Method of detecting a fault in an electric motor and device implementing the method

Abstract

A method for detecting a fault in an electric motor, the method comprising: calculating, by a motor health monitoring function of an electric motor system, a network signal imbalance value representative of an imbalance between power network signals, the electric motor system comprising an electric motor and an electric motor drive configured to drive the electric motor, wherein the electric motor drive is electrically coupled to a power network for being powered by the power network signals to the electric motor drive and to the electric motor by terminals for driving the electric motor by electric motor power signals; obtaining an electric motor signal imbalance value representative of an imbalance between electrical signals output by the electric motor; detecting, based on the network signal imbalance value and the electric motor imbalance value, an occurrence of an electrical fault in the electric motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electric motors and their applications, and more particularly to devices configured for detecting faults in electric motors. Background Technology

[0002] Electric motor drives (e.g., electric (e.g., induction) motor drives) are typically designed to operate with any electric (e.g., induction) motor based on drive parameters determined during a measurement phase, sometimes referred to as the “motor tuning” phase.

[0003] Motor drives are typically configured to generate a setpoint signal based on electrical signals received from a power network (e.g., an energy supplier network), which is then fed to the motor to which the motor drive is coupled for controlling its operation.

[0004] Since the operation of the motor is controlled by the motor driver, it is desirable to detect the potential occurrence of faults in the motor at the motor driver so as to adjust (correct) the setpoint signal fed to the motor accordingly, for example, in real time or near real time, or to stop the motor to prevent the fault from worsening.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved scheme for configuring motor drives and an apparatus for implementing such a scheme, in order to address at least some of the aforementioned disadvantages and deficiencies of conventional techniques in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an improved scheme for configuring an electric motor drive and an apparatus for implementing the improved scheme.

[0007] Another objective of this subject matter is to provide an improved scheme for configuring a motor drive and an apparatus for implementing the improved scheme, thereby mitigating the aforementioned disadvantages and deficiencies of conventional schemes, particularly in that the proposed scheme for configuring a motor drive allows the motor drive to detect faults in the motor.

[0008] Another objective of this subject matter is to provide an improved scheme for configuring a motor driver and an apparatus for implementing the scheme, thereby mitigating the aforementioned disadvantages and deficiencies of conventional schemes. In particular, the proposed scheme for configuring a motor driver allows for dynamic adjustment of the setpoint signal fed to the motor when the motor driver detects a fault in the motor.

[0009] To achieve these objectives and other advantages, and in accordance with the purposes disclosed herein, as embodied and broadly described herein, in one aspect of this subject matter disclosure, a method for detecting faults in a (multiphase) electric motor (e.g., a three-phase electric (induction) motor) is proposed. The method includes, through a motor health monitoring function of an electric motor system comprising an electric motor and a motor driver configured to drive the electric motor, wherein the motor driver is electrically coupled to a power network for supplying power to the motor driver via a multiphase power network signal, and electrically (operably) coupled to the electric motor via terminals (in some embodiments, electrically coupled interfaces) for driving the electric motor via a multiphase motor power supply (setpoint) signal: obtaining (in some embodiments, determining) a network signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between phases of the multiphase power network signal; obtaining (in some embodiments, determining) a motor signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between electrical signals output by the electric motor; and determining, based on the network signal imbalance value and the motor imbalance value, whether an electrical fault has occurred in the motor.

[0010] The proposed method advantageously provides a scheme for detecting faults in an electric motor (EV) based (only) on information collected at the motor driver coupled to the EV.

[0011] Advantageously, this disclosure specifies that, in some embodiments, using network signal imbalance values ​​and motor signal imbalance values ​​(e.g., comparing the two values) can identify faults in the motor based on the principle that a significant increase in the motor's (current, voltage) imbalance relative to the grid's (current, voltage) imbalance indicates a problem within the motor.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the electrical fault can be a short circuit in the motor, such as one or more of, for example, an inter-turn short circuit and a phase short circuit.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the occurrence of electrical faults in a motor can be detected based on a comparison between network signal imbalance and motor signal imbalance.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the network signal imbalance value can be calculated based on at least one line-to-line electrical quantity deviation in the electrical signals (e.g., voltage, current) fed by the power network.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value can be calculated based on at least one line-to-line electrical quantity deviation in the electrical signal (e.g., current) output by the electric motor.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the network signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the network. In some embodiments, the power network signal may be used to determine the estimate of the imbalance level in the network. In some embodiments, the estimate of the imbalance level in the network may be determined heuristically based on experiments.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, an estimate of the degree of imbalance in the network can be calculated based on the ratio of the aggregated network imbalance value to a (first) predetermined nominal network electrical quantity (e.g., voltage) value. In some embodiments, the aggregated network imbalance value can be calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) line-to-line electrical quantity (e.g., voltage) deviations in the electrical signals fed by the network (to the motor driver).

