Control system for an electronically commutated motor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJohn H. Boyd, Jr., Alexander Muller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Control system for an electronically commutated motor (ECM). The ECM includes a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be selectively commutated, and rotatable means associated with the stationary assembly in selective magnetic coupling relation with the winding stages. A digital computer operating under stored program control effects the commutation of the winding stages by selectively supplying power thereto in response to a pattern of control signals leaving at least one of the winding stages unpowered at any one time while the other winding stages are powered.
Claims24
A control system for an electronically commutated motor including a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be selectively commutated, and rotatable means associated with the stationary assembly in selective magnetic coupling relation with the winding stages, and means for commutating the winding stages by selectively supplying power thereto in response to a pattern of control signals leaving at least one of the winding stages unpowered at any one time while the other winding stages are powered, the control system comprising:
- means coupled to the winding stages for digitizing the voltages across the winding stages;
- means responsive to successive patterns of digital signals for generating successive patterns of the control signals for the commutating means;
- and
- a digital computer operating under stored program control, said computer having inputs for the digitized voltages, said computer having memory elements for storing data representing at least one preselected sequence of the patterns of the digital signals and for storing data, corresponding to each pattern of the digital signals, identifying the respective input for the digitized voltage for the at least one unpowered winding stage, said computer successively producing one of the patterns of the digital signals, sensing only the digitized voltage at the identified input corresponding to the one pattern and producing the following pattern in sequence after at least one predetermined logic level of the digitized voltage at the identified input has occurred.
An electronically commutated motor system comprising:
- an electronically commutated motor including a stationary assembly having a plurality of winding stages adapted to be selectively commutated, and rotatable means associated with said stationary assembly in selective magnetic coupling relative with said winding stages;
- first and second conductors for supplying power;
- means for commutating said winding stages by selectively switching said winding stages to the supply conductors in response to a pattern of control signals leaving at least one of said winding stages unpowered at any one time while the other said winding stages are powered;
- means coupled to said winding stages for digitizing the voltages across said winding stages;
- means responsive to successive patterns of digital signals for generating successive patterns of the control signals for said commutating means;
- and
- a digital computer operating under stored program control, said computer having inputs for the digitized voltages, said computer having memory elements for storing data representing at least one preselected sequence of the patterns of the digital signals and for storing data, corresponding to each pattern of the digital signals, identifying the respective input for the digitized voltage for said at least one unpowered winding stage, said computer successively producing one of the patterns of the digital signals, sensing only the digitized voltage at the identified input corresponding to the one pattern and producing the following pattern in sequence after at least one predetermined logic level of the digitized voltage at the identified input has occurred.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.