Conveyors for passengers or goods

Abstract

The invention relates to a conveyor for passengers and / or goods, comprising at least one linear electric motor formed by a linear stator beam having stator poles in fixed relation to the environment and at least one mover cooperating and moving along the stator beam, the stator beam comprising at least a first stator beam extending in a first movement path along a first direction of the passenger conveyor and at least a second stator beam extending in a second movement path along a second direction of the passenger conveyor, the first direction and the second direction being different directions selected from the group consisting of horizontal, inclined and vertical directions, and the mover being adapted to face a respective stator pole of the stator beam, the mover having at least one winding arranged to cooperating with the stator pole; the linear motor being controlled by a motor drive, the motor drive being controlled by a drive controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a conveyor for passengers and / or goods, the conveyor comprising at least one linear electric motor, the linear electric motor being formed by a linear stator beam having stator poles in fixed relation to the environment and at least one mover cooperating and moving along the stator beam, the stator beam comprising at least a first stator beam extending in a first movement path in a first direction of the passenger conveyor and at least a second stator beam extending in a second movement path in a second direction of the passenger conveyor, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different directions selected from the group of horizontal, inclined and vertical directions. The mover is adapted to face a corresponding stator pole of the stator beam and has at least one winding arranged to cooperating with the stator pole. The linear motor is controlled by a motor drive, which is controlled by a drive controller, whereby the drive controller comprises a set of control parameters. In such conveyors, in particular high-rise elevators, in which a plurality of cars travel in vertical and horizontal trajectories, the drive controllers of the cars on at least two different stator beams are complex. Summary of the invention

[0002] According to the invention, a conveyor for passengers and / or goods comprises at least one linear electric motor formed by a linear stator beam having stator poles in fixed relation to the environment. The linear motor further comprises at least one mover cooperating and moving along the stator beam. The stator beam comprises at least a first stator beam extending in a first movement path along a first direction of the passenger conveyor and at least a second stator beam extending in a second movement path along a second direction of the passenger conveyor. In this context, the first direction and the second direction are different directions selected from the group of horizontal, inclined and vertical directions. The mover is adapted to face a corresponding stator pole of the stator beam and has at least one winding arranged to cooperating with the stator pole. The linear motor is controlled by a motor drive, and the motor drive is controlled by a drive controller, whereby the drive controller comprises a set of control parameters. The drive controller is also connected to an input for the position of the mover or the elevator car to which the mover is mounted.

[0003] According to the invention, the drive controller is configured to use an at least partially different set of control parameters when associated with the first or the second stator beam. Thus, the drive controller is configured to select the control parameters of the mover depending on the position of the mover on the first or the second stator beam. This means that the drive controller is configured to use different control parameters depending on the position of the mover on the first or the second stator beam.

[0004] For example, if the mover (and therefore the car, the steps of an escalator or a moving walkway) runs along a horizontal or inclined stator beam, the d-axis magnetization can be chosen to be much higher than the q-axis magnetization of the mover, i.e. its different mover parts facing different stator faces. In this case, the d-axis magnetization defines the attractive force between the mover, i.e. its different mover parts and the stator beam, while the q-axis magnetization defines the propulsive force between them. In addition, the d-axis magnetization of the different mover parts facing the opposite stator beam faces can be adjusted differently, at least with respect to the d-axis magnetization. This allows the gravity acting on the mover to be compensated with a component of the direction perpendicular to the stator beam. Thus, on a vertical stator beam, the different mover parts can preferably be magnetized with the same d-axis and q-axis magnetization, since here the gravity acts in the direction of the stator beam and does not have to be compensated with the d-axis magnetization. Here too, the q-axis magnetization can be controlled to be much higher than the d-axis magnetization.

[0005] In summary, the drive controller is able to adjust the attractive force (d-axis magnetization) and the propulsive force (q-axis magnetization) according to the orientation of the stator beam in the environment, such as the elevator shaft.

[0006] Preferably, the drive controller includes a model of the motor, in particular a magnetic model, which facilitates the use of vector control of the linear motor. This again allows easy independent control of the q-axis and d-axis magnetization of each active side of the mover. Therefore, the drive controller and motor driver are configured to provide control signals to the mover through a control model that is optimized with respect to the d-axis and q-axis magnetization of different active mover faces facing on stator beams of different orientations.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stator beam comprises at least two side faces located on opposite sides of the stator beam, each side face carries a corresponding stator beam having ferromagnetic poles spaced apart at a spacing, and the mover comprises at least two opposite opposing faces, the opposing faces facing the corresponding stator beam on the opposite sides of the stator beam. In this case, preferably, each opposing face of the mover has at least one mover unit having at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet, which are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles of the stator beam on the corresponding side face of the stator beam. By this embodiment, the geometric arrangement of the side faces and the opposing faces is optimized to compensate for the gravity acting in a direction deviating from the direction of the stator beam, i.e. in a horizontal and inclined stator beam (first or second stator beam).

[0008] Of course, the drive controller is also connected to an input for the position of the elevator car and / or the mover, so that the control parameters / signals can be set according to the current position of the mover on the first or second stator beam. Preferably, the drive controller and the motor driver are configured to provide different control parameters and / or signals for the opposite faces of the mover. The drive controller is also configured to select the difference between the control signals / parameters of the two opposite opposite faces according to the position of the elevator car / motor on the first or second stator beam. This allows different attractive forces to be generated between the mover and the stator beam on the two opposite sides of the stator beam, i.e. the corresponding stator face and the opposite face, to compensate for all forces that deviate from the direction of the stator beam, such as gravity, which is the case in inclined or horizontal stator beams.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stator poles of the stator beam are permanent magnets, such as a Halbach array, and at least one winding of the mover is an air core winding. This is a very efficient type of linear motor that allows complex control, for example by vector control based on a magnetic model.

[0010] Preferably, the width and / or height and / or length (d) and / or material of the stator poles of the first stator beam is different from the width and / or height and / or length and / or material of the second stator beam. In this case, different control parameters for coping with gravity acting in a direction different from the stator beam are synergistically supported by the different geometries of the first and second stator beams. Thus, a stator beam extending with a horizontal component may have more stator poles on the upper side than on the lower side to compensate for gravity acting in a downward direction.

[0011] In general, the conveyor may be any goods or passenger conveyor, such as a moving walkway, a moving ramp, an escalator or an elevator. Most advantageously, the conveyor is an elevator, in particular a high-rise elevator, wherein the weight forces acting on the elevator car and thus on the mover are most relevant for the smooth functioning of the elevator system, independently of the orientation of the corresponding stator beams.

[0012] Preferably, the first direction is a horizontal direction and the second direction is a vertical direction. This meets the situation that two adjacent vertical shafts in an elevator system are connected by a horizontal passage, and the system is particularly suitable for high-rise buildings. In this case, the first stator beam is a horizontal stator beam and the second stator beam is a vertical stator beam.

