IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,567,465
Granted Patent B2
US 11,567,465 · App. 17/231,173 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Motor control feedback and adaptation

Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray (Cedar Park, TX); Gerald Dale Morrison (Redmond, WA); Daniel Keith Van Ostrand (Leander, TX); Richard Stuart Seger, Jr. (Belton, TX)
Assignee: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
G05B15/02H02P23/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,567,465
App. No.
17/231,173
Granted
Jan 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rotating equipment system with in-line drive-sense circuit (DSC) electric power signal processing includes rotating equipment, in-line drive-sense circuits (DSCs), and one or more processing modules. The in-line DSCs receive input electrical power signals and generate motor drive signals for the rotating equipment. An in-line DSC receives an input electrical power signal, processes it to generate and output a motor drive signal to the rotating equipment via a single line and simultaneously senses the motor drive signal via the single line. Based on the sensing of the motor drive signal via the single line, the in-line DSC provides a digital signal to the one or more processing modules that receive and process the digital signal to determine information regarding one or more operational conditions of the rotating equipment, and based thereon, selectively facilitate one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal via the in-line DSC.

Claims (107)

1. A motor control feedback and adaptation system with drive-sense circuit (DSC), the system comprising:

a motor controller operably coupled to a motor and configured to:

generate a motor drive signal based on a drive signal; and

provide the motor drive signal to the motor to facilitate operation of the motor;

a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled via a single line to a coupling between the motor controller and the motor and configured to:

generate a DSC signal based on a reference signal;

provide the DSC signal via the single line and simultaneously to sense the DSC signal via the single line;

based on the sensing of the DSC signal via the single line, detect a change of the DSC signal corresponding to an effect on the motor drive signal that is based on an electrical characteristic of the motor; and

generate a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor;

memory that stores operational instructions; and

one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory and configured to execute the operational instructions to:

generate the drive signal and provide the drive signal to the motor controller;

receive the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor;

process the digital signal to determine information regarding one or more operational conditions of the motor;

based on the information regarding the one or more operational conditions of the motor, determine whether to perform adaptation of the drive signal to modify operation of the motor via the motor controller; and

based on a determination to perform adaptation of the drive signal, identify one or more adaptation operations to be performed on the drive signal to modify the operation of the motor via the motor controller; and

modify the drive signal based on the one or more adaptation operations to generate a modified drive signal and provide the modified drive signal to the motor controller to modify the operation of the motor via the motor controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

based on a determination not to perform any adaptation of the drive signal, continue to provide the drive signal to the motor controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

based on the information regarding the one or more operational conditions of the motor, determine whether to perform adaptation of the motor drive signal via the DSC to modify operation of the motor;

based on a determination to perform adaptation of the motor drive signal, identify another one or more adaptation operations to be performed on the motor drive signal by the DSC; and

direct the DSC to perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal; and

the DSC coupled via the single line to the coupling between the motor controller and the motor is further configured to:

based on direction from the one or more processing modules to perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal, perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal based on modification of the DSC signal via the single line to modify operation of the motor.

4. The system of claim 3 , the one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

generate the reference signal and provide the reference signal to the DSC; and

adjust at least one parameter of the reference signal to facilitate the DSC to perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal based on modification of the DSC signal via the single line to modify operation of the motor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one parameter of the reference signal includes at least one of frequency, type, amplitude, magnitude, phase, and DC offset of the reference signal.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the another one or more adaptation operations to be performed on the motor drive signal includes one or more of:

modification of amplitude or magnitude of at least one of a current or a voltage of the motor drive signal;

modification of phase of the at least one of the current or the voltage of the motor drive signal;

filtering of motor drive signal based on one or more of low pass filtering, bandpass filtering, and high pass filtering; and

removal of one or more of noise, interference, undesired harmonics, and glitches.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modified drive signal is configured to modify the operation of the motor via the motor controller by directing operation of the motor controller to perform one or more of:

modification of amplitude or magnitude of at least one of a current or a voltage of the motor drive signal;

modification of phase of the at least one of the current or the voltage of the motor drive signal;

filtering of motor drive signal based on one or more of low pass filtering, bandpass filtering, and high pass filtering; and

removal of one or more of noise, interference, undesired harmonics, and glitches.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the DSC operably coupled via the single line and via a coupler to the coupling between the motor controller and the motor, wherein the coupler is configured to perform at least one of scaling, division, and electrical isolation of the motor drive signal.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor operably coupled to the one or more processing modules via another DSC and configured to monitor an analog feature associated with the motor, wherein the DSC is operably coupled to the sensor via another single line, wherein the another DSC is configured to:

provide another DSC signal via the another single line and simultaneously to sense the another DSC signal via the another single line;

based on the sensing of the another DSC signal via the another single line, detect a change of the another DSC signal corresponding to an electrical characteristic of the sensor that is based on the sensor being exposed to the analog feature associated with the motor; and

generate a digital signal representative of the analog feature associated with the motor.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more operational conditions of the motor includes one or more of rotational speed of a rotor of the motor, torque on the rotor of the motor, electromotive force (EMF) of the motor, a counter-EMF of the motor, a back-EMF of the motor, a position of the rotor of the motor, or slip of the motor that is based on a rotational speed of a magnetic field within the rotor of the motor, a stator electrical speed of the motor, and the rotational speed of the rotor of the motor.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the DSC further comprises:

a power source circuit operably coupled to the single line and configured to provide the DSC signal via the single line to the coupling between the motor controller and the motor, and wherein the DSC signal includes at least one of a DC (direct current) component and an oscillating component; and

a power source change detection circuit operably coupled to the power source circuit, wherein, when enabled, the power source change detection circuit is configured to:

detect the effect on the DSC signal that is based on the electrical characteristic of the motor; and

generate the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

the power source circuit including a power source to source at least one of a voltage or a current within the DSC signal via the single line; and

the power source change detection circuit including:

a power source reference circuit configured to provide at least one of a voltage reference or a current reference; and

a comparator configured to compare the at least one of the voltage and or the current within the DSC signal to the at least one of the voltage reference and or the current reference in accordance with producing the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor.

