Gas Research Institute

Varidigm Corporation

Ronald L Eichorn

Nickolas G Vrionis

A method and apparatus for achieving constant air flow rate economically utilizes an induction blower motor with control settings determining the motor excitation voltage. A memory stores, for a variety of motor speeds, a graph of the speeds plotted against a proportionality constant of flow rate to fan speed for the selected motor system on one axis and motor control settings on the other axis. The only monitoring necessary to achieve the constant flow rate is thus the sensing of fan rotational speed. The measured fan speed is compared against the proportionality constant needed for the selected constant air flow rate and a motor excitation voltage is derived to achieve that proportionality constant. When the system load changes significantly, thereby causing significant fan speed change, a cascaded control loop is used whereby the speed changed induced by each control voltage adjustment is monitored until the desired constant flow rate is again attained at the new load level.

Constant CFM control algorithm for an air moving system utilizing a centrifugal blower driven by an induction motor

An electric motor and its controller are specially adapted for variable speed applications. The stator of the motor has its main windings controlled by triacs. The triacs are placed to allow the main windings to operate in series at low speed and in parallel at high speeds. The firing delay of the operating triacs is controlled in both series and parallel winding operations to aid in smooth operation of the motor. The auxiliary winding is preferably left uncontrolled to contribute a regular sinusoidal component to the windings power at all times. The controller receives the speed command and figures firing delay and outputs triac control pulses at one of a plurality of settings to bring the motor to the selected speed. In this manner a simple, inexpensive, and continuously variable speed motor may be realized with good performance characteristics.

Growing community of inventors

Soquel, CA, United States of America

Ronald L Eichorn