[0013] Preferably, the linear motor comprises a longitudinal stator beam (at least two stator beams of the conveyor), at least one mover, more preferably two or four movers, adapted to move along the stator beam. The stator beam comprises at least two side faces located on opposite sides thereof, each side face carrying ferromagnetic poles spaced apart by a spacing. The mover comprises at least two opposite faces facing the respective side faces of the stator beam. The mover has in at least one of said opposite faces at least one mover unit having at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles of the respective side faces of the stator beam. The mover has in each of said opposite faces at least one mover unit having at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles of the respective side faces of the stator beam. According to an embodiment of the linear motor, the mover has in another opposite face a permanent magnet but no winding. An opposite face having only a permanent magnet is not considered a "motor unit" because no propulsion force is generated in the direction of travel of the mover. Such an electric linear motor is relatively cheap to manufacture and is also well suited for long motion paths. This also enables the linear motor to be controlled to reduce the friction between the stator and the mover without the need for additional components. This means that a more efficient (eg due to reduced friction losses) simple and reliable linear motor and / or linear motor drive control is also provided.

[0014] The term "motor unit" refers to an independently controllable mover entity. Therefore, the windings of the mover unit are configured to be provided with an individually controllable drive unit such as an inverter, so that the current of the windings can be independently controlled. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the linear motor is configured so that the air gap control can be linked to the motion control in the travel direction using the windings of the mover unit, so that the mover can be suspended around the stator beam while traveling along the stator beam.

[0015] The feature "at least two side surfaces located on opposite sides of the stator beam" may mean that the surface normals of the at least two side surfaces have vector components, so that the vector components are in opposite directions. Therefore, attractive force components of opposite directions are generated between at least two mover units and the ferromagnetic poles of the corresponding sides of the stator beam, thereby enabling air gap control of the mover relative to the stator beam. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one mover unit includes at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet. Preferably, at least one mover unit includes a permanent magnet and a three-phase winding. In addition or alternatively, at least one mover unit may include a one-phase winding. According to an embodiment of the linear motor, each mover unit includes at least one permanent magnet and at least one winding. In a preferred embodiment, each mover unit includes a permanent magnet and a motor winding, most preferably a three-phase motor winding. The side with the ferromagnetic poles of the stator beam has neither a permanent magnet nor a winding.

[0016] Therefore, each of the mover units can be independently controlled in terms of controlling the d-axis and q-axis current components.

[0017] Such a motor type may be a mounted stator permanent magnet (SMPM) motor, where the permanent magnets and windings are mounted on the mover. One suitable motor type is a flux switching permanent magnet (FSPM) motor. Other suitable motor types may be, for example, a doubly salient pole permanent magnet (DSPM) motor and a flux reversal permanent magnet (FRPM) motor. In an alternative embodiment of the linear motor, the motor may be a hybrid excitation (HE) synchronous motor.

[0018] Another essential component of the conveyor of the present invention is a drive controller for the electric linear motor. The drive controller preferably comprises at least one drive unit, which is configured to supply power to a corresponding at least one mover unit of the mover. According to a preferred embodiment of the drive controller, it comprises a drive unit, which is configured to supply power to the respective mover units of the mover, respectively, so that each mover unit is powered by a separate (at least one) drive unit. This may mean that independently adjustable control currents may be provided to the windings of the mover units on opposite sides of the stator beam, thereby enabling air gap control of the motor. According to an embodiment, the drive units may have a common DC link to share regenerative power (e.g. braking power) between the mover units.

[0019] The conveyor may be an elevator system, in which case the load receiving part may be an elevator car, an elevator car sling or the like. The load receiving part may be configured to transfer passengers and / or cargo. The conveyor may alternatively be an escalator, in which case the load receiving part may be an escalator step belt or a portion of a step belt. The conveyor may alternatively be a moving walkway, in which case the load receiving part may be a moving belt or a portion of a moving belt. The conveyor may alternatively be a belt conveyor, in which case the load receiving part may be a belt of a belt conveyor. The conveyor may alternatively be a vehicle or a train, in which case the load receiving part may be a moving body or include the same.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, at least one mover unit has a winding and a permanent magnet. The method comprises providing a d-axis current component to the winding of at least one mover unit by at least one drive unit to adjust the length of the air gap toward a given reference value (Y ref )adjust.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, the drive controller obtains position information of the mutual position of the ferromagnetic pole and the mover unit facing the ferromagnetic pole, the position information is obtained in the direction of travel of the mover unit, represents the d, q coordinate system of the mover unit, through the position information, the d axis of each mover unit is located in the direction facing the ferromagnetic pole of the mover unit, and the q axis is orthogonal to the d axis (i.e., 90 degrees in the electrical angle of the motor), obtains the air gap length information between the ferromagnetic pole and the mover unit facing the ferromagnetic pole, and provides a separate d-axis current component to the mover unit on the opposite side of the stator beam through the drive unit to adjust the length of the air gap toward a given reference value, wherein the separate d-axis current component is determined based on the difference between the air gap reference value and the obtained air gap length information. The phrase "obtaining the position information of the mutual position of the ferromagnetic pole and the mover unit facing the ferromagnetic pole" means that the position can be measured with an appropriate sensor, or alternatively or additionally, the position can be estimated, for example, from the current and voltage of the winding of the mover unit to obtain the position of the ferromagnetic pole relative to the winding. The phrase "mutual position between the ferromagnetic pole and the facing mover unit in the direction of travel of the respective mover unit" refers to the mutual position measured along the intended direction of travel of the mover unit, i.e., the longitudinal direction of travel along the side of the stator beam along the opposite faces of the mover unit. According to an embodiment, the mover has at least two mover units arranged consecutively in the direction of travel on at least one opposite face, each of the mover units having at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet, which are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic pole facing the side of the mover unit.

[0022] According to an improvement of the linear motor, the ferromagnetic poles and the mover units on opposite sides of the stator beam are symmetrically arranged at the same height in the transverse direction of the stator beam, so that the attraction components between the mover units and the stator beam are at the same height in the transverse direction of the stator beam.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, the stator beam comprises at least four side faces, which are positioned two by two on opposite sides of the stator beam, so that the four side faces substantially cover the circumference of the stator beam, each side face carrying ferromagnetic poles spaced apart at a spacing. The mover comprises at least four opposing faces facing the respective side faces of the stator beam. The mover has at least one, preferably at least two, mover units in each of said opposing faces, which have at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet, which are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles of the respective side faces of the stator beam. This may mean that an increased propulsion force may be provided while being suspended with the linear motor.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, the ferromagnetic poles are teeth arranged on the sides of the ferromagnetic stator bars, the teeth being separated by tooth gaps. The sides of the ferromagnetic poles carrying the stator beams have neither permanent magnets nor windings. Therefore, the stator is cheap and easy to manufacture, install and maintain.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, the mover has at least two mover units arranged in series in the direction of travel on at least one, preferably each of the opposite faces, each of the mover units having at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet, which are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles of the corresponding side of the stator beam. This may mean that at least two separate force components can be provided by the mover units at different positions, so that when levitated and driven simultaneously with the linear motor, the tilt of the air gap can be straightened to keep the stator beam and the mover separated.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, at least one of the mover units comprises at least two rotors with windings connected in series or in parallel. This may mean that a more uniform force distribution may be provided within the mover unit both in the direction of the air gap (attractive force for suspension control of the mover) and in the direction of travel (propulsive force for speed control of the mover). In an improvement, each of the mover units comprises at least two rotors with windings connected in series or in parallel to provide an even more uniform force distribution.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the linear motor, the electric linear motor comprises at least two movers adapted to move along the same stator beam, and the transport system comprises at least two independently movable load-receiving parts, each coupled to a different mover. This may mean that a plurality of independently movable load-receiving parts may be moved along the same trajectory, such as a plurality of cars of a multi-car elevator system.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the conveyor, it comprises two parallel stator beams and at least two movers adapted to move along different stator beams, and wherein each load receiving part is coupled to the at least two movers. Thus, the propulsion force of the transport system can be increased, and the load capacity of the load receiving part can also be increased.

