

a charge/discharge circuit for charging the power storage unit with the regenerative