Actuator with an electric motor and a method of controlling the electric motor to maintain a current position
AssigneeBelimo Holding AG
InventorsStefan Wildhaber, Balazs Schweighoffer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator includes an electric motor having cogging torque, and a controller that controls operation of the electric motor and determines a motor position of the electric motor, the electric motor having a set of stable positions being defined by the cogging torque. The controller includes a circuit that controls the electric motor to drive an actuated part of a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system to a target position and maintain a current motor position by controlling a motor torque of the electric motor to maintain the motor position within a defined range around the stable position closest to the current motor position.
Claims21
An actuator comprising:
- an electric motor having cogging torque, and
- a controller configured to control operation of the electric motor and determine a motor position of the electric motor,
- the electric motor having a set of stable positions being defined by the cogging torque,
- wherein the controller comprises a circuit configured to control the electric motor to drive an actuated part of a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system to a target position and maintain a current motor position by controlling a motor torque of the electric motor to maintain the motor position within a defined range around the stable position closest to the current motor position, and
- wherein the circuit is configured to reduce the motor torque as long as the current motor position is within the defined range around the stable position.
An actuator comprising:
- an electric motor having cogging torque, and
- a controller configured to control operation of the electric motor and determine a motor position of the electric motor,
- the electric motor having a set of stable positions being defined by the cogging torque,
- wherein the controller comprises a circuit configured to control the electric motor to drive an actuated part of a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system to a target position and maintain a current motor position by controlling a motor torque of the electric motor to maintain the motor position within a defined range around the stable position closest to the current motor position, and
- wherein the circuit is configured to increase the motor torque to return the motor position within the defined range around the stable position when the current motor position has been moved outside the defined range around the stable position.
A method of controlling an electric motor to drive an actuated part of a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system to a target position and maintain a current motor position, the method comprising:
- determining, by a controller, the current motor position of the electric motor, and
- controlling, by the controller, a motor torque of the electric motor to maintain the motor position within a defined range around a stable position from a set of stable positions, defined by the cogging torque of the electric motor, closest to the current motor position, and
- reducing, by the controller, the motor torque as long as the current motor position is within the defined range around the stable position.
A method of controlling an electric motor to drive an actuated part of a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system to a target position and maintain a current motor position, the method comprising:
- determining, by a controller, the current motor position of the electric motor, and
- controlling, by the controller, a motor torque of the electric motor to maintain the motor position within a defined range around a stable position from a set of stable positions, defined by the cogging torque of the electric motor, closest to the current motor position, and
- increasing, by the controller, the motor torque to return the motor position within the defined range around the stable position when the current motor position has been moved outside the defined range around the stable position.
An actuator comprising:
- an electric motor, and
- a controller configured to control operation of the electric motor and determine a motor position of the electric motor,
- wherein the controller comprises a circuit configured to control the electric motor to drive an actuated part of a Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning system to a target position and maintain a current motor position by controlling a motor torque of the electric motor to maintain the motor position within a defined range around the target position,
- wherein the circuit is configured to increase the motor torque to return the motor position to within the defined range when the motor position has moved outside the defined range, and
- wherein the circuit is configured to record a value of the motor torque when the current motor position has reached a boundary of the defined range, to increase the motor torque to return the motor position to within the defined range, and to reduce the motor torque as long as the current motor position is within the defined range, using the recorded value of the motor torque for determining a limit of reducing the motor torque.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.