Integrated engine-driven generator control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9796037-B2
Application number	US-36292509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2009
Priority date	Jan 30, 2009
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

An engine-driven welder/generator is controlled by an integrated controller that is coupled to both the engine and to the welder/generator. The controller receives input signals for operational parameters of the engine, and additional signals indicative of electrical output by the welder/generator. Operation of the engine and welder/generator may thus be coordinated. The controller may control speed, timing, fuel injection, and so forth of the engine, and output of the welder/generator, such as by control of input to a field coil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An engine-driven welder/generator system comprising:
an engine;
a welder/generator coupled to the engine and powered by the engine, wherein the welder/generator comprises a welder coupled to at least one generator, and the welder is configured to supply a welding power for a welding operation based on one or more weld settings; and
an integrated controller coupled to both the engine and to the welder/generator, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of both the engine and the welder/generator, and the integrated controller is configured to ramp up a speed of the engine in response to a demand for the welding power, the one or more weld settings, and a plurality of control profiles, wherein the speed of the engine during ramp up is controlled in response to an anticipated load of the welding operation, and the anticipated load is determined based at least in part on a current setting, a voltage setting, or a process type setting of the weld settings, wherein the plurality of control profiles comprises a preset-based control regime based on the one or more weld settings, and the preset-based control regime is configured to increase an efficiency of the ramp up by decreasing a duration of the ramp up.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of control profiles comprises the rpm-based control regime configured to limit overshoot during ramp up.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein each control profile of the plurality of control profiles is associated with different weld settings.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising sensors for detecting parameters of the engine and parameters of electrical power produced by the welder/generator, and wherein the integrated controller receives signals from the sensors for control of the engine.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the integrated controller is configured to transition from the preset-based control regime to the rpm-based control regime while ramping up the speed of the engine from a first speed to a second speed.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one generator includes an auxiliary generator and a weld generator, and wherein the integrated controller controls operation of the engine based upon electrical output of both the auxiliary generator and the weld generator.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising an operator interface coupled to the integrated controller, the integrated controller controlling operation of the engine and the welder/generator at least in part based upon user-settings input via the operator interface.

8. An engine-driven welder/generator system comprising:
an engine;
a welder/generator coupled to the engine and powered by the engine, wherein the welder/generator comprises a welder coupled to at least one generator, and the welder is configured to supply a welding power for a welding operation based on one or more weld settings;
sensors for detecting operating parameters of the engine and electrical parameters of output power of the welder/generator; and
an integrated controller coupled to the sensors and configured to control operation of the welder/generator based upon the detected parameters, wherein the integrated controller is configured to control the engine based on a plurality of control modes, and the integrated controller is configured to transition from a first mode to a second mode of the plurality of control modes of controlling the engine while changing a speed of the engine from a first speed to a second speed when the speed of the engine is at a threshold speed between the first speed and the second speed, wherein the first mode of controlling the engine corresponds to a preset-based control regime that is based on the one or more weld settings of the welder/generator, the first mode is configured to accelerate the transition, the second mode of controlling the engine corresponds to an rpm-based control regime, and the second mode is configured to reduce or prevent an over-shoot of the second speed.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the integrated controller is configured to control input to a field coil of the generator to regulate a field of the at least one generator.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the threshold speed is one of a preset value, a user-input value, or a percentage of the second speed.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the integrated controller selects the first mode from a plurality of different modes based on the one or more weld settings, operating parameters, electrical parameters, or a combination thereof.

12. An engine-driven welder/generator system comprising:
an engine;
a welder/generator coupled to the engine and powered by the engine, wherein the welder/generator comprises a welder coupled to at least one generator;
an operator interface configured to receive operator welding inputs for setting output parameters of electrical energy produced by the welder/generator; and
an integrated controller coupled to both the engine and to the welder/generator, wherein the integrated controller is configured to control operation of both the engine and the welder/generator based at least in part on the welding inputs and a relationship between the welding inputs and a plurality of different operational modes configured to control the engine, wherein the plurality of different operational modes comprises at least one ramp up mode for the engine, at least one intelligent over speed mode for the engine, and at least one step down mode for the engine, wherein the at least one ramp up mode increases an engine speed from a first speed to a second speed based on the welding inputs and a combination of a preset-based control regime and an rpm-based control regime, wherein the combination is configured to reduce a duration of increasing the engine speed to the second speed and to reduce an overshoot of the second speed, the at least one intelligent over speed mode increases the engine speed from the second speed to a third speed only when power is not provided to auxiliary loads coupled to the welder/generator, and the at least one step down mode shuts down the engine after a time period of no power draw from the welder/generator.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one ramp up mode is configured to transition from the preset-based control regime to the rpm-based control regime when the engine speed comprises a threshold speed near the second speed.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the threshold speed is one of a preset value, a user-input value, or a percentage of the second speed.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the integrated controller is configured to operate in a frequency dependent mode and a frequency independent mode, the frequency dependent mode enables operation of the engine at the second speed for one or more frequency dependent loads, and the frequency independent mode enables operation of the engine at the third speed for one or more frequency independent loads.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the integrated controller is configured to disable the frequency independent mode if at least one frequency dependent load is coupled to the welder/generator, and the integrated controller is configured to obtain feedback indicative of a presence or absence of the one or more frequency dependent loads and/or the one or more frequency independent loads.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one intelligent over speed mode is configured to enable operation of the engine at an elevated speed over a rated engine speed if the elevated speed does not adversely impact any loads on the sy

Assignees

• Beeson Richard
• Fosbinder Daniel C
• Trinkner Michael J
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Beeson Richard
• Fosbinder Daniel C
• Trinkner Michael J

Classifications

• B23K9/1056 Primary

  by using digital means (B23K9/1068 takes precedence) · CPC title