# US 7,612,510 B2 · Pump controller system and method

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- Number: US 7,612,510 B2
- Document ID: US7612510B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/981,808
- Filed: 2007-10-31
- Published: 2008-07-31
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2003-12-08
- Assignees: Sta-Rite Industries, Inc.
- Inventors: Robert M. Koehl
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612510B2

## CPC

- G05D 16/202: {actuated by an electric motor}
- F04B 49/06: Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04)
- F04B 49/065: {and making use of computers}
- F04B 49/10: Other safety measures
- F04D 15/0066: {by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine}
- F04D 15/0088: {Testing machines}
- F04D 15/02: Stopping of pumps, or operating valves, on occurrence of unwanted conditions
- F04D 15/0236: {Lack of liquid level being detected by analysing the parameters of the electric drive, e.g. current or power consumption}
- G05B 15/02: electric
- H02H 7/0852: {directly responsive to abnormal temperature by using a temperature sensor (in a control circuit H02H7/0833)}
- H02P 29/00: Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00)
- G05B 2219/37371: Flow
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H)
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for a pump control system. One or more embodiments of the invention include a pump controller that can perform a self-calibrating procedure, can provide precise motor speed control, can provide a limp mode before shutting down the motor when system parameters are exceeded and/or fault conditions occur, can detect fault conditions, and can store fault conditions for later retrieval.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of detecting a fault condition in a motor of a pump, the method comprising: sensing a first line current value; sensing a speed of the motor; attempting to operate the motor in a reverse direction if the first line current value is greater than a programmed threshold and if the speed of the motor is less than a motor speed low threshold; sensing a second line current value while the motor is operating in the reverse direction; generating a fault condition code and shutting down a drive to the motor if the second line current value is also greater than the programmed threshold; and operating the motor in the reverse direction for a time period if the second line current value is less than the programmed threshold and attempting to operate the motor in a forward direction after the time period has elapsed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 and further comprising generating a fault condition code and shutting down a drive to the motor if the second line current value is greater than about 7 amps.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 and further comprising operating the motor in the reverse direction for about 30 seconds.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 and further comprising indicating to a user that a fault condition code has been generated.