[0029] Preferably, the drive controller is connected to a load sensor so that the weight and load of the elevator car / escalator can be taken into account when generating the propulsion force (q-axis magnetization).

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the conveyor, the mover has at least two mover units arranged continuously in the direction of travel in each of the opposite faces, each of the mover units having at least one winding and at least one permanent magnet, which are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles of the corresponding side of the stator beam. The drive controller includes a drive unit configured to supply power to each mover unit of the same opposite face, respectively. The drive controller is executed as follows: through the drive unit, a separate d-axis current component is provided to the mover unit of the same opposite face to straighten any tilt of the air gap, thereby generating a separate d-axis current component based on the difference between the air gap reference value and the actual air gap length information. The air gap length can be measured, for example, using an inductive proximity sensor, an eddy current sensor or a laser. This means that at least two separate attraction components can be set at different positions on the same side of the stator beam in the length direction of the mover by feeding different signals to the mover unit, so that the tilt of the air gap can be straightened to keep the stator beam and the mover separated when suspended and driven simultaneously with the linear motor.

[0031] The invention also relates to a method for operating / controlling a conveyor for passengers and / or goods, in particular an elevator system. The conveyor comprises at least one linear electric motor formed by a linear stator beam with stator poles in fixed relation to the environment and at least one mover cooperating and moving along the stator beam. The stator beam comprises at least one first stator beam extending in a first movement path in a first direction of the passenger conveyor and at least one second stator beam extending in a second movement path in a second direction of the passenger conveyor, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different directions selected from the group of horizontal, inclined and vertical directions. The mover is adapted to face a corresponding stator pole of the stator beam and has at least one winding arranged to cooperating with the stator pole. The linear motor is controlled by a motor drive, which in turn is controlled by a drive controller, whereby the drive controller comprises a set of control parameters. According to the invention, different control parameters for the drive controller are used depending on the position of the mover on the first and second stator beams. With regard to the advantages of this solution, reference is made to the above description of the conveyor of the invention.

[0032] Preferably, the stator beam comprises at least two side faces located on opposite sides of the stator beam, each side face carrying a respective stator beam having ferromagnetic poles spaced apart by a spacing. The mover comprises at least two opposite opposing faces, said opposing faces facing respective stator beams on opposite sides of the stator beam. The drive controller is also connected to an input for the position of the elevator car. According to this advantageous embodiment of the method of the invention, different control signals / parameters are used for the opposite opposing faces, and the difference between the control signals / parameters for the two opposite opposing faces depends on the position of the elevator car on the first or second stator beam. By this embodiment, it is easy to compensate for the gravity acting on the mover in a direction deviating from the respective stator beam on which the mover is currently traveling.

[0033] In an embodiment of the linear motor, the winding of the mover unit may be in the form of only one coil.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the method comprises obtaining position information (X) of the mutual position of a ferromagnetic pole and at least one mover unit facing the ferromagnetic pole. act ), the position information is obtained in the travel direction (x) of the mover unit, representing the d, q coordinate system of the mover unit, through the position information (X act ), so that the d-axis of the mover unit is located in the direction facing the ferromagnetic pole of the mover unit, and the q-axis is orthogonal to the d-axis, and the air gap length information (Y) between the ferromagnetic pole and at least one mover unit facing the ferromagnetic pole is obtained. act ), and providing a d-axis current component to at least one winding of at least one mover unit through at least one driving unit to adjust the length of the air gap toward a given reference value (Y ref ) adjustment, where the air gap reference value (Y ref ) and the obtained air gap length information (Y act ) to determine the d-axis current component.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment of the control method, the following steps are provided: obtaining the travel position information and / or travel speed information of the mover, and feeding a separate q-axis current component based on the difference between the travel position reference and the obtained travel position information and / or the travel speed reference and the obtained travel speed information to the winding of the mover unit through the drive unit to adjust the travel position and / or speed toward the position and / or speed reference. The term "travel position information of the mover" refers to the position information in the travel direction of the mover, in which direction the mover travels along the stator beam. Therefore, the term "travel speed information of the mover" refers to the speed information in the travel direction of the mover, in which direction the mover travels along the stator beam. In contrast to the control system of the prior art, in which a common q-axis current component based on a common current reference has been used to adjust the propulsion force / speed, according to the embodiment, by using a separate q-axis current component / current reference for a separate drive unit, different physical conditions (such as different air gap lengths) of the separate drive units can be better adapted to maintain a more uniform propulsion force between different drive units, thereby performing more precise and comfortable speed control of the mover.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment, the method comprises the step of calculating a travel speed reference based on a difference between a travel position reference and an actual travel position of the mover.

[0037] According to the improvement, the method includes the following steps: when at least one of the d-axis current component and the q-axis current component of the mover unit is changed in response to a change in at least one of the parameters of air gap length, travel position information and travel speed information, a correction term for the other of the d-axis current component and the q-axis current component is simultaneously generated / provided to compensate for the changing effects of the attraction and / or propulsion force of the mover.

[0038] According to the improvement, the method includes: calculating a propulsion force reference value based at least on a difference between a travel position reference and the obtained travel position information and / or between a travel speed reference and the obtained travel speed information of the mover, calculating an attraction force reference value based at least on a difference between an air gap reference value and the air gap length information, and changing at least one of a d-axis current component and a q-axis current component of the mover unit in response to a change in at least one of the propulsion force reference value, the attraction force reference value and the air gap length information of the mover unit.

[0039] The linear motor, the drive controller and the control / operation method have the advantage that losses are reduced due to optimized current consumption and friction is minimized due to suspension. Another advantage is improved ride comfort due to reduced propulsion force fluctuations. The linear motor is therefore very suitable, for example, for use in high-rise elevators, in particular for elevators with a height of more than 50 m, preferably more than 100 m. The linear motor concept is therefore suitable for any high-rise application, since the solution does not require any elevator ropes or counterweights, which are an obstacle in the design of high-rise elevators due to the associated weight.

[0040] Preferably, the mover also has a power supply, such as a battery or an accumulator, which is preferably also configured as a backup power supply for the mover. The backup power supply is preferably designed for electromagnetic power elements, such as windings, of a motor connected to the mover. Thus, with this power supply, all electrical loads of the mover can be supplied. These loads are also in the case of an elevator car, such as lighting, ventilation, door drives and any I / O devices of the elevator car (such as car screens, loudspeakers, displays, etc.).