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level between the phases of the motor. In some embodiments, the estimate of the imbalance level between the phases of the motor may be determined using electrical signals output by the electric motor.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, an estimate of the degree of motor imbalance can be calculated based on the ratio of the aggregated motor imbalance value to the value of a (second) predetermined nominal electrical quantity (e.g., current) output by the electric motor, the aggregated motor imbalance value being calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) inter-line electrical quantity (e.g., current) deviations in the electrical (e.g., current) signals output by the electric motor.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the network signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the network. In some embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the motor. In some embodiments, the occurrence of an electrical fault in the motor may be detected based on the estimation of the degree of imbalance in the motor exceeding an estimate of the degree of imbalance in the network.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the network signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the network. In some embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the motor. In some embodiments, it may be determined that no electrical fault has occurred in the motor based on the assumption that the estimated degree of imbalance in the motor is substantially equal to the estimated degree of imbalance in the network.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the motor may be a three-phase induction motor.

[0023] In another aspect of this subject matter disclosure, an apparatus is proposed that includes a processor, a memory operatively coupled to the processor, and an interface for coupling to an electric (e.g., induction) motor driven by the apparatus, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the methods as proposed in this subject matter disclosure.

[0024] In another aspect of this subject matter disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions, which, when executed, cause a device including a processor operatively coupled to memory to perform the methods disclosed herein.

[0025] In another aspect of this subject matter disclosure, a computer program product is proposed, comprising computer program code tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, the computer program code including instructions that, when provided to and executed by a computer system, cause the computer to perform the methods proposed in this subject matter disclosure. In another aspect of this subject matter disclosure, a dataset is proposed, which represents, for example, the computer program as proposed herein through compression or encoding.

[0026] It should be understood that the subject matter disclosure can be implemented and utilized in a variety of ways, including but not limited to as a process, apparatus, system, device, and method for applications now known and later developed. These and other unique features of the systems disclosed herein will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0027] This subject matter will be better understood by referring to the following figures and the accompanying description, and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art, wherein:

[0028] Figure 1 An exemplary electric motor system according to one or more embodiments to which the proposed method can be applied is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary scheme for detecting faults in an electric motor according to one or more embodiments;

[0030] Figure 3 An exemplary scheme for determining the state of an electric motor (e.g., whether an electrical fault has occurred) according to one or more embodiments is shown;

[0031] Figure 4 An apparatus according to one or more embodiments is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0032] For simplicity and clarity, the accompanying drawings illustrate a general construction approach, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the discussion of the described embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be enlarged relative to other elements to aid in understanding the embodiments of the invention. To aid understanding, some drawings may be shown in an idealized manner, such as when structures are shown as having straight lines, acute angles, and / or parallel planes, which may be significantly less symmetrical and ordered under real-world conditions. The same reference numerals in different drawings denote the same elements, while similar reference numerals may, but do not necessarily, denote similar elements.

[0033] Furthermore, it should be apparent that the teachings herein can be embodied in a variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function disclosed herein is merely representative. In particular, those skilled in the art will understand that the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspects, and that several aspects can be combined in various ways.

[0034] The present disclosure is described below with reference to the functionalities, engines, block diagrams, and flowcharts of methods, systems, and computer programs according to one or more exemplary embodiments. Each described functionality, engine, block diagram, and flowchart illustration can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, or any suitable combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionalities, engines, block diagrams, and / or flowchart illustrations can be implemented by computer program instructions or software code that can be stored or transmitted on a computer-readable medium, or loaded onto a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to create a machine, such that the computer program instructions or software code, which executes on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, creates means for implementing the functionalities described herein.

[0035] Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, both computer storage media and communication media, with communication media encompassing any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. As used herein, “computer storage media” can be any physical medium accessible to a computer or processor. Additionally, the terms “memory” and “computer storage media” include any type of data storage device, such as, but not limited to, hard disk drives, flash drives or other flash memory devices (e.g., memory keys, memory sticks, key drives, SSD drives), CD-ROMs or other optical storage, DVDs, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, memory chips, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), smart cards, or any other suitable medium, or combinations thereof, that can be used to carry or store program code in the form of instructions or data structures readable by a computer processor. Furthermore, various forms of computer-readable media can send or carry instructions to a computer, including routers, gateways, servers, or other wired (coaxial cable, fiber optic, twisted pair, DSL cable) or wireless (infrared, radio, cellular, microwave) transmission devices. Instructions can include code from any computer programming language, including but not limited to assembly, C, C++, Python, Visual Basic, SQL, PHP, and JAVA.

