Integrated diagnostics and control systems
AssigneeReliance Electric Technologies, LLC
InventorFrederick M. Discenzo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated control and diagnostics system for a controlled system (e.g., a motor) includes a diagnostics module and a controller coupled to the motor. To optimize operation, the diagnostics information signal is used to modify the control provided by the controller as required. Moreover, the output of the control module is coupled to the diagnostics module so that the health assessment made by the diagnostics module can be based at least in part on the output of the controller. The invention uses a model-based diagnostics approach that allows integration of control algorithms with diagnostics algorithms to intelligently trade off optimizing performance to avert or accommodate failures, and to meet performance requirements in a wide range of applications.
Claims29
A method of optimizing control and diagnostics operations performed on a controlled system, the method comprising:
- providing a diagnostics module and a control module, wherein each module is integrated with the controlled system;
- generating, with the control module, a control signal in response to feedback from the controlled system;
- generating, with the diagnostics module and based on the control signal, a health assessment signal indicative of the health of the controlled system;
- predicting (1) when a controlled system failure will occur, and (2) the cause of the controlled unit failure, wherein said predicting step is performed in response to said health assessment and control signals;
- and
- determining whether to alter the control signal based on said predicting step.
A method of optimizing control and diagnostics operations performed on a motor, the method comprising:
- providing a feedback control circuit and a diagnostics circuit, both of the circuits being integrated with the motor;
- generating a health assessment signal with the diagnostics circuit, the health assessment signal being based on an output of the control feedback circuit;
- generating a controller modification signal with the diagnostics circuit wherein the controller modification signal is based on the health assessment signal;
- and
- generating a driving output with the feedback control circuit based on feedback from the motor and the controller modification signal.
A method of optimizing the useful life of a motor according to a preventive maintenance schedule that includes a plurality of preventive maintenance checkpoints, the method comprising:
- sensing a motor parameter during operation of the motor and generating a corresponding motor parameter signal;
- generating, with a controller, a driving output based on the motor parameter signal;
- diagnosing a health condition of the motor based on at least one of a group comprising (1) an operating objective, (2) the driving output, and (3) a process constraint;
- predicting, based on the health condition, whether a motor fault condition will occur prior to the next preventive maintenance checkpoint;
- and
- determining whether to alter the control signal in response to said predicting step.
A method of optimizing the useful life of a motor according to a preventive maintenance schedule that includes a plurality of preventive maintenance checkpoints, the method comprising:
- sensing a motor parameter during operation of the motor and generating a corresponding motor parameter signal;
- generating, with a controller, a driving output based on the motor parameter signal;
- diagnosing a health condition of the motor based on at least one of a group comprising (1) an operating objective, (2) the driving output, and (3) a process constraint;
- predicting, based on the health condition, whether a motor fault condition will occur prior to the next preventive maintenance checkpoint;
- and
- determining whether to alter the control signal in response to said predicting;
- wherein the operating objective is operating the motor at 200% duty for a predetermined amount of time.
A method of optimizing the useful life of a motor according to a preventive maintenance schedule that includes a plurality of preventive maintenance checkpoints, the method comprising:
- sensing a motor parameter during operation of the motor and generating a corresponding motor parameter signal;
- generating, with a controller, a driving output based on the motor parameter signal;
- diagnosing a health condition of the motor based on at least one of a group comprising (1) an operating objective, (2) the driving output, and (3) a process constraint;
- predicting, based on the health condition, whether a motor fault condition will occur prior to the next preventive maintenance checkpoint;
- and
- determining whether to alter the control signal in response to said predicting;
- wherein the process constraint is a motor operational frequency to avoid.
A method of optimizing the useful life of a motor according to a preventive maintenance schedule that includes a plurality of preventive maintenance checkpoints, the method comprising:
- sensing a motor parameter during operation of the motor and generating a corresponding motor parameter signal;
- generating, with a controller, a driving output based on the motor parameter signal;
- diagnosing a health condition of the motor based on at least one of a group comprising (1) an operating objective, (2) the driving output, and (3) a process constraint;
- predicting, based on the health condition, whether a motor fault condition will occur prior to the next preventive maintenance checkpoint;
- and
- determining whether to alter the control signal in response to said predicting;
- wherein the process constraint is the criticality of a mission including an allowable risk.
A method of optimizing control and diagnostics operations performed on a controlled system, the method comprising:
- providing a diagnostics module and a control module, wherein each module is integrated with the controlled system;
- generating, with the control module, a driving output in response to feedback from the controlled system;
- generating, with the diagnostics module and based on the driving output, a diagnostics signal indicative of the health of the controlled system;
- determining an expected time to fail based on the diagnostics signal;
- and
- predicting whether the controlled system will operate according to a predetermined set of criteria in response to said determining step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.