[0041] Furthermore, power for a wireless data connection with any type of conveyor control can be provided by this power supply. According to an embodiment, the battery / accumulator can be connected to a common DC link of all drive units associated with the same load receiving part (e.g. an elevator car). The battery can be connected to the DC link directly or via a disconnect switch, and / or there can be a voltage converter between the battery and the DC link to achieve a voltage difference between the battery / DC link. Preferably, the power supply from the shaft to the mover is wirelessly implemented on the principle of coupled coils, whereby the primary coil is mounted to the environment or to the stator beam, while the secondary coil moves with the car. When the mover reaches a certain position, the primary and secondary are coupled, and power is fed from the primary to the secondary to the battery mounted on the mover. The primary coil can be located on each parking floor. In the present invention, the term "suspended" refers to maintaining an air gap between the side and the corresponding opposite face by current regulation of the mover unit. However, within the scope of the present invention, it is also possible to use some guiding elements to provide auxiliary guidance for the mover relative to the stator beam. This is the case in particular in embodiments where the stator poles of the stator beam are in the form of permanent magnets, such as a Halbach array, and at least one winding of the mover is an air core winding. Such an arrangement may not generate sufficient attractive forces between the stator beam and the mover to achieve levitation control without guide elements. On the other hand, preferably, levitation can be achieved without any additional guide elements, which saves installation and maintenance costs.

[0042] The following expressions are used as synonyms: Component — component of the elevator car to be moved; environment; elevator shaft — escalator — track; stator pole — stator tooth; electric motor — linear motor; transport system — conveyor; operating method — control method; stator beam — stator rail;

[0043] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the components mentioned according to the invention can be arranged in one or more folds as required. For example, one stator beam can cooperate with three movers located above each other at the element to be moved. In addition, two stator beams can be located at the wall of the environment, or even more than two stator beams, for example three or four stator beams.

[0044] Features of different embodiments of the invention may be applied in combination with other embodiments within the scope of the basic inventive concept. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The present invention will now be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0046] Figure 1 is a side view of an elevator with two elevator shafts having vertical and horizontal stator beams acting with movers pivoting at a plurality of elevator cars moving in these shafts,

[0047] Figure 2 is a horizontal cross section in the corner region between the elevator shaft and the elevator car, showing the rotatable stator beam section cooperating with the rotatably pivotable mover of the elevator car,

[0048] Figure 3 It is the vertical stator beam that works together with the mover of the elevator car.

[0049] Figure 4 is a vertical schematic diagram showing the interaction between a linear FSPM mover and a stator beam with downwardly inclined stator teeth.

[0050] Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical side view of a vertical stator beam including curved and downwardly extending stator teeth, and

[0051] Figure 6 It is a horizontal stator beam with upper and lower stator teeth of different geometries that works with the FSPM mover.

[0052] Fig. 7A shows a side view of an embodiment of an electric linear motor for use in a conveyor of the present invention,

[0053] Figure 7B shows a side view of another embodiment of an electric linear motor,

[0054] Fig. 8A Shown by Figure 1 The cross-section of the stator beam and the mover,

[0055] Figure 8B shows an alternative variation of Figure 1 The cross-section of the stator beam and the mover,

[0056] Figure 8C shows a cross section through a stator beam and a mover according to an embodiment of the present invention,

[0057] Fig.8D shows details of a cross section through a stator beam and a mover according to an embodiment of the invention, and

[0058] Fig. 9 A drive controller according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0059] It is emphasized that in all the figures, identical components or components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Figure 1 An elevator 10 is shown as an example of a passenger conveyor, having two vertical elevator shafts 12, 14, connected at least at their upper and lower ends by horizontal shaft sections 16, 18, wherein elevator cars 20a-20d are movable by means of linear motors. The linear motors are formed by upper and lower movers 22, 24, which are rotatably mounted, i.e. pivoted, to the rear side of the elevator cars, cooperating with vertical stator beams 26a, b, horizontal stator beams 28a, b and with rotatable stator beam sections 30, which are rotatably mounted to a common rear wall 32 of the vertical and horizontal shafts 12, 14, 16, 18. The vertical elevator shafts 12, 14 are usually located between shaft walls 31 of a building.

[0061] By this arrangement of vertical stator beams 26a, b and horizontal stator beams 28a, b and the rotatable stator beam section 30 located between them, the elevator car 20a-20d can be moved by its mover 22, 24 in the two elevator shafts 12, 14 and the two horizontal elevator shaft sections 16, 18 along the trajectory path shown by the arrows. The advantage of this solution is that no counterweight and no hoisting ropes are required, which makes this basic concept very useful for high-rise buildings such as skyscrapers where the vertical length of the elevator shaft is more or less infinite. The height limiting factor of conventional traction sheave elevators is the weight of the elevator ropes, which sums up to tons in a high shaft. This limitation does not exist in the elevator concept based on this linear motor.

[0062] The landing door is indicated by reference numeral 34, which is preferably located in the common side wall facing the observer, i.e. opposite the common rear wall 32 where the stator beams 26a, b, 28a, b are mounted. Of course, however, the landing door can also be on the same rear wall 32 or where the stator beams are mounted.

[0063] The cars 20a-d move in a circle in two parallel elevator shafts 12, 14. Four movers 22, 24 are preferably mounted to each car 20a-d, two per stator beam 26a, b, 28a, b. The linear motor will be disclosed in more detail below. Thus, each car has 32 mover units and each car has 32 inverters. All inverters of the same car 20 are connected to a common DC link so that the regenerative energy returned from one inverter to the DC link can be shared with / provided to another inverter. Each car 20 has a battery, which is connected to the common DC link.

[0064] Figure 2 The co-action of a rotatable stator part 30 and movers 22, 24 is shown, which are rotatably mounted to a wall, in particular a rear wall, or a support structure 38, of an elevator car 20 via a pivot joint 36. The rotatable stator part 30 and movers 22, 24 are rotatable about a common rotation axis r. The rotatable track part 30 comprises a track part 40, which adjoins the vertical stator beams 26a, 26b in the vertical direction (as shown). The stator part 40 is mounted to a rotating disk 42, which is optional, and a bearing 44 is mounted to the rear wall 32 of the elevator shaft, whereby preferably the rotating disk 42 or the movers 22, 24 are driven by a rotation drive around the common rotation axis r. Thus, the entire arrangement of the rotatable stator part and movers can be rotated by only one rotation drive. During the rotation, the linear motor is turned off so that the movers 22, 24 and the stator part 40 are fixedly attached to each other by magnetic forces between the stator part and the movers 22, 24, so that the car does not move during the change of the trajectory path. Therefore, no brakes are needed for holding the movers 22, 24 and the stator part 40 of the rotatable stator part 30 together. Alternatively, an additional separate braking device can be introduced to hold the car stationary. This may be necessary in alternative embodiments where the magnetic force is otherwise insufficient, for example in embodiments where the stator poles are implemented by magnets such as Halbach arrays and the rotor coils of the movers are air core coils, i.e. the rotor is implemented without a ferromagnetic core. After the entire arrangement has been turned into a horizontal orientation, the stator part 40 is now aligned with the horizontal stator beams 28a, 28b and the movers 22, 24 can be energized again to transport the elevator cars 20a-d along the horizontal elevator shaft parts 16, 18.

