Kone Corporation

Lauri Stolt

Ari Kattainen

Tuukka Kauppinen

Antti Kallioniemi

Arto Nakari

Pasi Raassina

Mikko Paakkinen

Juha-Matti Aitamurto

Tuukka Korhonen

Antti Hovi

Matti Räsänen

Petteri Valjus

Mikko Puranen

Sakari Korvenranta

Antti Saarelainen

Juhamatti Nikander

Henri Wenlin

Antti Koskinen

Risto Jokinen

Jyrki Laaksonheimo

Janne Salomäki

Sami Saarela

Jukka Laitinen

Esa Putkinen

Pekka Hallikainen

Tapio Saarikoski

Petteri Kangas

Mika Alvesalo

Jarkko Saloranta

Timo Vlasov

Jari Helvilä

Petri Hartikainen

Henri Vakkamäki

Alessio Calcagno

Ari Pikivirta

Petter Martonen

Matti RÄSÄNEN

Hilkka Hämäläinen

A drive system for driving an electric motor includes a drive control unit and a frequency converter including a speed controller. The drive control unit is configured to: define a speed reference of the electric motor; preset operating parameters of the speed controller to provide a first response time of the speed controller, before a drive of the electric motor is initiated; adjust at least one operating parameter of the speed controller to provide a second response time of the speed controller, after the speed of the electric motor reaches a constant speed, wherein the second response time is slower than the first response time; and readjust the at least one operating parameter of the speed controller to provide the first response time, before a deceleration from the constant speed is initiated. A method is disclosed for controlling the drive system for driving the electric motor.

Drive system and method for controlling a drive system

Brake release sensors for an elevator can be replaced by an arrangement wherein the brake release is determined from the force caused by the brake. This is achieved by providing measuring device for measuring the weight of an elevator car between the brake and the motor body so that the weight of the elevator car is measured only when the brake is on.

Elevator brake release monitoring

An electrical converter unit and a method for reducing thermal stress of a power semiconductor switch, such as an IGBT, of an electrical converter unit, the electrical converter unit comprising at least a gate control circuit wherein the electrical converter unit controls an electrical motor. The method comprises determining load and estimating required motor current based on the determined load and/or a predetermined speed profile. The electrical converter unit has at least a first operating state and a second operating state. The second operating state is used if predetermined criteria is fulfilled, the predetermined criteria relating to at least one of the following: estimated required current, measured motor speed, temperature of the power semiconductor switch and/or electrical converter unit, temperature model of the power semiconductor switch and/or electrical converter unit. In the second operating state a lower switching frequency of the power semiconductor switch is used than in the first operating state, and in the second operating state a higher switching speed of the power semiconductor switch is used than in the first operating state.

Method for reducing thermal stress of a power semiconductor switch, an electrical converter unit and an elevator

It is desired that elevators are not operated when the brake is not completely released. Thus, the disengaging of brakes must be monitored or guaranteed otherwise. For providing guaranteed opening, the current for opening the brake is determined and then an additional current is provided to the brakes in order to guarantee the opening. The current for opening the brake is determined by doing a test sequence for each brake individually. In the test sequence, one brake is used to hold the elevator. Then, a momentum is applied to the elevator for moving the elevator car. The current is determined by increasing the current to the engaged brake gradually until the elevator moves. When the movement is detected, the current value is stored. When the elevator is operated regularly, the additional current is added to the stored value.

A method for determining a rotor position of an electric motor, an elevator and an electrical converter unit are presented. The method comprises supplying a first excitation signal to the electric motor, determining a first response signal generated in the motor in response to the first excitation signal, determining, based on the first response signal, an electrical angle of a direct axis of the motor with respect to a stationary reference frame, supplying a second excitation signal to the motor, wherein the second excitation signal is based on the determined electrical angle, determining a second response signal generated in the motor in response to the second excitation signal, and determining the rotor position based on the second response signal.

Method for determining rotor position of electric motor, elevator and electrical converter unit

The invention is related to a method of initiating a regenerative converter () and corresponding converter () including a line bridge () and a machine bridge (), which are interconnected via a DC intermediate circuit (A,B). The method comprises charging, through the line bridge () and while the machine bridge () remains inactive, the DC intermediate circuit (A,B) to a target voltage () higher than peak value of the mains voltage ().

