Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring the operating condition of a pump by evaluating fault data encoded in the instantaneous current of the motor driving the pump. The data is converted to a frequency spectrum which is analyzed to create a fault signature having fault attributes relating to various fault conditions associated with the pump. The fault signature is then input to a neural network that operates in conjunction with a preprocessing and post processing module to perform decisions and output those decisions to a user interface. A stand alone module is also provided that includes an adaptive preprocessing module, a one-shot unsupervised neural network and a fuzzy based expert system to provide a decision making module that operates with limited human supervision.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling, diagnosing and prognosing the health of a motorized system. The systems may comprise a diagnostics system, a prognostic system and a controller, wherein the diagnostics system and/or prognostic system employs a neural network, an expert system, and/or a data fusion component in order to assess and/or prognose the health of the motorized system according to one or more attributes associated therewith. The controller may operate the motorized system in accordance with a setpoint and/or a diagnostics signal from the diagnostics system and/or prognostic information.

Abstract: Control of an induction motor is carried out to limit damaging arcing stress and mechanical stresses placed on the control contactor assembly and the induction motor resulting from the simultaneous or synchronous breaking and making of contactors employed to connect the windings of the motor to a power supply. Asynchronously connecting the windings to the power supply via the asynchronous or non-simultaneous closing of the contactors of a modular contactor assembly reduces the potentially damaging transient current, the associated torque oscillations, and mechanical stresses. The present invention is particularly applicable to delta motors that are started with its windings in a star or wye configuration followed by the reconnection of the windings in a delta configuration when the motor is at normal running speed.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring the operating condition of a pump by evaluating fault data encoded in the instantaneous current of the motor driving the pump. The data is converted to a frequency spectrum which is analyzed to create a fault signature having fault attributes relating to various fault conditions associated with the pump. The fault signature is then input to a neural network that operates in conjunction with a preprocessing and post processing module to perform decisions and output those decisions to a user interface. A stand alone module is also provided that includes an adaptive preprocessing module, a one-shot unsupervised neural network and a fuzzy based expert system to provide a decision making module that operates with limited human supervision.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring the operating condition of a pump by evaluating fault data encoded in the instantaneous current of the motor driving the pump. The data is converted to a frequency spectrum which is analyzed to create a fault signature having fault attributes relating to various fault conditions associated with the pump. The fault signature is then input to a neural network that operates in conjunction with a preprocessing and post processing module to perform decisions and output those decisions to a user interface. A stand alone module is also provided that includes an adaptive preprocessing module, a one-shot unsupervised neural network and a fuzzy based expert system to provide a decision making module that operates with limited human supervision.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for monitoring the operating condition of a pump by evaluating fault data encoded in the instantaneous current of the motor driving the pump. The data is converted to a frequency spectrum which is analyzed to create a fault signature having fault attributes relating to various fault conditions associated with the pump. The fault signature is then input to a neural network that operates in conjunction with a preprocessing and post processing module to perform decisions and output those decisions to a user interface. A stand alone module is also provided that includes an adaptive preprocessing module, a one-shot unsupervised neural network and a fuzzy based expert system to provide a decision making module that operates with limited human supervision.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are disclosed for detecting faults and adverse conditions associated with electric motors. The method comprises obtaining a current signal associated with the motor, calculating a space vector from the current signal, determining a space vector angular fluctuation from the space vector, and analyzing the space vector angular fluctuation in order to detect at least one fault associated with the motor. Systems are disclosed having a diagnostics component adapted to obtain a space vector angular fluctuation from a current signal relating to operation of the motor, and to analyze the space vector angular fluctuation in order to detect at least one fault in the motor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a stator winding fault in an induction motor includes sampling instantaneous signals from the motor and then deriving sequence components of at least some of the instantaneous signals using a power decomposition technique (PDT), one of the sequence components being a total negative sequence current component. In addition, the method includes calculating an expected negative sequence current based on at least some of the sequence components. Thereafter, the method subtracts the expected negative sequence current from the total negative sequence current to determine a fault negative sequence current, wherein the fault negative sequence current is indicative of the fault.

Abstract: A method for controlling the starting, stopping and operation of an AC motor is provided. Each winding of the AC motor is interconnected to an AC source by a thyristor switch and a bypass contactor for providing voltage and current to the AC motor. The method includes a steps of sequently firing a pair of tyristor switches to bring the AC motor to full operating speed. Once at operating speed, the bypass contactors are closed. Upon detection of a voltage drop across a thyristor switch, the thyristor switch is fired immediately to transfer motor current from the bypass contactor to the thyristor switch in order to maintain voltage and current to the AC motor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to be used with an inverter based motor controller for determining current phase angles for the current on a single phase of a three phase AC motor from an inverter generated high frequency phase voltage sequence. The invention detects turn on delay periods and compares phase voltages during consecutive turn on delay periods to determine phase current zero crossing times which can be used along with phase voltage zero crossing times to derive current phase angle information.

