Method and system for detecting a stall condition in an elevator

Abstract

Stall condition in an elevator is potentially dangerous situation if it causes slack to the ropes of the elevator. In such situation a counterweight or elevator car does not move even if the hoisting machine is still operating. This situation may be prevented by stopping the elevator as early as possible after detecting such stall condition. The detection of the stall condition is based on monitoring the torque generated by the hoisting machine of the elevator. When rapid change in the torque is detected a stall condition is suspected. The elevator may be stopped or an alarm may be launched when the stall condition is suspected.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a stall condition in an elevator, the method comprising: monitoring torque of a hoisting machine used for hoisting said elevator, the monitoring including measuring electric current input in or output from a motor of the hoisting machine; computing a rate of change of said torque; detecting a stall condition in response to said computed rate of change exceeding a threshold value, the threshold value indicating said torque, changes rapidly; and generating a response based on detecting said stall condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the response includes stopping said elevator.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the response includes launching an alarm.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code that, when executed by a data processor, configures the data processor to, monitor torque of a hoisting machine used for hoisting an elevator, the monitoring including measuring electric current input in or output from a motor of the hoisting machine; compute a rate of change of said torque; detect a stall condition in response to said computed rate of change exceeding a threshold value, the threshold value indicating said torque changes rapidly; and generate a response based on detecting said stall condition.

5. A system for detecting a stall condition in a hoisting machine of an elevator, the system comprising: a measuring device configured to measure electric current input in or output from a motor of the hoisting machine; and at least one processor configured to, monitor torque of the hoisting machine based on the electric current, compute a rate of change of said torque, detect a stall condition in response to said computed rate of change exceeding a threshold value, the threshold value indicating said torque changes rapidly, and generate a response based on detecting said stall condition.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the response such that the response includes stopping the elevator.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the response such that the response includes launching an alarm.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein said at least one processor is configured to monitor a plurality of elevators based on a plurality of electric currents associated with respective ones of the plurality of elevators.

9. An elevator including the system of claim 5.

10. An elevator group including the system of claim 5, said elevator group including a plurality of elevators.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description help to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of the present invention is disclosed,

(3) FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an example embodiment of the present invention, and

(4) FIG. 3 is an illustration of a rapid change according to the example of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

(6) In FIG. 1 a block diagram of an example embodiment according to the present invention is disclosed. In the embodiment a hoisting machine 10 is configured to operate an elevator comprising an elevator car 11 and a counterweight 12. The elevator car 11 and the counterweight 12 are coupled with a rope 13 that is arranged to be operated by the hoisting machine 10. The ropes are coupled to the elevator car 11 and the counterweight 12 by diverting pulleys 16, 17. The ends of the rope 13 are coupled to the elevator shaft so that the elevator can be operated. For example, the ropes may be coupled to support structures of the hoisting machine so that the traction sheave 15 can be operated by a hoisting machine. A person skilled in the art understands that there are also other configurations for the elevator ropings.

(7) In FIG. 1 the hoisting machine 10 is coupled to the power source 14 so that the electric motor 18 is able to transform the electricity into torque for moving the elevator car and the counterweight through the traction sheave 15. The hoisting machine further comprises a control unit 19 that is connected to the power source such that it can measure the power consumption of the electric motor 18.

(8) In the example of FIG. 1 the elevator car 11 is going upwards and the counterweight 12 downwards. For some reason the counterweight 12 get jammed to the shaft so that it stops moving downwards. Immediately there will be slack in the rope 13 on the side of the counterweight 12. Because the counterweight 12 does not help the upward movement of the elevator car 11 the electric motor 15 must do all the work. Thus, it needs more power from the power source 14.

(9) The control unit 19 measures the electric current continuously. When it detects a rapid change in the electric current from power source 14 to electric motor 14 it determines that the counterweight is not moving anymore. After the determination the control unit 19 makes the emergency stop of the elevator in order to prevent further slack. Further actions, such as automatic emergency call, may be applied.

(10) In the embodiment explained with referral to FIG. 1 the rapid change of torque was disclosed. The torque was derived from the electric current. Thus, detecting rapid change in the electric current is an example of measuring the change of the torque applied at that moment of time. Also other means of detecting the rapid change may be applied.

(11) In FIG. 2 a method according of an example embodiment is disclosed. In the method the use of the electric current is monitored, step 20. Modern elevators may be configured to monitor a plurality of different functions for various purposes. For the present invention it is interesting to measure the torque used for hoisting and it can be derived from the electric current used for hoisting. The actual measurement process is known to a person skilled in the art of signal processing and depending on the application it may be necessary process the measured signal in order to make correct conclusion from the measurement result. For example, the processing may include filtering undesired, typically high frequency components from the torque indicating signal. During monitoring the rate of change of used torque is continuously computed, step 21. For example, the change may be measured during a predetermined time interval. Such interval may be chosen on an application basis, however, a person skilled in the art understands that the time interval must be relatively small period of time as elevators travel fast and the slack should be minimized. The computed value is continuously compared with a predetermined threshold, step 22. The threshold is also chosen on an application basis so that the ordinary movement of the elevator does not trigger the condition. If the threshold is exceeded the elevator may be stopped, step 23. Instead of stopping it is possible to launch an alarm, however, when slack in the ropes is suspected it is typical to stop the elevator for the sake of the passenger security. Typically the alarm is launched always after an emergency stop.

(12) If the elevator does not comprise a measurement device it is possible to install an additional measurement device. The measurement device may comprise all functionality discussed. Thus, when the additional device detects rapid change it is capable of stopping the elevator and launching an alarm.

(13) In FIG. 3 a diagram disclosing a rapid change is illustrated. In figure at the moment of time x pointed by the arrow 30 a rapid change has occurred as the value of y changes rapidly as a function of x. Thus the derivate, f (x) has a high value and hoisting must be stopped. For the sake of the clarity in FIG. 3 a threshold current 31 according to prior art is disclosed. The threshold current mechanism may be used together with the present invention, however, in the example of FIG. 3 the threshold current is not exceeded. Thus, the conventional method would not detect the possible stall condition of the example. This can be caused, for example, when an empty elevator car is hoisted. Thus, the current needed is smaller compared to the situation where full elevator car is hoisted and thus, the threshold current is not exceeded.

(14) The above mentioned method may be implemented as computer software which is executed in a computing device able to communicate with a measurement device for detecting rapid change in torque used for hoisting and to stop the elevator when such change is detected. When the software is executed in a computing device it is configured to perform the above described inventive method. The software is embodied on a computer readable medium so that it can be provided to the computing device.

(15) As stated above, the components of the exemplary embodiments can include computer readable medium or memories for holding instructions programmed according to the teachings of the present inventions and for holding data structures, tables, records, and/or other data described herein. Computer readable medium can include any suitable medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution. Common forms of computer-readable media can include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other suitable magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDR, CDRW, DVD, DVD-RAM, DVDRW, DVDR, HD DVD, HD DVD-R, HD DVD-RW, HD DVD-RAM, Blu-ray Disc, any other suitable optical medium, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other suitable memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave or any other suitable medium from which a computer can read.

(16) It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above; instead they may vary within the scope of the claims.