[0065] Figure 3A horizontal cross section of a vertical stator beam 26a, b and a mover 22, 24 is shown. Thus, the vertical stator beam 26a, b comprises a stator beam base 46 with a square cross section, on the sides of which there are four stator rods 50 with stator teeth 8. The mover 22, 24 comprises an active part 54 located in a C-shaped mover housing 56 surrounding the stator beam base 46, which faces the corresponding stator rod 50 of the stator beam base 46 to generate an upwardly directed propulsive force, which is able to drive the elevator car 20a-d in the upward and downward direction against the gravity. The mover housing 56 forms together with the active mover part 54 the mover 22, 24 of the linear motor of the elevator. The mover housing 56 is mounted to the support structure 38 of the car 20 via a pivot joint 36. The stator beam base 46 is supported to the rear wall 32 of the elevator shaft 12, 14, 16, 18 by means of a mounting 48. The physical properties of the four different stator bars 50 of the vertical stator rails 26a, b and the physical properties of the corresponding active mover parts 54 of the movers 24, 25 are identical.

[0066] Preferably, in this arrangement, Figure 4 As shown, the stator teeth 8 are tilted downwards at an angle α. In the case of all stator rods 50, the tooth spacing between the stator teeth 8 is d. Between the stator teeth 8 of the stator rods 50, the same gap 8' is provided on all four stator rods 50 of the vertical stator beams 26a, b. The active mover part 54 forms a FSPM motor together with the stator beams 26, 28. The active mover part 54 comprises a continuous package with two mover irons 60, 62, hereinafter referred to as a mover unit 55, respectively, between which a thin permanent magnet 64 is located. This arrangement of mover irons 60, 62 and permanent magnets 64 is followed by windings 66, 68, which are controlled to generate magnetic fields in opposite directions. This package comprising a sequence 60, 62, 64, 68 of mover irons, permanent magnets and windings is repeated successively along the length of the movers 22, 24, each such package forming a mover unit. In this way, a very efficient linear motor is formed, which allows good control of the movement of the car. By tilting the stator teeth 8 downwards by an angle α, the pulling action of the linear motor in the upward direction is increased, so that the vertical stator beam is particularly suitable for compensating the weight of the elevator car in the downward direction.

[0067] Figure 4 The motor is a flux switching permanent magnet motor. All permanent magnets 64 and three-phase motor windings are in the mover unit 55 ( Fig. 7A , 2, 3, 4, 5 in B). Figure 4 In the embodiment of , the ferromagnetic poles 8 are teeth arranged in preferably iron stator bars 50 which are embedded on all four sides 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of a ferromagnetic stator beam base 46 which together form the stator beams 1; 26, 28.

[0068] The stator side of the motor is very simple, since the sides 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of the stator beams 26, 28 with the ferromagnetic poles 8 have neither permanent magnets nor windings. This simplicity accumulates when the stator beam 1 is lengthened to extend the range of motion of the movers 24, 26 to tens, if not hundreds, of meters. When the movers 22, 24 travel along the stator beam 1, there is an air gap 15 between the sides 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and the opposing faces 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D. This air gap 15 is maintained in a contactless manner by suspension. The windings 66, 68 and permanent magnets 64 of the mover unit 55 are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles 8 of the respective sides 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of the stator beams 1; 26, 28 to generate the force components required to suspend and drive the movers 22, 24 along the trajectory defined by the stator beams 1; 26, 28.

[0069] Figure 5 A second embodiment of a stator beam is shown, wherein the stator bar 50b comprises stator teeth 8 which are oriented downwards at an angle α, but in addition Figure 4 Besides, the center line of the tooth 8 is curved. Moreover, the stator beam leads to an increased pulling force of the linear motor in the upward direction, thus being able to compensate the force impact on the mover caused by the weight of the elevator car and its load.

[0070] Figure 6In a vertical cross-section, two active mover parts 54 of the movers 22, 24 facing the horizontal stator beams 28a, b are shown, which include separate upper and lower stator beam parts 70, 72 connected to each other, for example by welding or gluing or via bolts or similar connection methods. The upper stator beam part 70 includes upper stator teeth 74 extending upwards, which are separated by upper gaps 76 located between the upper stator teeth 74. The surface of the upper gaps 76 between the upper stator teeth 74 is smooth, i.e. differentiable, to reduce harmonics during operation of the linear motor. The lower stator beam part 72 includes lower stator teeth 78 extending downwards, separated by lower air gaps 80. The spacing d of the upper stator teeth 74 is of course the same as the spacing of the lower stator teeth 78 and the same as the spacing of the vertical stator beams 26a, b. All stator teeth 74, 78 of the horizontal stator beams 28a, b extend perpendicularly to the stator beams 28a, b. In summary, the width w1 of the lower stator teeth 78 is greater than the smaller width w2 of the upper stator teeth 74. Moreover, the ratio of the tooth width to the gap width of the upper stator beam portion 70 is smaller than that of the lower stator beam portion 72. Therefore, due to this difference in the geometric configuration of the upper and lower stator beam portions 70, 72, the attractive force between the movers 22, 24 and the lower stator beam portion 72 is substantially greater than the attractive force between the upper active mover portion 54 and the upper stator beam portion 70, thereby compensating for the weight of the load car acting on the movers 22, 24. Therefore, the present invention provides personalized vertical and horizontal stator beams 26a, b, 28a, b, which take into account the fact that the weight acting on the car 20 and its load acts parallel to the vertical stator beams, while it acts perpendicularly on the horizontal stator beams.

[0071] In one embodiment, the first stator beam extends in an inclined direction in the inclined motion path, and the second stator beam extends in a vertical direction in the vertical motion path. In this case, the stator teeth of the first inclined stator beam can be designed to handle the normal force component caused by gravity. For example, the free ends of the stator teeth of the first stator beam can be less inclined downward than the free ends of the stator teeth of the second stator beam (i.e., the stator teeth of the first stator beam can be straighter than the stator teeth of the second stator beam).

[0072] Fig. 7A A side view of an electric linear motor is shown. To facilitate understanding of the subject, only two opposing sides 6A, 6B and corresponding opposing faces 7A, 7B of the motor are shown. The linear motor comprises a longitudinal stator beam 1 and movers 22, 24 surrounding the stator beam 26a, b, 28a, b. The stator beam 1 has four sides 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, as shown in FIG. Fig. 8A and Figure 8BAs shown. The side faces are positioned two by two on opposite sides of the stator beam 1 so that the four side faces 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D substantially cover the circumference of the stator beam 1. Each side face carries ferromagnetic poles 8, i.e. ferromagnetic teeth, which are spaced apart by spacings 8', such as gaps or slots between the teeth 8. The movers 22, 24 comprise four opposite faces 7A, 7B; 7C, 7D, which face the side faces 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of the stator beam 1.

[0073] The mover has a mover unit 2, 3, 4, 5; 2', 3', 4', 5' in each of the opposite faces 7A, 7B; 7C, 7D. The motor can be as follows Figure 4 The flux switching permanent magnet motor shown. All permanent magnets and the three-phase motor windings are located in the mover units 2, 3, 4, 5. Figure 7B In the embodiment of the invention, the ferromagnetic poles 8 are teeth arranged on the sides 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of a ferromagnetic stator rod 50 which is embedded in the corresponding side of the stator beam.

