Lennox Industries Inc.

General Electric Company

Abb Schweiz Ag

Palanivel Subramaniam

Raghothama Reddy

Austin Clay Styer

Sunil K Khiani

Stephen J Vendt

Nasim Rahman

Wei Wang

Darwin Drake Smith

Yan Yang

Edward Clark Fontana

Roy Jaescentt Davis

Jose Juan Sandoval

Tab O Walter

Sean Nicholas Lopes

Kishor Satish Gaikwad

Ravi Gautam

Gary Lin

Harvey Veselka

Jose Sandoval

A method includes entering a blower monitoring mode for a blower of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. A torque applied to a blower wheel of the blower is determined based on an electrical current and an electrical voltage provided to a motor of the blower. In response to determining that the torque is greater than or equal to a torque threshold, a speed of the blower wheel is determined based on the electrical current and the electrical voltage provided to the motor. In response to determining that the speed is less than a speed threshold, a time that passed since both the torque reached the torque threshold and the speed was identified as being less than the speed threshold is determined. In response to determining that the time is greater than or equal to the time threshold, the method determines that the blower wheel is loose.

System and method for detecting a loose blower wheel of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system

A system for detecting motor disconnections while a motor is switched on comprises a motor, a motor drive circuit, and a processor. The processor determines whether a set of disconnection conditions is met for more than a threshold time. In this process, the processor determines that a pulse signal that leads to power the motor is enabled, that a speed associated with the motor is more than a threshold speed, a drive voltage output associated with the motor drive circuit is more than a threshold voltage, a current applied to the motor is less than a threshold current, and that the speed associated with the motor is zero. The processor determines that at least one terminal of the motor is disconnected from the motor drive circuit in response to determining that the set of disconnection conditions is met for more than the threshold time.

Motor disconnection detection while the motor is switched on

A system for calibrating inductance at a motor comprises the motor, a motor drive circuit, and a processor operably coupled to the motor. The processor determines inductance map data that comprises a set of inductance values associated with a set of current values. The processor determines that the motor is in operation. In response, the processor determines current values with which the motor is being operated. The processor determines inductance values associated with the determined current values. The processor determines reference current values at the motor based on the determined inductance values. The processor also determines a speed, angle, flux, and torque associated with the motor based at least on the determined inductance values. The processor then controls the operation of the motor based on the determined reference currents, the speed, and the torque.

Motor inductance calibration system and method

A system includes an electronic power converter and a controller. The electronic power converter supplies power to one or more motor drives of an HVAC system. The controller obtains a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) algorithms. Each PWM algorithm has an associated spectrum of frequencies. The controller further determines one or more resonance frequencies associated with the HVAC system. The controller also selects a first PWM algorithm from the plurality of PWM algorithms wherein the spectrum of frequencies of the first PWM algorithm lacks frequency peaks that overlap with the one or more resonance frequencies associated with the HVAC system. The controller further operates the electronic power converter according to the first PWM algorithm.

Controlling systems with motor drives using pulse width modulation

A method of calibrating a motor assembly includes selecting an electric motor and a motor controller for the motor assembly, obtaining at least one electric motor parameter of the electric motor, determining a correction factor for the electric motor based upon the at least one electric motor parameter, and programming the motor controller with the correction factor.

Method of calibrating a variable-speed blower motor

A motor driving system includes motor driving circuitry configured to operate an electric motor. The system further includes a controller that is configured to send a signal to energize the electric motor and to measure a back electromotive force voltage of the electric motor. The controller is further configured to determine a temperature value based on the measured back electromotive force voltage using a back electromotive force voltage mapping that maps back electromotive force voltages to temperature values. The controller is further configured to determine an expected winding resistance value based on the determined temperature value using a resistance mapping that maps winding resistance values to temperature values. The controller is further configured to measure a winding resistance of the electric motor, to compare the measured winding resistance of the electric motor to the expected winding resistance value, and to output a match result indication based on the comparison.

Motor driver controller analysis device

A system includes an electronic power converter and a controller. The electronic power converter supplies power to one or more motor drives of an HVAC and/or refrigeration system. The controller obtains a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) algorithms. Each PWM algorithm has an associated harmonic signature. The controller further determines one or more resonance frequencies associated with the HVAC and/or refrigeration system. The controller also selects a first PWM algorithm from the plurality of PWM algorithms based at least in part on the harmonic signature associated with the first PWM algorithm mitigating the one or more resonance frequencies associated with the refrigeration system. The controller further operates the electronic power converter according to the first PWM algorithm.

An apparatus includes a blower drive and a protection circuit. The blower drive includes a processor and a capacitor. The capacitor is electrically coupled to the processor and provides electrical power to the processor during a short circuit in the blower drive. The protection circuit is electrically coupled to the blower drive and includes a first switch, a positive temperature coefficient resistor, and a second switch. The positive temperature coefficient resistor is electrically coupled in series to the first switch. The second switch is electrically coupled in parallel to the positive temperature coefficient resistor and opens during the short circuit in the blower drive. The first switch opens after the second switch opens and after a short circuit current is below a threshold.

HVAC blower protection

An apparatus includes a processor and a blower drive. The processor receives an altitude and a first blower coefficient. The processor determines a second blower coefficient based on the first blower coefficient and the altitude. The blower drive receives the second blower coefficient and adjusts at least one of a speed and a torque of a motor based on the second blower coefficient.

HVAC blower

A power converter is provided that includes a detection circuit configured to determine a power source type based on at least one characteristic of power received from a power source. The detection circuit is also configured to determine an operating edge of the soft AC source by monitoring at least one parameter as the soft AC power source approaches a power limit, and assign an operating point to the soft AC power source based on the operating edge to increase power delivery of the soft AC power source.

Power converter and methods for increasing power delivery of soft alternating current power source

A system includes an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) voltage convertor, a power factor correction (PFC) subsystem, and one or more motor drives. The AC to DC voltage converter receives alternating current from an AC voltage source. The PFC subsystem receives DC voltage from the AC to DC voltage convertor. The PFC subsystem also outputs a corrected DC voltage corresponding to an output voltage setpoint. The PFC subsystem includes a controller operable to dynamically adjust the output voltage setpoint. The one or more motor drives receive voltage via the PFC subsystem. The output voltage setpoint is determined based at least in part on estimating a load associated with the one or more motor drives configured to receive voltage via the PFC subsystem.

HVAC and/or refrigeration using power factor correction

Systems and methods of monitoring a power system power converter are provided herein. The system includes a plurality of parallel-coupled power converters comprising a power converter input and a power converter output, the power converter output configured to be coupled to a load, each power converter of the plurality of parallel-coupled power converters comprising a power converter controller. The power converter controller is configured to compare an output current of a corresponding power converter to a predetermined output current threshold, monitor the output current for a predetermined time duration when the output current is below the predetermined output current threshold, and shut down the corresponding power converter when the output current is below the predetermined output current threshold for the predetermined time duration.

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Richardson, TX, United States of America

Palanivel Subramaniam