[0036] Unless otherwise specifically stated, it should be understood that throughout the following description, discussions using terms such as processing, calculation, operation, determination refer to the actions or processes of a computer or computing system or similar electronic computing device that manipulate or convert data representing physical (such as electronic) quantities in the registers or memory of the computing system into other data representing physical quantities similarly represented in the memory, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices of the computing system.

[0037] As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0038] Additionally, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs.

[0039] In this subject matter disclosure, the terms “coupling” and “connection” and their derivatives may be used indiscriminately to indicate two or more elements in direct physical or electrical contact with each other, or two or more elements in which they do not directly contact each other but still cooperate or interact with each other.

[0040] In this subject matter disclosure, the terms "electric motor," "electric motor," and "electric engine" can be used indiscriminately to refer to an electric motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy (such as kinetic energy—e.g., rotational or linear motion). This disclosure can be implemented with any multiphase electric motor, such as, for example, a multiphase synchronous motor or an asynchronous motor.

[0041] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed in this subject matter can be used to manage the operation of an electric motor driver configured to drive an electric (e.g., induction) motor, specifically but not limited to an electric (e.g., induction) motor driver configured to drive an asynchronous electric (e.g., induction) motor.

[0042] Figure 1 An exemplary electric motor system (1) is shown, to which the proposed method can be applied according to one or more embodiments.

[0043] Figure 1 An electric motor system 1 is shown, which includes a motor driver 2 and an electric (e.g., induction) motor 3, which are operably connected to each other via an interface 4.

[0044] The electric motor (e.g., induction motor) 3 includes a rotor 3a and a magnetic core (sometimes referred to as a "stator") 3b, the magnetic core 3b including a magnetic induction element (not shown in the figure), sometimes referred to as the "main induction" of the electric motor (e.g., induction motor) 3.

[0045] In some embodiments, a so-called “motor tuning” phase may be performed to determine the configuration parameters of a motor driver (2) corresponding to the characteristics of an electric (e.g., induction) motor (3), such that the motor driver (2) is tuned to drive the electric (e.g., induction) motor (3).

[0046] In some embodiments, the electric motor system (1) may include an electric motor health monitoring function (not shown in the figure), which may or may not be implemented as the engine of the electric motor drive (2), depending on the embodiment.

[0047] Depending on the implementation, the motor health monitoring function can be implemented in software as described above, or in hardware, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or in a combination of hardware and software, such as a software program designed to be loaded and executed on a component of the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) type.

[0048] Depending on the embodiment, the motor driver (2) may be implemented in software as described above, or in hardware, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or in a combination of hardware and software, such as a software program designed to be loaded and executed on a component of the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) type.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the motor driver (2) can receive a power signal (5) from a power network (e.g., a power grid) (not shown) for powering the motor driver (2). For example, in some embodiments, the motor driver (2) can receive a three-phase power signal, in which case the power signal (5) may include three supply voltage signals. , and .

[0050] The motor driver (2) is configured to provide one or more setpoint electrical signals to the electric motor (3) via a coupling interface (4) to drive its operation. For example, in some embodiments, the motor driver (2) is configured to provide a current signal. , and To control the operation of the motor (3).

[0051] For example, in some embodiments, the driver can be configured to perform a transmission function and therefore can be configured to receive a power supply signal and process such a signal (e.g., in the case of a sinusoidal signal, process the frequency and / or amplitude of such a signal) to generate an electrical signal that is fed to the electric motor for controlling its speed parameters (e.g., the rotational speed of a shaft driven by the motor). The electrical signal fed to the motor can typically correspond to a setpoint signal fed into the motor (e.g., a torque setpoint ramp signal, a speed setpoint ramp signal, a voltage setpoint step signal, etc.).

[0052] The proposed scheme advantageously allows the use of data available at the motor driver to detect (e.g., via the motor driver) the occurrence of faults in an electric motor coupled to the driver.

[0053] For example, the proposed scheme can be advantageously used, for instance, to detect the occurrence of inter-turn short circuit (ITSC) faults in the stator of an electric motor coupled to which the motor driver is connected. In some embodiments, the electrical signal fed to the motor can be a voltage setpoint signal, which can be fed (applied) to the stator (3b) of the motor. For example, if the corresponding stator winding experiences high temperatures, a short circuit may occur in one of the phases supplying the stator, such that the insulating material that electrically insulates the stator winding (corresponding to that phase) from one or more other stator windings corresponding to other corresponding phases may melt, thereby short-circuiting the two stator windings corresponding to different phases. The stator inter-turn short circuit problem can quickly become very problematic because it can spread to other parts of the electric motor circuit and eventually burn out the motor.