[0074] The stator side of the motor is very simple, since the sides 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of the stator beam with the ferromagnetic poles 8 have neither permanent magnets nor windings. This simplicity accumulates when the stator beam 1 is lengthened to extend the range of movement of the movers 22, 24. When the movers 22, 24 travel along the stator beam 1, there is an air gap 15 between the sides 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and the opposite faces 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D. This air gap 15 is maintained in a contactless manner by suspension. The windings 66, 68 and permanent magnets 64 of the mover unit are arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles 8 of the corresponding sides 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D of the stator beam 1; 26a, b, 28a, b to generate the force components required to suspend and drive the movers 22, 24 along the trajectory defined by the stator beam 1; 26a, b, 28a, b.

[0075] The expression "at least two side surfaces 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D located at opposite sides of the stator beam 1" means that the at least two side surfaces (n1, n2, n3, see Figure 8C ) have vector components such that the vector components are in opposite directions. Therefore, when an attractive force is generated between the mover units 2, 3, 4, 5 and the corresponding side surfaces 6A, 6B; 6C, 6D; the generated attractive force has vector components in opposite directions relative to each other, so that the parallel to the Fig. 7A and 7B The length of the air gap in the y-direction and thus the suspension of the mover are adjusted.

[0076] Furthermore, in some embodiments, it may be necessary to control the rotation of the movers 22, 24 around the longitudinal axis of the stator beam (parallel to the direction x in FIG. 7 ). To this end, the stator and movers may be designed so as to generate a rotational torque around the stator beam 1. Thus, Fig.8D As shown, at least some of the opposing sides 6A, 6B may be inclined relative to each other, that is, inclined from parallel directions about the longitudinal axis of the stator beam. Of course, the corresponding opposing faces 7A, 7B of the mover must be inclined in the same way to face the sides 6A, 6B. Figure 8C As shown, at least some of the side surfaces 6A, 6B, 6C and the corresponding opposing surfaces 7A, 7B, 7C may be curved. Figure 8B As shown in the variant of , the side faces 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D (and the corresponding opposite faces 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D) can form a parallelogram. Moreover, this variant can make it possible to generate a rotation torque around the stator beam 1.

[0077] The mover frame 25 can be made of any suitable rigid, preferably lightweight material, such as glass fiber composite material, carbon fiber composite material or aluminum. As shown in FIG7 , the movers 22, 24 have two mover units 2, 3; 4, 5 in each opposing face 7A, 7B, which are arranged consecutively in a direction of travel parallel to the direction x in FIG7 . Two consecutive mover units are required to straighten the tilt of the air gap 15.

[0078] Each mover unit is provided with its own inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d. In an alternative embodiment, the movers 22, 24 have three mover units arranged consecutively in the direction of travel in each opposing face 7A, 7B, and each mover unit is provided with its own inverter. In some other embodiments, each opposing face / inverter can even have more than three mover units to provide the same.

[0079] In still another embodiment, Figure 7B As shown, the movers 22, 24 have two mover units 2, 3 arranged continuously in the direction of travel in one opposite face 7A, while the other opposite face 7B on the opposite side of the stator beams 26a, b, 28a, b has only one longer mover unit 4. Each mover unit 2, 3, 4 has an inverter 9a, 9b, 9c. Again, this solution may be sufficient to straighten the tilt of the air gap 15 under the control of the mover unit. In addition, in order to obtain a uniform force distribution, each mover unit has two (or even more than two) jointly controlled rotors 2A, 2B; 3A, 3B; 4A, 4B; 5A, 5B with windings. In order to achieve common control, the windings of different rotors of the same mover unit are connected in series or in parallel to be provided with the same inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d.

[0080] Fig. 9 A drive controller 88 is depicted having an architecture for controlling the suspension and travel of the linear motor of Fig. 7. The architecture of the drive controller 88 shows the control elements implemented in the control software of the processing unit belonging to each inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d of the motor drive.

[0081] according to Fig. 9 Each inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d receives the position information X of the three-phase winding of the mover unit controlled by the corresponding inverter and the mutual position of the ferromagnetic poles facing / cooperating with the three-phase winding act . Mutual position X act The measurement is carried out in a direction of travel parallel to the direction x in FIG. 7 by one or more position sensors 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, which can be, for example, Hall sensors or inductive proximity sensors. Each inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d controls the current supply to the rotor winding in its own d, q-coordinate system. The d, q coordinate system is represented by the position information X act The d-axis is referenced to the direction of the ferromagnetic poles 8 so that it is in the direction of the centerline of the cooperating ferromagnetic poles. This direction may be the same as the centerline of the stator teeth (see Figure 4 ); on the other hand, it may also differ from this, for example due to saturation of the stator teeth. The d-axis direction may also be defined differently: for example, at the location where the flux linkage of the R phase of the rotor unit is maximum.

[0082] Each inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d also receives information (Y) on the length of the air gap between the side 6A, 6B with the ferromagnetic pole 8 and the opposite side 7A, 7B containing the mover unit 2, 3, 4, 5. act ). Air gap length information (Y act ) may be received from sensors 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, or additionally or alternatively, from a separate air gap sensor, such as an eddy current sensor, which may be arranged at the same position as sensors 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, or which may replace one or more of sensors 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D. In order to measure the air gap length and the air gap tilt in the longitudinal direction of the stator beams 26a, b, 28a, b, at least two sensors are required, for example at opposite ends on opposite sides of the mover, for example at sensor positions 17A and 17D of FIG. 7 .

[0083] Furthermore, in order to measure the rotation of the movers 22, 24 around the longitudinal axis of the stator beam, two parallel position sensors 17, 17' may be arranged in the transverse direction of the air gap 15, such as Fig.8D As shown. Air gap reference value Y refThe air gap controller 90 calculates the air gap reference value Y ref and air gap length information Y act The difference between the two and generates the reference value F for attraction yref , for example, a force component parallel to the y direction of FIG. 7 to reduce the air gap length Y act Towards reference value Y ref The air gap controller 90 is a state controller that uses an observer 92 to estimate the attractive force F yref Under the action of , the simulated position y and velocity y' (along the y-axis direction of FIG. 7 ) of the mass of the movers 22 and 24 are obtained.

[0084] In the first embodiment, the air gap controller 90 of the inverter controls the mover units 55; 2, 3, 4, 5 on two opposite sides of the stator beam to adjust the air gap size. In the second alternative embodiment, on one side of the stator beam, the attraction reference value F yref The air gap controller is only used in conjunction with the mover unit on the other side of the stator beam to adjust the attraction reference value F yref This means that one or more mover units on one side provide a constant attractive force, which the air gap controller opposes on the other side of the stator beam. In both alternatives, this attractive force can be easily adjusted to take into account the gravity acting on the mover. In another alternative, no inverter / motor winding is used to generate the constant attractive force F yref . Instead, on one side of the stator beam, only the mover unit of the opposite face is replaced with a permanent magnet, which generates an attractive force towards the side of the stator beam. On the other side of the stator beam mover unit with windings, controlled by the air gap controller of the inverter, to resist the attractive force of the permanent magnet. With this solution, those opposite faces that only have permanent magnets do not need motor windings / inverters.

