Phase control of dc bus in appliances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019190429-A1
Application number	US-201715841464-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Jun 20, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control system of an appliance having a motor is provided. The control system includes an inverter circuit configured to provide power to the motor. The inverter circuit has a direct-current (DC) bus. The control system further includes a controller device powered by the DC bus, and a phase fired control device operatively coupled to an input of the inverter circuit. Also, the phase fired control device is configured to control a magnitude of voltage applied to the DC bus based on a phase on angle of the phase fired control device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control system of an appliance having a motor comprising:
an inverter circuit configured to provide power to the motor, the inverter circuit having a direct-current (DC) bus; a controller device powered by the DC bus; and a phase fired control device operatively coupled to an input of the inverter circuit, wherein the phase fired control device is configured to control a magnitude of voltage applied to the DC bus based on a phase on angle of the phase fired control device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the phase fired control device is a bilateral triode thyristor.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the phase on angle of the phase fired control device controls a peak voltage across the inverter circuit.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a current-limiting circuit operatively coupled between the phase fired control device and the inverter circuit.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the current-limiting circuit comprises a resistance and a bypass.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the current-limiting circuit is configured to bypass the resistance in response to a first set of criteria.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the current-limiting circuit is configured to reduce current through the inverter circuit in response to a second set of criteria.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller device is configured to receive DC power from the DC bus at a regulated level based on the phase on angle of the phase fired control device.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the inverter circuit comprises at least two diodes coupled to a first node and at least two capacitors coupled to a second node.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the DC bus is supplied a multiple of a voltage amplitude of an AC power source in response to phase on angle control of the phase fired control device.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller device is associated with controlling the motor.

12 . A washing machine appliance, comprising:
a cabinet; a wash tub supported in said cabinet; a wash basket rotatably mounted in said wash tub and coupled to a motor; and a control system, comprising:
an inverter circuit configured to provide power to the motor, the inverter circuit having a direct-current (DC) bus;
a controller device powered by the DC bus; and
a phase fired control device operatively coupled to an input of the inverter circuit, wherein the phase fired control device is configured to control a magnitude of voltage applied to the DC bus based on a phase on angle of the phase fired control device.

13 . The washing machine appliance of claim 12 , wherein the phase fired control device is a bilateral triode thyristor.

14 . The washing machine appliance of claim 12 , wherein the phase on angle of the phase fired control device controls a peak voltage across the inverter circuit.

15 . The washing machine appliance of claim 12 , further comprising:
a current-limiting circuit operatively coupled between the phase fired control device and the inverter circuit.

16 . The washing machine appliance of claim 15 , wherein the current-limiting circuit comprises a resistance and a bypass.

17 . The washing machine appliance of claim 16 , wherein the current-limiting circuit is configured to bypass the resistance in response to a first set of criteria.

18 . The washing machine appliance of claim 16 , wherein the current-limiting circuit is configured to reduce current through the inverter circuit in response to a second set of criteria.

19 . The washing machine appliance of claim 12 , wherein the controller device is configured to receive DC power from the DC bus at a regulated level based on the phase on angle of the phase fired control device.

20 . A method of phase control of an appliance having a motor, the method comprising:
receiving a command to control the appliance from a control panel of the appliance; turning on or off a phase fired control device based on the command; determining if a set of criteria is indicative of a controller-only-on state responsive to the turning on or off; and varying a phase on angle of the phase fired control device to power a DC bus at a reduced level based on the determination.

Assignees

• Haier Us Appliance Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Didat Mark Anthony
• Rice Steven Andrew

Classifications

• H02M5/22

  using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode · CPC title

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02M7/06

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title

• H02M1/36

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• D06F23/02

  and rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis · CPC title