[0054] Therefore, it is desirable to quickly detect faults in electric motors of the (stator) inter-turn short-circuit type to avoid further damage to the motor due to the spread of undetected faults.

[0055] This subject matter discloses advantageously that faults in electric motors, such as (stator) inter-turn short circuits, may cause an imbalance in the electrical setpoint signal used by the motor, and thus can be detected by detecting the imbalance in the electrical setpoint signal used by the motor.

[0056] For example, when a three-phase voltage setpoint signal is provided to an electric motor by a motor driver for its driving operation, an inter-turn short circuit (stator) can be detected by detecting an imbalance between the three phases of the setpoint signal. In the absence of a fault in the motor, the three phases of the setpoint signal can be sinusoidal signals of equal amplitude (indicating the motor has reached a steady state). A fault occurring in one phase can cause an imbalance between the phases (e.g., the amplitude of one phase differs from (e.g., is greater than) the amplitudes of the other two phases), such as an imbalance between the current signals generated by the voltage setpoint signal fed to the motor, making it possible to detect the fault by detecting the imbalance.

[0057] However, imbalances between motor power supply signals (e.g., between current signals generated from the voltage setpoint signal fed to the motor) may not always be a symptom of a fault in the motor. For example, an imbalance between the power supply to the motor driver and the motor power supply signals that can generate the voltage setpoint signal fed to the motor may trigger an imbalance between motor power supply signals (e.g., between current signals generated from the voltage setpoint signal fed to the motor). In this case, even if a fault may not have occurred, it may still be detected based on the monitoring of potential imbalances in the motor power supply signals, resulting in a false alarm, i.e., false fault detection.

[0058] To avoid erroneous fault detection of motor electrical faults by detecting imbalances between motor power supply signals, this subject matter discloses an advantageous method for detecting motor electrical faults based on monitoring imbalances (levels) between power network signals and imbalances (levels) between motor power supply signals.

[0059] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an exemplary scheme (10) for detecting faults in an electric motor according to one or more embodiments disclosed in this subject matter.

[0060] Consider motor drives electrically coupled to multiphase electric (e.g., induction) motors (e.g., three-phase electric (induction) motors), such as... Figure 1 As shown, this is used to drive the motor via a motor power supply (setpoint) signal. The motor driver can also be electrically coupled to a power network for supplying power to the motor driver via a power network signal.

[0061] In one or more embodiments, depending on the embodiment, the motor health monitoring function that can be implemented in the motor health monitoring engine of a motor system including an electric motor and a motor drive (e.g., in the motor drive) can perform one or more of the following operations.

[0062] In one or more embodiments, a network signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between power network signals can be obtained (11) (in some embodiments, determined, for example, calculated).

[0063] Depending on the embodiment, the electrical signals (e.g., for powering the device hosting the motor health monitoring function) that can be advantageously used to implement embodiments of this disclosure (via a power network) to the motor health monitoring function may include one or more of voltage and current signals.

[0064] In some embodiments, the voltage signal input to the motor health monitoring function (via the power network) can be advantageously used to collect information about the health status of the motor and to determine whether an electrical fault has occurred in the motor.

[0065] In one or more embodiments, a motor signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between electrical signals output by the electric motor can be obtained (12) (in some embodiments, determined, for example, calculated)

[0066] In some embodiments, the electrical signals input (feeded) to the electric motor (e.g., for driving the motor by supplying power to the motor) may include voltage signals, such that the motor can be supplied with voltage signals for driving its operation. Conversely, the electrical signals output by the electric motor that may be advantageously used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure may include current signals.

[0067] In some embodiments, the current signal output by the motor can be advantageously used to collect information about the health status of the motor and to determine whether an electrical fault has occurred in the motor.

[0068] In one or more embodiments, it can be determined whether an electrical fault has occurred in the motor (13) based on the network signal imbalance value and the motor imbalance value.

[0069] The proposed method advantageously provides a scheme for detecting faults in an electric motor (EV) based (only) on information collected at the motor driver coupled to the EV.

[0070] Advantageously, this subject matter disclosure specifies that, in some embodiments, using network signal imbalance values ​​and motor signal imbalance values ​​(e.g., comparing the two values ​​with each other) can identify faults in the motor based on the principle that a significant increase in the motor's (current, voltage) imbalance relative to the grid's (current, voltage) imbalance indicates a problem within the motor.

