System and method for determining a condition of a fluid flow path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12215701-B2
Application number	US-201615266729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

A motor controller configured to be coupled to a motor that is coupled to a fan is described. The motor controller includes a processor coupled to a memory, and is configured to operate the motor in a first operating mode in which the motor rotates the fan in a first direction at a first speed. The motor controller is further configured to operate the motor in a restriction detection mode in which the motor rotates the fan in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, determine a torque associated with the motor while the motor is rotating the fan in the second direction, determine that the torque is not within a predefined threshold range in the memory, and determine that a restriction exists in a fluid flow path associated with the motor in response to determining that the torque is not within the predefined threshold range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor controller configured to be coupled to a motor that is coupled to a backward-curved fan, said motor controller comprising a processor coupled to a memory, said motor controller is configured to:
operate the motor to rotate the backward-curved fan at a first speed in a forward direction that causes a fluid to move from an inlet of a fluid flow path to an outlet of the fluid flow path, wherein the backward-curved fan is curved backward with respect to a direction of movement of the fluid through the fluid flow path, and wherein restriction of the fluid flow path does not increase a torque associated with the motor while operating in the forward direction;
store a schedule for a restriction detection mode in said memory, the schedule defining times when the motor is to be operated in the restriction detection mode;
operate, in accordance with the schedule, the motor to rotate the backward-curved fan in a reverse direction that is opposite the forward direction, wherein restriction of the fluid flow path increases the torque associated with the motor while operating in the reverse direction;
determine the torque associated with the motor while the motor is rotating the backward-curved fan only in the reverse direction during the restriction detection mode;
determine that the torque is not within a predefined threshold range stored in said memory, the predefined threshold range indicating an expected range of torque for resulting from the backward-curved fan to operate operating in the reverse direction when no restriction is present in the fluid flow path; and determine that a restriction exists in the fluid flow path in response to determining that the torque is not within the predefined threshold range.

2. The motor controller of claim 1 , further configured to operate the motor at the first speed in the restriction detection mode.

3. The motor controller of claim 1 , wherein said motor controller is coupled to a user interface component, said motor controller is further configured to transmit, to the user interface component, an indication that a restriction in the fluid flow path has been detected.

4. The motor controller of claim 1 , wherein said motor controller is coupled to a user interface component, said motor controller is further configured to:
receive a signal from the user interface component to activate the restriction detection mode; and
operate the motor in the restriction detection mode in response to receiving the signal.

5. The motor controller of claim 1 , further configured to operate the motor in the restriction detection mode during an initialization phase of the motor controller.

6. The motor controller of claim 1 , wherein said motor controller is coupled to a user interface component, said motor controller is further configured to:
receive a signal from the user interface component to deactivate the motor;
operate the motor in the restriction detection mode in response to receiving the signal from the user interface component; and
deactivate the motor after operating the motor in the restriction detection mode.

7. The motor controller of claim 1 , further configured to determine the torque by:
sensing a current that is used by the motor to operate the backward-curved fan in the reverse direction at the first speed; and
multiply the current by a predefined conversion factor.

8. A method for determining a condition of a fluid flow path, said method is implemented by a motor controller that is configured to be coupled to a motor that is coupled to a backward-curved fan, the motor controller includes a processor coupled to a memory, said method comprising:
operating, by the motor controller, the motor to rotate the backward-curved fan at a first speed in a forward direction that causes a fluid to move from an inlet of a fluid flow path to an outlet of the fluid flow path, wherein the backward-curved fan is curved backward with respect to a direction of movement of the fluid through the fluid flow path, and wherein restriction of the fluid flow path does not increase a torque associated with the motor while operating in the forward direction;
storing, by the motor controller, a schedule for a restriction detection mode in the memory, the schedule defining times when the motor is to be operated in the restriction detection mode;
operating, by the motor controller, in accordance with the schedule, the motor to rotate the backward-curved fan in a reverse direction that is opposite the forward directions wherein restriction of the fluid flow path increases the torque associated with the motor while operating in the reverse direction;
determining, by the motor controller, the torque associated with the motor while the motor is rotating the backward-curved fan only in the reverse direction during the restriction detection mode;
determining, by the motor controller, that the torque is not within a predefined threshold range stored in the memory, the predefined threshold range indicating an expected range of torque for resulting from the backward-curved fan to operate operating in the reverse direction when no restriction or an acceptable restriction is present in the fluid flow path; and determining, by the motor controller, that a an unacceptable restriction exists in a fluid flow path in response to determining that the torque is not within the predefined threshold range.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising operating the motor at the first speed in the restriction detection mode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the motor controller is coupled to a user interface component, said method further comprising transmitting, to the user interface component, an indication that a restriction in the fluid flow path has been detected.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the motor controller is coupled to a user interface component, said method further comprising:
receiving a signal from the user interface component to activate the restriction detection mode; and
operating the motor in the restriction detection mode in response to receiving the signal.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising operating the motor in the restriction detection mode during an initialization phase of the motor controller.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the motor controller is coupled to a user interface component, said method further comprising:
receiving a signal from the user interface component to deactivate the motor;
operating the motor in the restriction detection mode in response to receiving the signal from the user interface component; and
deactivating the motor after operating the motor in the restriction detection mode.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining the torque by:
sensing a current that is used by the motor to operate the backward-curved fan in the reverse direction at the first speed; and
multiply the current by a predefined conversion factor.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein when executed by a motor controller that is configured to be coupled to a motor and is coupled to a backward-curved fan, wherein the motor controller includes a processor coupled to a memory, said instructions cause the motor controller to:
operate the motor to rotate the backward-curved fan at a first speed in a forward direction that causes a fluid to move from an inlet of a fluid flow path to an outlet of the fluid flow path,
wherein the backward-curved fan is curved backward with respect to a direction of movement of the fluid through the fluid flow path, a

Assignees

• Regal Beloit America Inc
• Regal Beloit Australia Pty Ltd
• Changzhou Regal Beloit Sinya Motor Co Ltd
• Rexnord Australia Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Heins Greg
• Embery Lyell Douglas
• Turner Matthew J
• Rohoza Rafal Pawel
• Chen Bin
• Chahine Hani
• Thiele Mark

Classifications

• F05D2270/335

  Output power or torque · CPC title

• F04D27/008

  Stop safety or alarm devices, e.g. stop-and-go control; Disposition of check-valves · CPC title

• H02P7/00

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling the speed or torque of electric DC motors · CPC title

• F04D19/005 Primary

  reversible fans · CPC title