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US 8,046,179 B2Granted
Power converter disable verification system and method
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAlan J Campbell, Steven Terry Seidlitz, Rangarajan M Tallam, Alex Yegorov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power electronics device with an improved IGBT protection mechanism is provided. More specifically, systems and methods are provided for shortening the duration of a shutdown test pulse, such that the power output to the load is substantially unaffected.
Claims22
A motor control system, comprising:
- an inverter module comprising a solid state switch configured to generate an output power waveform for powering the motor;
- driver circuitry communicatively coupled to the inverter module and configured to activate and deactivate the solid state switch for generating the output power waveform;
- shutdown circuitry coupled to the driver circuitry and configured to disable the driver circuitry;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the driver circuitry and the shutdown circuitry and configured to communicate with the driver circuitry and the shutdown circuitry;
- wherein the shutdown circuitry is configured to perform a shutdown diagnostic test that verifies the ability of the shutdown circuitry to disable the driver circuitry by disabling the driver circuitry for a time period that is short enough to prevent the solid state switch from changing state.
3 more elements
A method of operating a motor drive, comprising:
- sending signals from a control circuitry to a driver circuitry;
- sending drive pulses from the driver circuitry to an inverter input device;
- sending output pulses corresponding to the drive pulses from the inverter input device to a solid state switch to generate an output power waveform;
- and
- performing a test configured to temporarily disable the driver circuitry;
- wherein the inverter input device causes a time delay between a termination of the drive pulses input and a termination of the output pulses, and wherein duration of the test is shorter than the time delay.
3 more elements
A method of performing a shutdown diagnostic test in a motor drive, comprising:
- receiving a full shutdown command from a motor control circuitry;
- sending a pulse-test-enable command from a processor to a reset input of a latch, the pulse-test-enable signal enabling the latch to change state in response to a clock input of the latch;
- sending a shutdown command from the processor to a disable circuitry;
- sending a disable command from the disable circuitry to a driver circuitry in response to the shutdown command;
- sending a status indicator from the driver circuitry to the clock input of the latch in response to the disable command, the status indicator causing the latch to change state;
- and
- sending a power-up command from the latch to the disable circuitry, the power-up command over-riding the shutdown command from the processor.
4 more elements
A method of performing a diagnostic test in a motor drive, comprising:
- sending a disable signal from a control circuitry to a driver circuitry, the disable signal causing the driver circuitry to stop sending drive signals to an inverter module;
- receiving a status signal from the driver circuitry, the status signal indicating that the driver circuitry has been disabled;
- and
- sending a re-enable signal to the driver circuitry that causes the driver circuitry to resume sending drive signals to the inverter module;
- wherein the re-enable signal is sent to the driver circuitry before the inverter module disrupts the sending of power to the motor in response to the disable signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.