13. A motor control feedback and adaptation system with drive-sense circuit (DSC), the system comprising:

a motor controller operably coupled to a motor and configured to:

generate a motor drive signal based on a drive signal; and

provide the motor drive signal to the motor to facilitate operation of the motor;

a drive-sense circuit (DSC) operably coupled via a single line to a coupling between the motor controller and the motor and configured to:

generate a DSC signal based on a reference signal;

provide the DSC signal via the single line and simultaneously to sense the DSC signal via the single line;

based on the sensing of the DSC signal via the single line, detect a change of the DSC signal corresponding to an effect on the motor drive signal that is based on an electrical characteristic of the motor; and

generate a digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor;

memory that stores operational instructions; and

one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory and configured to execute the operational instructions to:

generate the reference signal and provide the reference signal to the DSC;

generate the drive signal and provide the drive signal to the motor controller;

receive the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor;

process the digital signal to determine information regarding one or more operational conditions of the motor, wherein the one or more operational conditions of the motor includes one or more of rotational speed of a rotor of the motor, torque on the rotor of the motor, electromotive force (EMF) of the motor, a counter-EMF of the motor, a back-EMF of the motor, a position of the rotor of the motor, or slip of the motor that is based on a rotational speed of a magnetic field within the rotor of the motor, a stator electrical speed of the motor, and the rotational speed of the rotor of the motor;

based on the information regarding the one or more operational conditions of the motor, determine whether to perform adaptation of the drive signal to modify operation of the motor via the motor controller; and

based on a determination to perform adaptation of the drive signal, identify one or more adaptation operations to be performed on the drive signal to modify the operation of the motor via the motor controller; and

modify the drive signal based on the one or more adaptation operations to generate a modified drive signal and provide the modified drive signal to the motor controller to modify the operation of the motor via the motor controller, wherein the modified drive signal is configured to modify the operation of the motor via the motor controller by directing operation of the motor controller to perform one or more of:

modification of amplitude or magnitude of at least one of a current or a voltage of the motor drive signal;

modification of phase of the at least one of the current or the voltage of the motor drive signal;

filtering of motor drive signal based on one or more of low pass filtering, bandpass filtering, and high pass filtering; and

removal of one or more of noise, interference, undesired harmonics, and glitches.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

based on a determination not to perform any adaptation of the drive signal, continue to provide the drive signal to the motor controller.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

based on the information regarding the one or more operational conditions of the motor, determine whether to perform adaptation of the motor drive signal via the DSC to modify operation of the motor;

based on a determination to perform adaptation of the motor drive signal, identify another one or more adaptation operations to be performed on the motor drive signal by the DSC; and

direct the DSC to perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal; and

the DSC coupled via the single line to the coupling between the motor controller and the motor is further configured to:

based on direction from the one or more processing modules to perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal, perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal based on modification of the DSC signal via the single line to modify operation of the motor.

16. The system of claim 15 , the one or more processing modules operably coupled to the motor controller and the memory is further configured to execute the operational instructions to:

generate the reference signal and provide the reference signal to the DSC; and

adjust at least one parameter of the reference signal to facilitate the DSC to perform the another one or more adaptation operations on the motor drive signal based on modification of the DSC signal via the single line to modify operation of the motor.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the DSC operably coupled via the single line and via a coupler to the coupling between the motor controller and the motor, wherein the coupler is configured to perform at least one of scaling, division, and electrical isolation of the motor drive signal.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a sensor operably coupled to the one or more processing modules via another DSC and configured to monitor an analog feature associated with the motor, wherein the DSC is operably coupled to the sensor via another single line, wherein the another DSC is configured to:

provide another DSC signal via the another single line and simultaneously to sense the another DSC signal via the another single line;

based on the sensing of the another DSC signal via the another single line, detect a change of the another DSC signal corresponding to an electrical characteristic of the sensor that is based on the sensor being exposed to the analog feature associated with the motor; and

generate a digital signal representative of the analog feature associated with the motor.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the DSC further comprises:

a power source circuit operably coupled to the single line and configured to provide the DSC signal via the single line to the coupling between the motor controller and the motor, and wherein the DSC signal includes at least one of a DC (direct current) component and an oscillating component; and

a power source change detection circuit operably coupled to the power source circuit, wherein, when enabled, the power source change detection circuit is configured to:

detect the effect on the DSC signal that is based on the electrical characteristic of the motor; and

generate the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

the power source circuit including a power source to source at least one of a voltage or a current within the DSC signal via the single line; and

the power source change detection circuit including:

a power source reference circuit configured to provide at least one of a voltage reference or a current reference; and

a comparator configured to compare the at least one of the voltage and or the current within the DSC signal to the at least one of the voltage reference and or the current reference in accordance with producing the digital signal representative of the electrical characteristic of the motor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: GRAY, PATRICK TROY; MORRISON, GERALD DALE; VAN OSTRAND, DANIEL KEITH; SEGER, RICHARD STUART, JR.
To: SIGMASENSE, LLC.
Reel/Frame 055940/0288 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16856813 · Apr 23, 2020
Continuation 16355922 · Mar 18, 2019
Related Publication 20210255593A1 · Aug 19, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,498,818