[0085] In addition, at least one of the inverters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d of the common movers 22, 24 receives the travel position information x of the movers. act and travel speed information v act In this regard, the travel position information x act The travel speed information refers to the position / speed information of the mover in a direction parallel to the x-axis direction of FIG. 7. In the current embodiment, the same position information x act It is used to define the mutual position between the mover unit and the corresponding ferromagnetic pole so that the d, q axes of the drive unit / inverter are synchronized with the ferromagnetic pole 8. This information is also used to control the position x of the mover along the stator beam 1; 26a, b, 28a, b act / Speedv actIn this embodiment, the travel position information x is received from one or more sensors 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D. act , but alternatively, a separate sensor may be used. The travel speed information v may be received from a separate speed sensor such as an encoder or a tachometer act , or it can be obtained from the travel position information x act The time derivative of the travel position information is obtained from the timely change of the common mover (for example, the time derivative of the travel position information), which is the case in this embodiment. One of the inverters of the common mover acts as a master device, which performs position / speed control in the travel direction of the mover and converts the propulsion force reference value F xref (i.e. the reference force component parallel to the x-axis direction of FIG. 7 ) is output to the other inverters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d. The other inverters of the common mover then act as slaves, which do not perform position / speed control but only propulsion control. If two or more movers are coupled to a common load receiving device, such as a common elevator car, it is also possible that only one inverter of only one mover acts as a master, while all other inverters / movers act as slaves to avoid interfering with the position / speed controller.

[0086] Back to Fig. 9 The processing units of the main inverters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d calculate the travel position reference value x ref , to establish the expected motion curve for the controlled mover. The position controller 94 is based on the travel position reference x ref The travel position x of the mover in the travel direction x of the mover act The difference between the travel speed reference value v ref The speed controller 95 is based on the travel speed reference v ref With the travel speed information v act The difference between the calculated propulsion force reference value F xref . Propulsion force reference value F xref , attractiveness benchmark value F yref and air gap length information Y act is input into the magnetic model 93, which calculates the d-axis and q-axis current reference components I dref , I qref In the case of slave inverters, each slave inverter transmits air gap length information Y act Calculate its own attractiveness baseline value F yref , but receives the propulsion force reference value F from the main inverter xref Using these reference values ​​and the air gap length information from the air gap sensors 17A, 17B, the d-axis and q-axis current component reference values ​​are calculated from the inverter by the magnetic model 93 .

[0087] The air gap controller 90 , the position controller 94 , and / or the speed controller 95 may be PI controllers.

[0088] The drive controller has input of position data for the actual position of the mover on the first or second stator beam and thus adjusts the control parameters of the mover unit 55, 2, 3, 4, 5 accordingly to provide a constant air gap regardless of the orientation of the stator beam.

[0089] The magnetic model can be composed of algorithms that represent how the attractive and propulsive forces of the motor depend on the d-axis and q-axis currents and the air gap length. This representation can be based on the following motor equations:

[0090]

[0091] Among them, i d and i q represents the current component in the d, q coordinate system, a d0 ,a dd ,a dq ,a q0 ,a qq ,a dq ,b dm ,b d ,b q ,c σ ,f σ ,ψ r ,S,T,U,V are motor specific constants. They are based on the reluctance, which depends on the motor geometry. ψ d and ψ q are the d- and q-axis components of the motor flux linkage, τ is the motor pole pitch (2π), y is the air gap length between the rotor and stator, and F x is the thrust reference value, F y It is the base value of attractiveness.

[0092] Given the above equation, F x It can be expressed as depending only on the flux linkage and the air gap length y:

[0093] F x (ψ d , ψ q , y)

[0094] You can also use F y Expressed as depending only on the flux linkage and the air gap length y:

[0095] F y (ψ d , ψ q , y)

[0096] Therefore, when the propulsion force (reference) value F is received from the speed controller 95 and the air gap controller 90 xref and attractiveness (baseline) value F yref When , the flux linkage component ψ can be solved by using equations (3) and (4) d and ψ q Then the flux linkage component ψ d and ψ q , using equations (1) and (2) to calculate the reference current value I dref ,I qref .

[0097] Alternatively or in addition, the magnetic model 93 may include a table with reference values ​​of the thrust force F xref , attractiveness benchmark value F yref and air gap length information Y act The d-axis and q-axis current components are stored and indexed. To obtain more accurate values ​​of the d-axis and q-axis current reference components, interpolation can be used between the stored values ​​in the table. The table values ​​can also be determined by simulation, for example by using the finite element method (FEM).

[0098] One or more motor-specific constants a in equations (1)–(4) d0 ,a dd ,a dq ,a q0 ,a qq ,a dq ,b dm ,b d ,b q ,c σ ,f σ ,ψ r ,S,T,U,V may be different depending on the position of the mover on the vertical stator beams 26a,b or the horizontal stator beams 28a,b. In this way, different stator tooth geometries of the horizontal and vertical stator beams may be taken into account. Furthermore, one or more of the PI controllers 90, 94, 95 may have different gains depending on the position of the mover on the vertical stator beams 26a,b or the horizontal stator beams 28a,b, since gravity affects the mover / elevator car differently depending on the position.

[0099] In the magnetic model 93, when the thrust reference value F of the mover units 2, 3, 4, and 5 is xref , attractiveness benchmark value F yref and air gap length information Y act When at least one of the changes in dref and the q-axis current reference component I qrefThus, the magnetic model 93 can speed up the adaptation of the mover unit and thus the mover to variable operating conditions, thereby making the operation of the movers 22, 24 more stable and responsive.

[0100] D-axis and q-axis current component reference value I dref ,I qref is transmitted to the current controller 91, and the current controller 91 is based on the d-axis and q-axis current reference values ​​I dref ,I qref and the measured d-axis and q-axis current components I d ,I q The difference between the d-axis and q-axis voltage reference U of the winding of the mover unit is calculated d , U q .

[0101] From the d, q coordinate system to the three-phase voltage component U R , U S , U T The transformation and measurement of three-phase current i R 、i S 、i T To d, q axis component value I d ,I q The transformation of is performed by Park and Clarke transformation, which is known in the art. To synchronize the d, q coordinate systems, the travel position information X is used as described above. act .

[0102] Movers Unit U R , U S , U T The three-phase voltage components are transmitted to the state vector PWM modulator 96 (pulse width modulator) of the inverter, which generates control pulses to control the solid-state switches of the inverter power stage to introduce the modulated three-phase voltage components into the windings of the mover unit. These solid-state switches can be, for example, IGBT-transistors, MOSFET-transistors, silicon carbide transistors and / or gallium nitride transistors.

[0103] exist Fig. 9 In the alternative embodiment shown, a sufficient level of performance can be achieved with a simplified control architecture, wherein the speed controller 95 of the main inverter directly converts the q-axis current reference component I qref Output to the slave inverter. Each slave inverter generates its own d-axis current reference component I through the air gap controller 90. dref Then, these d, q current reference components I dref ,I qrefis directly transmitted to the current controller 91, thereby avoiding the use of the electromagnetic model 93, ie bypassing it. This can reduce the processing power required for the suspension / speed control of the movers 22, 24.

[0104] Instead of one inverter 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d used as a master device, a separate master control unit may be used which can perform the functions of at least one of the air gap controller 90, the position controller 94 and the speed controller 95 for one or more inverters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d and output the required reference values ​​to the inverters 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d to control the current supply to the mover units.

[0105] The invention can be implemented within the scope of the attached patent claims.Therefore, the above embodiments should not be understood as limiting the invention.

