# US 8,540,493 B2 · Pump control system and method

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- Number: US 8,540,493 B2
- Document ID: US8540493B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/730,747
- Filed: 2003-12-08
- Published: 2005-06-09
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2003-12-08
- Assignees: Sta-Rite Industries, Inc.
- Applicants: Robert M. Koehl
- Inventors: Robert M. Koehl
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540493B2

## 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-calibration 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 operating a motor of a pump for use with at least one of a pool and a spa, the method comprising:
measuring an AC line current;
determining whether the AC line current is greater than a programmed threshold due to a foreign object obstruction in at least one of the pool and the spa;
automatically reducing at least one of an output voltage provided to the motor and an operating frequency of the motor if the AC line current is greater than the programmed threshold in order to drive the motor in a limp mode in an attempt to clear the foreign object obstruction; and
automatically shutting down the motor within up to about 30 seconds if the motor does not operate within operational limits while being driven in the limp mode and the foreign object obstruction cannot be cleared.

### Claim 2

A method of operating a motor of a pump for use with at least one of a pool and a spa, the method comprising:
measuring a parameter including at least one of an actual pressure, a bus current, a bus voltage, a line current, a temperature of a heat sink, and a speed of the motor;
determining if the parameter is outside of a range of programmed thresholds due to a foreign object obstruction in at least one of the pool and the spa;
executing an automatic recovery operation if the parameter is outside of the range of programmed thresholds in an attempt to clear the foreign object obstruction, the automatic recovery operation including at least one of generating an updated speed control command, driving the motor in a limp mode, shutting down the motor for up to about 30 seconds and then restarting the motor, and operating the motor in a reverse direction for up to about 30 seconds and then operating the motor in a forward direction; and
automatically shutting down the motor within up to about 30 seconds if the recovery operation fails and the foreign object obstruction cannot be cleared.