Pump controller system and method

• US 7,815,420 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Sta-Rite Industries LLC (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Koehl, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuff; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dwivedi; Vikansha S
• Application Number:
  US11/981,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20080131289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 417/44.1, 417/44.11, 417/53, 417/12, 318432-434, 318/280, 361 23- 24
• US Class Current: 417/53
• 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-calibrating 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 detecting a fault condition in a motor of a pump, the method comprising:

positioning a temperature sensor on a heat sink of a controller;

sensing a first temperature value of the heat sink with the temperature sensor;

generating and storing a fault condition code if the first temperature value is greater than a temperature upper limit;

shutting down a drive to the motor;

sensing a second temperature value of the heat sink with the temperature sensor; and

attempting to restart the drive to the motor if the second temperature value is less than a limp mode temperature limit.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating a fault condition code if the first temperature value is greater than about 70 degrees Celsius.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising attempting to restart the drive to the motor if the second temperature value is less than about 60 degrees Celsius.

4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising indicating to a user that a fault condition code has been generated.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising setting the limp mode temperature limit based on an input voltage.