Abstract: A hybrid active filter shunts three-phase power with passive elements tuned to have low impedance at a frequency of harmonic distortion. The passive elements are in series with controlled voltages sources providing cancelling currents to the harmonic currents. Rapid determination of the harmonic currents is provided in real-time through the use of a Park transformation reducing the variables which need to be manipulated. Measured currents as transformed are used to model undistorted current based on an average power consumed by the load. When the undistorted current is subtracted from the actual current, a harmonic current signal is produced that may be used to drive the voltage sources. The time domain method requires rapidly computed running averages and thus may be performed in-between the acquisition of the measured current samples.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to be used with a motor controller for determining the speed of the motor rotor using current zero crossing times of the stator winding currents. An error signal set, consisting of phase angle errors between consecutive zero crossings over a sampling period, is generated and analyzed in a region of interest in either the time or frequency domain, producing a signal frequency, the signal frequency being the frequency of the motor rotor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to be used with a motor controller for determining the degree of rotor winding failure and stator winding failure using current zero crossing times of the stator winding currents. An error signal sequence, consisting of phase angle errors between consecutive zero crossings over a sampling period, is generated and analyzed in different regions of interest in either the time or frequency domain, producing signals with varying amplitudes, the signal amplitudes together with other motor parameter measurements being used to determine the degree of rotor winding failure and stator winding failure.

Abstract: An electric induction motor is coupled to a source of alternating current by a thyristor switch. A control circuit triggers the thyristor switch to create conductive and non-conductive states during each cycle of the alternating current. A circuit senses the voltage across the thyristor switch during a non-conductive state. From that sensed voltage and known characteristics of the motor being controlled, the control circuit derives a measurement of the current flowing through the motor in the conductive state of the thyristor switch. One of two different derivation techniques is used depending upon the length of the non-conductive state. The control circuit includes a means for calibrating the derivation of the current measurement for a specific motor.

Abstract: A three-phase motor is operated by a controller having sets of thyristors which trigger electricity from each phase of a supply to the motor. The controller measures the interval .phi. between the voltage and the current when one phase of the motor makes a zero crossing and measures the interval .gamma. when the thyristors are non-conductive during a half-cycle of the voltage for one phase. A control angle .theta. is calculated according to the equation .theta.=.phi.+K.gamma., where K is a positive number. The control angle .theta. is compared to a reference value to derive an error value. The times at which the thyristors are triggered is controlled in response to the error value. To start the motor, the reference value is gradually decreased to trigger the thyristors progressively earlier during each half cycle of the supply voltage. To stop the motor, the reference value is gradually increased to trigger the thyristors progressively later during each half cycle of the supply voltage.

Abstract: An electric motor is braked by sensing the polarity of voltage of the alternating electricity for powering the motor and sensing the polarity of the voltage induced in the motor by the back electromotive force. When these polarities are opposite the electricity is applied to the motor to generate a braking torque. The application of the electricity is stopped a given interval after it begins to be applied during consecutive voltage cycles. This interval is derived from the time period between when braking commenced to when the electricity was applied during consecutive cycle.

Abstract: An electric motor is coupled to the power lines by thyristors. The motor is braked by triggering the thyristors at the proper times to produce a electro-magnetic field within the motor which opposes the residual magnetic field of the rotor. The proper time to trigger the thyristors is determined by comparing the polarity of the voltage across the power lines to the back emf voltage from the motor. The thyristors are triggered when these two voltages have opposite polarities. The braking circuit also regulates the duty cycle of the thyristors to control the magnitude of the current applied to brake the motor.

Abstract: When induction motors are lightly loaded their power factors and efficiency are poor but in the present invention power factor is controlled regardless of load. An induction motor is connected by way of a triac to a supply. The voltage across the triac is monitored by a comparator for voltage steps which correspond to current turn-off and a signal is developed at the output of an amplifier which represents error from required phase lag. A further comparator and a trigger pulse generator trigger the triac in accordance with the error. An override circuit overrides the control system during starting. A number of further induction motors may be connected in parallel with the motor. Additional circuits deal with problems arising when a three-phase induction motor is connected by three wires only.

Abstract: Many induction motor controllers employ a reference angle relative to the supply voltage which is a target for the phase lag of current behind voltage but the choice of the optimum reference angle for energy saving varies from motor to motor. In the present invention firing signals for thyristors connected between a supply and a motor to be controlled are generated by firing circuits under the control of a microprocessor 18. The firing angle for the thyristors is continuously adjusted according to the phase lag as indicated by supply voltage zero crossings and current sensing circuits, load on the motor, and a signal indicating the tendency of the motor to stall obtained from the back e.m.f. of the motor. Using the said signal can be regarded as equivalent to adjusting the reference angle for the optimum value mentioned above. A procedure for starting a motor and setting the initial value of the reference angle is also described.