Power-line control of a hazardous-environment-located machine from a safe environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021121895-A1
Application number	US-202016949274-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 23, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods related to providing safe electrical control and/or communication between a remote controller located in a safe location and interface system for a machine located in a hazardous location. The control and/or communication is provided via industrial-voltage power lines that traverse a barrier separating the safe location from the hazardous location. Control and/or communication is provided by reactively coupling to industrial power lines, which traverse the barrier, so as to superimpose a control and/or communication signal upon AC operating power provided to the machine. Each of the interface system located at the hazardous location and the remote control module located at a safe location provides such reactive coupling to the industrial-voltage power lines so as to communicate therebetween.

First claim

1 . A system for interfacing with a hazardous-environment-located machine, the system comprising:
an explosion-proof housing; a reactive coupler within the explosion-proof housing, the reactive coupler configured to reactively couple to an industrial-voltage power-line conductor providing AC operating power of a line frequency to the hazardous-environment-located machine; a communications interface within the explosion-proof housing and electrically coupled to the reactive coupler, the communications interface configured to receive control signals of frequencies within a communication frequency band from the industrial-voltage power-line conductor via the reactive coupler, and to generate operating signals for the hazardous-environment-located machine based on the received control signals; and a local interface electrically coupled to the communications interface and configured to couple to the hazardous-environment-located machine so as to provide the generated operating signals thereto.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hazardous-environment-located machine is an electric paint pump.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
the electric paint pump, wherein the explosion proof housing is integral to the electric paint pump.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the control signals include at least one of a pump-speed command signal and a mode control signal.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electric paint agitator, wherein the explosion proof housing is integral to the electric paint agitator.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electric paint proportioner, wherein the explosion proof housing is integral to the electric paint proportioner.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is further configured to generate information signals, which are sent to a remote controller over the industrial-voltage power-line conductor via the reactive coupler.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reactive coupler is a transformer.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising
an alarm-conditions sensor within the explosion-proof housing configured to sense an alarm condition of the hazardous-environment-located machine.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the alarm-conditions sensor is further configured to generate an alarm signal in response to the alarm condition being sensed by the alarm-conditions sensor.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the alarm condition is sensed based, at least in part, on the AC operating power provided to the hazardous-environment-located machine.

12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an isolation filter electrically coupled to the industrial-voltage power-line conductor between the reactive coupler and the hazardous-environment-located machine, the isolation filter configured to pass the line frequency and to attenuate the frequencies within the communications frequency band.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the isolation filter includes an inductive element.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a local controller within the explosion-proof housing and having a processor and memory.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface is a first communications interface, the system further comprising:
a remote controller configured to control the hazardous-environment-located machine from a safe-environment location, the remote controller including:
a second communications interface configured to generate the control signals for the hazardous-environment-located machine.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein reactive coupler is a first reactive coupler, the remote controller further including:
a second reactive coupler configured to reactively couple to the industrial-voltage power-line conductor providing the AC operating power of the line frequency to the hazardous-environment-located machine so as to transmit the generated control signals thereto.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the second reactive coupler is a transformer.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the isolation filter is a first isolation filter, the remote controller further including:
a second isolation filter configured to pass the line frequency and to attenuate the frequencies within the communications frequency band, the second isolation filter located between the second reactive coupler and an industrial-voltage power source, by which the AC operating power is provided.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the remote controller further comprises:
a network interface configured to couple to an industrial control network so as to receive control signals therefrom and to provide information signals thereto.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the remote controller further comprises:
a user interface configured to couple to an industrial control network so as to receive control signals therefrom and to provide information signals thereto.

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Vu K
• Herbert Tom

Classifications

• H02J13/1311

  using the power network as support for the transmission · CPC title

• H02J13/1331

  using wireless data transmission · CPC title

• B04B7/02 Primary

  Casings; Lids (shock absorbers, vibration dampers F16F) · CPC title

• G05B9/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• B05B12/004

  comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm (B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00) · CPC title