Load-sensing vehicle lift

A method comprising:

• engaging a lift structure with a vehicle;
• with a controller of a set of lift control components, operating a motor using electrical power drawn from a power supply to raise the lift structure at a first speed, wherein the motor is a 3-phase motor, and wherein the power supply is a single-phase power supply;
• while operating the motor at the first speed, determining a load on the motor;
• determining a potential raising speed based on at least one characteristic of electrical input from the power supply;
• and
• operating the motor to raise the lift structure at the potential raising speed;
• wherein the controller comprises:
• a lift controller;
• and
• a variable frequency drive configured to:
• receive single-phase electrical power from the power supply, wherein the single-phase electrical power has a current;
• vary the current by conditioning the electrical power;
• provide conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor to operate the motor using electrical power drawn from the power supply,
• determine the load on the motor as a function of a magnitude of the electrical power drawn from the power supply, and
• transmit the determined load to the lift controller;
• wherein the lift controller is configured to provide control signals to the variable frequency drive as a function of the load transmitted by the variable frequency drive;
• and
• wherein the variable frequency drive and the lift controller are configured to operate in a feedback loop during operation of the motor.

A system of lift control components comprising:

• a 3-phase motor operable to raise a lift structure, and
• a controller configured to condition single-phase electrical power from a power supply and provide conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor,
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at a first raising speed;
• determine a load on the motor;
• determine a second raising speed based on at least one characteristic of electrical input from the power supply, where the second raising speed is faster than the first raising speed;
• and
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at the second raising speed;
• the controller comprising:
• a lift controller;
• and
• a variable frequency drive configured to:
• receive single-phase electrical power from the power supply, wherein the single-phase electrical power has a current;
• vary the current by conditioning the electrical power;
• provide the conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor to operate the motor, and
• transmit the load on the motor to the lift controller, where the load is a function of a magnitude of electrical power drawn from the power supply;
• wherein the lift controller is configured to provide control signals to the variable frequency drive as a function of the load from the variable frequency drive;
• wherein the variable frequency drive and the lift controller are configured to operate in a feedback loop during operation of the motor;
• wherein the system of lift control components is configured as an integrated power unit (IPU) that contains a set of IPU components including the lift controller, the variable frequency drive, and the motor, wherein the set of IPU components is an arranged within the IPU to minimize a distance traveled by a signal in the feedback loop;
• and
• wherein the lift structure comprises a motor mount, and wherein a case enclosing the set of IPU components is adapted to be coupled to the motor mount and replace a second motor that is not capable of determining and raising the lift structure at the second raising speed.

A system of lift control components comprising:

• a 3-phase motor operable to raise a lift structure, and
• a controller configured to condition single-phase electrical power from a power supply and provide conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor,
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at a first raising speed;
• determine a load on the motor;
• determine a second raising speed based on at least one characteristic of electrical input from the power supply, where the second raising speed is faster than the first raising speed;
• and
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at the second raising speed;
• the controller comprising:
• a variable frequency drive configured to:
• receive single-phase electrical power from the power supply, wherein the single-phase electrical power has a current;
• vary the current by conditioning the electrical power;
• provide the conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor to operate the motor;
• a weight sensor coupled to the lift structure and configured to determine the load on the motor as a function of a weight supported by the lift structure;
• and
• a lift controller configured to provide control signals to the variable frequency drive as a function of the load determined by the weight sensor;
• wherein the variable frequency drive and the lift controller are configured to operate in a feedback loop during operation of the motor.

A system of lift control components comprising:

• a 3-phase motor operable to raise a lift structure, and
• a controller configured to condition single-phase electrical power from a power supply and provide conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor,
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at a first raising speed;
• determine a load on the motor;
• determine a second raising speed based on at least one characteristic of electrical input from the power supply, where the second raising speed is faster than the first raising speed;
• and
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at the second raising speed
• the controller comprising:
• a hydraulic pump operable by the motor to raise and lower the lift structure, wherein the hydraulic pump is configured to generate data indicating a current pressure during operation;
• and
• a lift controller configured to:
• determine the load on the motor as a function of the current pressure produced by the hydraulic pump while the lifting structure is being raised,
• provide control signals the motor as a function of the load from the hydraulic pump;
• store a correlation table that associates vehicle weights with pressures at standard raise speeds and maximum potential raise speeds, and
• using the correlation table, determine a maximum potential raise speed as a function of a vehicle weight associated with the current pressure;
• wherein the lift controller and the hydraulic pump are configured to operate in a feedback loop during of the system of lift control components.

A system of lift control components comprising:

• a 3-phase motor operable to raise a lift structure, and
• a controller configured to condition single-phase electrical power from a power supply and provide conditioned 3-phase electrical power to the motor,
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at a first raising speed;
• determine a load on the motor;
• determine a second raising speed based on at least one characteristic of electrical input from the power supply, where the second raising speed is faster than the first raising speed;
• and
• operate the motor to raise the lift structure at the second raising speed;
• wherein:
• the load on the motor comprises indications of load from at least a first source and a second source selected from:
• a variable frequency drive configured to operate the motor from electrical power drawn from the power supply and determine the load on the motor as a function of a magnitude of electrical power drawn from the power supply,
• a current sensor coupled to a connection that directly connects the power supply and the variable frequency drive, and configured to determine the load on the motor as a function of a magnitude of electrical power drawn from the power supply,
• a weight sensor coupled to the lift structure and configured to determine the load on the motor as a function of a weight supported by the lift structure, and
• a hydraulic pump operable to raise and lower the lift structure, and configured to generate data indicating a current pressure during operation;
• and
• the controller is configured to correlate a load from the first source with a load from the second source.