Motor controller having low standby power consumption
AssigneeRegal Beloit America, Inc.
InventorsMing Li, Roger Carlos Becerra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motor controller having low standby power consumption is provided. The motor controller includes a direct current (DC) bus. The motor controller also includes a low-power supply. The motor controller also includes an inverter configured to control a supply of current to stator windings of a motor. The motor controller also includes a switch circuit coupled between the DC bus and the low-power supply. The motor controller also includes a switch controller coupled to the switch circuit and configured to be coupled to a system controller. The switch controller is configured to control the switch circuit to electrically decouple, in response to detecting an absence of a control signal from the system controller, the DC bus from the low-power supply.
Claims17
A motor controller comprising:
- a direct current (DC) bus;
- a low-power supply;
- an inverter configured to control a supply of current to stator windings of a motor, wherein said DC bus is configured to supply power to said inverter;
- a switch circuit coupled between said DC bus and said low-power supply and coupled between said DC bus and said inverter;
- and
- a switch controller coupled to said switch circuit and said DC bus and configured to be coupled to a system controller, said switch controller configured to control said switch circuit to electrically decouple, in response to detecting an absence of a control signal from the system controller, said DC bus from said inverter and said low-power supply to prevent a supply of power to said inverter and said low-power supply, wherein said switch controller is further configured to be powered by said DC bus and remain powered when said inverter and said low-power supply are electrically decoupled from said DC bus.
A method for operating a motor controller, said method comprising:
- detecting, by a switch controller configured to be powered by a DC bus, an absence of a control signal from a system controller;
- decoupling, by a switch circuit, a low-power supply and an inverter of the motor controller from the DC bus of the motor controller in response to detecting the absence of the control signal to prevent a supply of power to the inverter and the low-power supply, wherein the DC bus is configured to supply power to the low-power supply and the inverter, and wherein the switch controller remains powered when said inverter and said low-power supply are electrically decoupled from said DC bus;
- detecting, by the switch controller, the control signal;
- and
- coupling, by the switch circuit, the low-power supply and the inverter to the DC bus in response to detecting the control signal.
A motor comprising:
- a plurality of stator windings;
- and
- a motor controller comprising a DC bus, a switch controller, a switch circuit, an inverter, and a low-power supply, said low-power supply configured to power control electronics of the motor, said inverter configured to control a supply of current to said plurality of stator windings, said DC bus configured to supply power to said low-power supply, said switch controller, and said inverter, said switch controller configured to control said switch circuit to electrically decouple said DC bus from said low-power supply and said inverter to prevent a supply of power to said low-power supply and said inverter in response to detecting an absence of a control signal from a system controller, wherein said switch controller is further configured to be powered by said DC bus and remain powered when said inverter and said low-power supply are electrically decoupled from said DC bus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.