Method of initiating a regenerative converter and a regenerative converter

A safety arrangement of an elevator and a method for monitoring electrical safety in an elevator system is disclosed. The safety arrangement of an elevator includes a motor drive of the elevator, which motor drive includes a main circuit, an accessible conducting part, which is earthed, an insulator, which is adapted to electrically insulate the aforementioned conducting part from the aforementioned main circuit and also a monitoring circuit, which is configured to determine an earth fault of the aforementioned main circuit occurring via the aforementioned conducting part. The monitoring circuit is configured to form a signal indicating the danger of electric shock in the motor drive of the elevator, if the aforementioned earth fault is diagnosed.

Elevator safety arrangement having earth fault detection

A method for controlling an elevator includes controlling the speed of a vertically moving elevator car during its run from a starting landing to a destination landing according to speed settings, the speed settings defining a constant target speed for the elevator car. The method includes obtaining measurement data of the ongoing run, which measurement data describes vertical speed and/or vertical acceleration of the vertically moving elevator car, determining whether the measurement data meets one or more predetermined criteria indicating unintended vertical speed and/or unintended vertical acceleration, and changing the speed settings of the current run by lowering the constant target speed from a first constant target speed to a second constant target speed if the measurement data meets said one or more predetermined criteria, continuing the run without intermediate stops to said destination landing. An elevator is provided to implement the method.

Method for controlling unintended vertical speed and acceleration of an elevator

A method for performing an emergency stop with an elevator and a safety arrangement of an elevator. In the method, when an emergency stop criterion is fulfilled, the elevator car is driven with the electric motor of the hoisting machine to a stop with a given deceleration profile.

Method for performing an emergency stop using a declaration profile of an electric motor

An adjustable brake controller of an elevator brake including a DC bus, first terminals for connecting the brake controller to a first magnetizing coil, second terminals for connecting the brake controller to a second magnetizing coil, a first controllable power switch coupled between the first terminals and the DC bus, the first controllable power switch being configured to supply electric power from the DC bus to the first magnetic coil responsive to a first control signal, a second controllable power switch coupled between the second terminals and the DC bus, the second controllable power switch being configured to supply electric power from the DC bus to the second magnetizing coil responsive to a second control signal, and a controller configured to generate the first and the second control signals for controlling the first and second power switches, respectively, with a brake open mode and a brake holding mode.

Fully adjustable brake controller without need of DC-link

An elevator includes a control system for monitoring the load of a car, which control system is adapted to prevent the normal starting of the elevator, optionally also including relevelling, when there is an overload in the car. The elevator includes at least one position measuring device, speed measuring device and/or movement measuring device in order to determine the movement and/or position of the car, and the control system of the elevator is adapted to remove the prevention of normal starting when at least one said position measuring device, speed measuring device and/or movement measuring device detects that the car moved or is moving upwards in the elevator shaft. In the method, the control system of the elevator is used to determine the load situation of the car, including both the steps to prevent the normal starting of the elevator, optionally also including relevelling, when there is an overload in the car and to open some of the machinery brakes and to keep the remaining machinery brakes closed in order to determine the load situation.

Elevator car overload monitoring to prevent starting

The system for controlling the opening and/or closing of a normally-closed machinery brake opening by means of at least one magnetizing coil and closing by means of at least one closing spring comprises:

System, machinery brake and method for controlling the machinery brake

An elevator includes an elevator car and lifting machinery including a traction sheave, an electromechanical machinery brake, and an electric motor having a rotor. The traction sheave, the electromechanical machinery brake and the rotor of the electric motor are connected via a shaft, whereby the lifting machinery moves the elevator car upwards and downwards in a vertically extending elevator shaft controlled by a main control unit. The direction of rotation and the rotation speed of the rotor of the electric motor is detected with a sensor, the amplitude of the brake current provided to the machinery brake is measured, the amplitude of the brake current is increased until a first moment when the shaft and thereby also the rotor of the electric motor starts to rotate, which is detected by the sensor, the brake current is disconnected momentarily at the first moment, the torque acting on the shaft and the corresponding load in the elevator car at the first moment is determined based on the measured amplitude of the brake current at the first moment, whereby said torque is used in the main control unit for controlling the lifting machinery.

Method for controlling an elevator

Invention is related to a method for controlling an alternating current electric machine with a frequency converter including a controllable machine bridge and a controllable line bridge, and a corresponding frequency converter. The method comprises calculating a line bridge control signal, controlling line current through the line bridge using the line bridge control signal, measuring or estimating rotor pole position of the electric machine, calculating a machine bridge control signal as a function of the rotor pole position, updating the machine bridge control signal when the rotor pole position changes, and controlling current of the electric machine through the machine bridge using the machine bridge control signal.

Growing community of inventors

Helsinki, Finland

Lauri Stolt