METHOD FOR PROTECTING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR OF A DEVICE WITH A MOTOR DRIVEN CONSUMER WITH A CONTINUOUS CAPACITY CONTROL SYSTEM AND CHOICE OF SUCH A MOTOR

Abstract

Method for protecting an electric motor of a motor driven consumer equipped with a controller for controlling the capacity or the power of the consumer, comprises the following steps: the determination of the thermal condition of the motor by direct measurement on the motor; and the limitation of the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer as a function of the aforementioned determined thermal condition.

Claims

1.-24. (canceled)

25. A Method for protecting an electric motor of a motor driven consumer equipped with a controller for controlling the capacity or the power of the consumer, wherein the method comprises the following steps: determining a thermal condition of the motor by a direct measurement on the motor; limiting a maximum capacity or a maximum power of the consumer as a function of the thermal condition; and wherein the electric motor is provided with one or more electric windings and with one or more bearings, whereby for the determining of the thermal condition of the motor the method comprises the step of measuring a temperature of one or more windings and/or of one or more bearings.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the measurement of the temperature use is made of one or more sensors whose signal is fed back directly to the controller.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein at least one winding of the motor two or more sensors are provided along the length of the winding.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein for each of at least a proportion of the sensors a maximum value of the temperature is entered in the controller beforehand and the method comprises the following steps: for at least one sensor, comparing the measured temperature to the corresponding maximum value entered beforehand, continuously or at certain time intervals; the limiting a maximum capacity and/or a maximum power of the consumer by a preset value when the measured temperature of the sensor has reached or exceeded the corresponding maximum value.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein when the temperature of the sensor has fallen to below the corresponding maximum value, the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer is increased again until the maximum value concerned is reached.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the motor is provided with two or more sensors for measuring the temperature and the method comprises the step of limiting the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer when, for at least one of these sensors, the measured temperature has reached or exceeded the corresponding maximum value.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the motor is provided with three or more sensors for measuring the temperature of the windings and the method comprises the step of conducting a self-diagnosis of the sensors by a mutual comparison of the temperatures measured by the sensors and considering a sensor as defective when the temperature measured by this sensor differs from the temperatures measured by the other sensors by more than a certain set value.

32. The method according to claim 26, wherein the motor is provided with cooling using a coolant, and for each of at least a proportion of the aforementioned sensors a maximum value is entered in the controller beforehand for the temperature difference between the measured temperature of the sensor concerned and the inlet temperature of the coolant, whereby the method comprises the following steps: the determining an inlet temperature of the coolant at a cooling input; for at least one sensor, determining a temperature difference between the inlet temperature of the coolant and the measured temperature of the sensor concerned; comparing this temperature difference to the corresponding maximum value of the temperature difference entered beforehand for the sensor concerned, continuously or with time intervals; and limiting a capacity and/or a power of the consumer by a preset value when the temperature difference of at least one of the sensors has reached or exceeded the corresponding maximum value.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer is set higher again after the measured temperatures and/or temperature differences have fallen below a set value for each sensor, after the passage of a set time interval or otherwise.

34. The method according to claim 25, wherein the determining of the thermal condition of the motor depends on one of the following characteristics or any combination of these characteristics: an absolute temperature of at least one or all of the windings, at one single point of the winding or at a number of points over the length of the winding; a temperature difference between at least one winding and an inlet temperature of the coolant; and an absolute temperature of at least one bearing.

35. The method according to claim 25, wherein the consumer is one from the following non-exhaustive list: a compressor; an expander; a pump; a ventilator; a cooler.

36. The method according to claim 25, wherein the consumer is provided with means to limit the power, whereby these means are controlled by the aforementioned controller of the capacity.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the means for limiting the capacity or the power are formed by one or more means from the following non-exhaustive list: variable inlet vanes (IGV or Inlet Guide Vanes); variable diffuser vanes; a throttle valve; variable speed.

38. The method according to claim 35, wherein the consumer is a centrifugal compressor with controlled variable inlet vanes that can be rotated over a range from maximum open to maximum closed, whereby, for the limiting of the capacity or the power of the consumer when a maximum value of a measured temperature or a temperature difference is reached or exceeded, inlet vanes are rotated over 5 to 10% of a range in a direction of rotation from open to closed.

39. The method according to claim 35, wherein the consumer is a compressor with a speed control of the motor, whereby, to limit the capacity or the power of the consumer when a maximum value of a measured temperature or a temperature difference is reached or exceeded, a speed is adjusted over 5 to 10% downwards.