[0106] Reference numerals list

[0107] 1 Stator beam

[0108] 2 Movers

[0109] 3. Movers

[0110] 4 mover unit

[0111] 5 mover

[0112] 6 Side of the stator beam arranged in the stator rod

[0113] 7 Opposite side of mover

[0114] 8 stator poles

[0115] 9 Inverter

[0116] 10 Elevator – Passenger conveyor

[0117] 12First (vertical) elevator shaft

[0118] 14 Second (vertical) elevator shaft

[0119] 15 Air gap

[0120] 16 Upper horizontal shaft section

[0121] 17 Position sensor at air gap

[0122] 18 Lower horizontal shaft section

[0123] 20 Elevator Car

[0124] 22 Car mover

[0125] 24 Lower car mover

[0126] 25 mover frame

[0127] 26 Vertical stator beam

[0128] 28 Horizontal stator beam

[0129] 30 Rotatable stator beam portion between horizontal and vertical stator beams

[0130] 31 Elevator shaft wall

[0131] 32Common rear wall of all elevator shafts carrying stator beams

[0132] 34th floor station door

[0133] 36 Pivot joint between car and mover

[0134] 38 (Rear) wall or support structure of the elevator car for mounting the pivot joint

[0135] 40 The stator portion of the rotating disk fixed to the rotatable stator beam portion

[0136] 42 rotating disk

[0137] 44 Bearings for rotating discs on the rear wall of elevator shafts

[0138] 46 A stator beam base having a square horizontal cross section and having stator surfaces on its four sides

[0139] 48 Mounting for mounting the stator beam to the rear wall of the elevator shaft

[0140] 50 Stator rods at four sides of the stator beam containing stator poles / teeth

[0141] 54 Active mover part of the stator surface of the mover facing the stator beam

[0142] 55 Axial continuous mover unit in the mover

[0143] 56 A mover housing carrying the active mover part surrounding the stator beam

[0144] 60 mover packaging of the first mover iron

[0145] 62 The second mover iron of the mover packaging

[0146] 64 Permanent magnets between the mover iron

[0147] 66 The first winding of the mover package

[0148] 68 Second winding of the mover package

[0149] 70 Upper stator beam part

[0150] 72 Lower stator beam part

[0151] 74 Upper stator teeth

[0152] 76 Upper clearance

[0153] 78 lower stator teeth

[0154] 80 Lower clearance

[0155] 88 Drive Controller

[0156] 90 Air Gap Controller

[0157] 91 Current Controller

[0158] 92 Observer

[0159] 93 Magnetic Model

[0160] 94 Position Controller

[0161] 95 Speed ​​Controller

[0162] 96 PWM modulator

[0163] r Common axis of rotation of the rotatable stator part and the mover

[0164] d, τ stator teeth spacing

[0165] α is the downward tilt angle of the teeth of the vertical stator beam to the horizontal plane

[0166] w1 Width of the lower teeth of the horizontal stator beam

[0167] w2 Width of the upper teeth of the horizontal stator beam

Claims

1. A conveyor (10) for passengers and / or goods, the conveyor (10) comprising at least one linear electric motor, the linear electric motor being formed by a linear stator beam having stator poles in a fixed relation to the environment and at least one mover (22, 24) cooperating with the stator beam and moving along the stator beam, the stator beam comprising at least a first stator beam (28a, b) extending in a first movement path in a first direction of the conveyor (10) and at least a second stator beam (26a, b) extending in a second movement path in a second direction of the conveyor (10), wherein: The first and second directions are different directions selected from the group consisting of horizontal, inclined and vertical directions, and the mover is adapted to face a corresponding stator pole of the stator beam, wherein the mover (22, 24) has at least one winding (66, 68) arranged to cooperate with the stator pole; the linear motor is controlled by a motor drive, the motor drive is controlled by a drive controller (88), whereby the drive controller includes a set of control parameters, and whereby the drive controller is configured to use a set of control parameters that is at least partially different when associated with the first stator beam (28a, b) than with the second stator beam (26a, b), and the drive controller is also connected to an input for the position of the mover (22, 24), and the drive controller is configured to select a control signal for the mover depending on the position of the mover on the first or second stator beam, The stator beam comprises at least two side faces (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) located on opposite sides of the stator beam, each side face (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) carrying a respective stator beam having ferromagnetic poles (8) spaced apart by a spacing (8'), and the mover comprises at least two opposite facing surfaces (54; 7A, 7B; 7C, 7D), said facing surfaces facing corresponding stator beams on opposite sides (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) of the stator beam, The drive controller (88) and motor drive are configured to provide different control signals / parameters to the opposing mover opposing faces (54; 7A, 7B; 7C, 7D), the drive controller is also connected to an input for the position of the elevator car, and the drive controller is configured to select the difference between the control signals / parameters of the two opposing opposing faces depending on the position of the elevator car on the first or second stator beam.

2. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that The drive controller includes a control model.

3. The conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control model is a magnetic model (93).

4. The conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive controller (88) and the motor driver are configured to provide control signals to the mover through the control model.

5. The conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that Each opposing face (54; 7A, 7B; 7C, 7D) of the mover has at least one mover unit (2, 3, 4, 5) having at least one winding (66, 68) and at least one permanent magnet (64) arranged to cooperate with the ferromagnetic poles (8) of the stator beam on the corresponding side face (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) of the stator beam.

6. The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The stator poles of the stator beam are in the form of permanent magnets and at least one winding (66, 68) of the mover (22, 24) is an air core winding.

7. The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The width and / or height and / or length (d) and / or material of the stator pole (74) of the first stator beam are different from the width and / or height and / or length (d) and / or material of the second stator beam.

8. The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The conveyor is an elevator.

9. The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first direction is a horizontal direction.

10. The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The second direction is a vertical direction.

11. The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first stator beam is a horizontal stator beam and the second stator beam is a vertical stator beam.

12. A method for operating a conveyor (10) for passengers and / or goods, the conveyor (10) comprising at least one linear electric motor, the linear electric motor being formed by a linear stator beam having stator poles in a fixed relation to the environment and at least one mover (22, 24) cooperating with the stator beam and moving along the stator beam, the stator beam comprising at least a first stator beam (28a, b) extending in a first movement path in a first direction of the conveyor (10) and at least a second stator beam (26a, b) extending in a second movement path in a second direction of the conveyor (10), wherein: The first direction and the second direction are different directions selected from the group consisting of horizontal, inclined and vertical directions, and the mover is adapted to face a corresponding stator pole of the stator beam, wherein the mover has at least one winding arranged to cooperate with the stator pole; the linear motor is controlled by a motor drive, which is controlled by a drive controller, whereby the drive controller comprises a set of control parameters, characterised in that different control parameters are used for the drive controller for the first and second stator beams, wherein the stator beam comprises at least two side faces (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) located on opposite sides of the stator beam, each side face (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) carrying a corresponding stator beam having ferromagnetic poles (8) spaced apart by a spacing (8'), and the mover comprises at least two opposite facing faces (54; 7A, 7B; 7C, 7D) facing respective stator beams on opposite sides (6A, 6B; 6C, 6D) of the stator beam, whereby the drive controller is also connected to an input for the position of the elevator car, Characterized in that different control signals / parameters are used for opposite opposing faces and the difference between the control signals / parameters for two opposite opposing faces depends on the position of the elevator car on the first or second stator beam.

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