40. The method according to claim 25, wherein the method is only based on temperature measurements.

41. A device for protecting an electric motor of a motor driven consumer equipped with a controller for controlling a capacity or a power of the consumer, wherein the device is provided with a means for determining a thermal condition of the motor by direct measurement on the motor, and is provided with means for limiting a maximum capacity or a maximum power of the consumer as a function of the thermal condition, and whereby the electric motor is provided with one or more electric windings and with one or more bearings and the means for determining of the thermal condition of the motor are formed by one or more sensors for measuring a temperature of one or more windings and/or one or more sensors for measuring a temperature of one or more bearings.

42. The device according to claim 41, wherein a maximum value of a temperature is set for each of at least a proportion of the sensors and whereby the controller is configured such that when the measured temperature reaches or exceeds a corresponding set maximum value, the controller will decrease the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer.

43. The device according to claim 41, wherein the electric motor is provided with cooling using a coolant and a sensor for measuring an inlet temperature of the coolant at the input of the cooling, whereby a maximum value is set for each of at least a proportion of the aforementioned sensors for a temperature difference between the measured temperature of a sensor concerned and the inlet temperature of the coolant, and whereby the controller is configured such that when the temperature difference reaches or exceeds a corresponding set maximum value, the controller will reduce the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer.

44. The device according to claim 41, wherein the controller makes use of only the sensors for the temperature.

45. The device according to claim 41, wherein the electric motor is chosen for nominal operating conditions such that its maximum power is equal to or somewhat greater than the power of the consumer corresponding to the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer in the nominal operating conditions concerned.

46. The device according to claim 41, wherein the electric motor is chosen for nominal operating conditions such that its maximum power is a maximum of 5%, preferably a maximum of 2%, even more preferably a maximum of 1% greater than or preferably equal to the power of the consumer corresponding to the maximum capacity or the maximum power of the consumer in the nominal operating conditions concerned.

47. The method for choosing the electric motor during the design of a device according to claim 41 for nominal operating conditions, for driving the consumer equipped with a controller for controlling the capacity or the power of the consumer, wherein the motor is chosen with a power equal to or somewhat greater than the power of the consumer, corresponding to the maximum capacity or maximum power of the consumer in the nominal operating conditions concerned.

48. A device for protecting an electric motor of a motor driven consumer equipped with a controller for controlling the capacity or the power of the consumer, comprising a sensor for determining the thermal condition of the motor by a direct measurement on the motor, a limiter for limiting a maximum capacity or a maximum power of the consumer as a function of the thermal condition, and the electric motor comprises a first electric windings and a first bearing, and the sensor is configured for measuring a temperature of the first electric windings and/or a temperature of the first bearing.

Description

[0076] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a few preferred applications of a method and a device according to the invention for protecting the motor of a consumer are described hereinafter by way of an example, without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0077] FIG. 1 schematically shows a device according to the invention;

[0078] FIG. 2 shows a variant of the device of FIG. 1 but with extra cooling of the motor;

[0079] FIG. 3 shows another variant of the device of FIG. 1.

[0080] By way of an example a device 1 is shown in FIG. 1 with a consumer 2 in the form of a compressor element 3 mechanically driven by a three-phase electric motor 4 with three windings 5, more specifically one winding per phase.

[0081] The motor 4 comprises a rotor that is rotatably affixed in a housing by means of bearings, respectively one or more bearings 12 on the driven end (DE) of the motor 4, and one or more bearings 13 on the non-driven end (NDE) of the motor 4.

[0082] The compressor element 3 is provided with an inlet 6 for the supply of a gas to be compressed and an outlet 7 for the supply of compressed gas to a distribution network 8 for compressed gas.

[0083] The compressor element 3 is further provided with means 9 to limit the capacity, in other words the flow or the power, of the compressor element 3, whereby in this case these means 9 are formed by a throttle valve 10 or alternatively by inlet guide vanes in the inlet 6.

[0084] In this case the means 9 are controlled by a controller 11 as a function of signals that originate from sensors 14 for the direct measurement of the temperature of one or more aforementioned windings 5 and/or sensors 15 for the direct measurement of the temperature of one or more bearings 12 and/or 13, whereby in this case these signals are fed back to the controller 11 via electric wiring 16.

[0085] In the example of FIG. 1, each winding 5 and each bearing 12 and 13 is provided with such a sensor 14 or 15.

[0086] For each sensor 14 and/or 15 concerned the controller 11 is provided with a preset maximum value of the temperature of the windings 5 and bearings 12, above which the maximum capacity of the compressor element must be limited to prevent a further increase of this temperature and to protect the motor against overheating.

[0087] To this end the temperatures measured with the sensors 14 and/or 15 are compared to the corresponding pre-input maximum values for each sensor 14 and/or 15, continuously or with a certain frequency.

[0088] As soon as one of the measured temperatures reaches or exceeds the corresponding value, the controller is programmed such that the maximum capacity and/or the maximum power of the compressor element 3 is limited, for example by turning the throttle valve 10 or the inlet guide vanes closed by a set value, for example over an angle that amounts to 5 to 10% of the entire range of the throttle valve 10 or the inlet guide vanes.

[0089] If after the passage of time at a reduced maximum capacity all measured temperatures have fallen below a set lower threshold value for every sensor, the controller 11 is equipped to increase the maximum permissible capacity again, after a set time span or otherwise, for example to the initial maximum value for which the device 1 has been designed or by opening the throttle valve 10 again by small incremental steps until the measured temperatures have reached the set lower threshold value, such that at that time the compressor supplies its maximum capacity that is possible at that time without the risk of damage in the given operating conditions.

[0090] The set maximum values of the temperatures and the set lower threshold values of the temperatures of each sensor can be the same or different.

[0091] The controller 11 can optionally be provided with an algorithm for a self-diagnosis of the condition of the sensors 14 on the windings 5 by a mutual comparison of the temperatures measured by the three sensors 14 concerned, whereby a sensor is considered to be defective when the temperature measured by this sensor 14 differs from the temperatures measured by the other two sensors 14 by more than a certain set value. In such a case, the controller 11 can ignore the measurement from the defective sensor 14 and/or give an indication to an operator so that the sensor can be checked and/or replaced if need be.

[0092] The device of FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 in that in this case cooling 16 is provided, which in this case is formed by a fan 17 that blows surrounding air as a coolant 18 around the motor 4 and that an additional sensor 19 is provided for the measurement of the inlet temperature of the coolant 18.

[0093] For each sensor 14 and 15 or for at least a proportion of them, in this case a maximum value is entered in the controller 11 beforehand for the temperature difference between the measured temperature of the sensor 14 or 15 concerned and the inlet temperature of the coolant measured by the temperature 19.

[0094] In this case, the method according to the invention comprises the following alternative or additional steps; [0095] for at least one sensor 14 or 15, the determination of the temperature difference between the aforementioned inlet temperature of the coolant 18 and the measured temperature of the sensor 14 or 15 concerned; [0096] the comparison of this temperature difference to the corresponding pre-entered maximum value of the temperature difference for the sensor 14 or 15 concerned, continuously or at time intervals [0097] the limitation of the capacity and/or the power of the compressor element 3 by turning the throttle valve 10 over a preset angle when the temperature difference of at least one of the sensors has reached or exceeded the corresponding maximum value.

[0098] The limitation of the capacity of the compressor element 3 on the basis of the measured absolute temperatures or on the basis of the temperature differences can be applied separately or in combination.

[0099] FIG. 3 shows an alternative device according to the invention such as that of FIG. 1, but with the difference that the means 9 for controlling the capacity or power of the compressor element 3 are now formed by a variable speed controller 20 of the motor 4, and thus of the compressor element 3, to replace the throttle valve 10 or inlet guide vanes of FIG. 1.

[0100] In this case, the protection of the motor 4 against overheating can be done by an analogous algorithm as in the case of the device of FIG. 1, but with the difference that in this case the capacity is limited by the controller 11 by reducing the speed by a certain value.

[0101] An additional difference to the embodiment of FIG. 1 is that with the last embodiment not every winding 5 and not every bearing 12, 13 is provided with a sensor 14 or 15, and that a number of sensors 14 are provided in one winding 5 over the length of the winding 5 concerned.

[0102] The means 9 for controlling the capacity of the consumer 2 are limited to the throttle valve 10, inlet guide vanes or variable speed controller 20 described above, but can be realised in other ways, for example in the form of variable diffuser vanes or similar. A combination of a number of types of means 9 also forms part of the possibilities.

[0103] The invention is not limited to application to a compressor element 3 as a consumer 2, but for example can also be applied to expanders; pumps; ventilators; coolers and similar.

[0104] It is emphasised that the method according to the invention does not make use of current, measurements or estimated parameters, but is only based on direct temperature measurements.

[0105] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the drawings, but such a method and device can be realised according to different variants without departing from the scope of the invention.