[0071] In one or more embodiments, the electrical fault can be a short circuit in the motor, such as one or more of, for example, an inter-turn short circuit and a phase short circuit.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, the occurrence of electrical faults in a motor can be detected based on a comparison between network signal imbalance and motor signal imbalance.

[0073] In one or more embodiments, a network signal imbalance value can be calculated based on at least one line-to-line electrical quantity deviation in the electrical signals (e.g., voltage, current) fed by the power network. Depending on the embodiment, the electrical quantity used to calculate the network signal imbalance value may correspond to one or more of a voltage value and a current value. In some embodiments, at least one line-to-line voltage deviation in the voltage signals fed by the power network can be advantageously and conveniently measured, and the at least one line-to-line voltage deviation can be used to calculate the network signal imbalance value.

[0074] In one or more embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value can be calculated based on at least one line-to-line electrical quantity deviation in the electrical signal (e.g., current) output by the electric motor. Depending on the embodiment, the electrical quantity used to calculate the motor signal imbalance value may correspond to one or more of a voltage value and a current value. In some embodiments, at least one line-to-line current deviation in the current signal output by the motor can be advantageously and conveniently measured, and the at least one line-to-line current deviation can be used to calculate the motor signal imbalance value, since the current signal output by the motor can be directly obtained by measurement at the motor terminals (e.g., the terminals through which the motor driver is connected to the motor).

[0075] In one or more embodiments, the network signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the network. In some embodiments, the estimate of the imbalance level in the network may be determined using a power network signal (such as, for example, the voltage of a phase of a power network signal). In some embodiments, the estimate of the imbalance level in the network may be determined heuristically based on previous experiments.

[0076] In one or more embodiments, an estimate of the degree of imbalance in the network can be calculated based on the ratio of the aggregated network imbalance value to a (first) predetermined nominal network electrical quantity (e.g., current, voltage) value. In some embodiments, the aggregated network imbalance value can be calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) line-to-line electrical quantity (e.g., current, voltage) deviations between phases of the electrical signal fed by the network (to the motor driver). Depending on the embodiment, the electrical quantity used to calculate the aggregated network imbalance value may correspond to one or more of voltage and current values. In some embodiments, at least one line-to-line voltage deviation between voltage signals corresponding to the respective phases fed by the power network can be advantageously and conveniently measured, and the aggregated network imbalance value can be calculated using at least one line-to-line voltage deviation. In some embodiments, multiple line-to-line voltage deviations between the respective phases of the voltage signal fed by the power network can be combined to calculate the aggregated network imbalance value.

[0077] In one or more embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level between the phases of the motor. In some embodiments, the estimate of the imbalance level between the phases of the motor may be determined using electrical signals output by the motor. According to embodiments, the electrical quantities used to calculate the motor signal imbalance value may correspond to one or more of voltage and current values. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous and convenient to measure at least one line-to-line current deviation between current signals corresponding to the respective phases output by the motor, and use this at least one line-to-line current deviation to calculate the motor signal imbalance value, since the current signals output by the motor can be directly obtained by measurement at the motor terminals (e.g., through which the motor driver is connected to the terminals of the motor).

[0078] In one or more embodiments, an estimate of the degree of motor imbalance can be calculated based on the ratio of the aggregated motor imbalance value to the value of a (second) predetermined nominal electrical quantity (e.g., voltage, current) output by the electric motor, the aggregated motor imbalance value being calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) line-to-line electrical quantity (e.g., voltage, current) deviations between electrical (e.g., voltage, current) signals output by the electric motor.

[0079] In some embodiments, the unbalance value of the polymer motor can be calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) inter-line electrical quantities (e.g., current, voltage) deviations between phases of the electrical signals output by the motor. According to embodiments, the electrical quantities used to calculate the unbalance value of the polymer motor can correspond to one or more of voltage and current values. In some embodiments, it is advantageous and convenient to measure at least one inter-line current deviation between current signals corresponding to the respective phases of the current signals output by the motor, and use this at least one inter-line current deviation to calculate the unbalance value of the polymer motor. In some embodiments, multiple inter-line current deviations between the respective phases of the current signals output by the motor can be combined to calculate the unbalance value of the polymer motor.

[0080] In one or more embodiments, the network signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the network. In some embodiments, the motor signal imbalance value may include an estimate of the imbalance level in the motor. In some embodiments, the occurrence of an electrical fault in the motor may be detected based on the determination that the estimated degree of imbalance in the motor exceeds (in some embodiments, exceeds a predefined error range) an estimated degree of imbalance in the network. In some embodiments, it may be determined that no electrical fault has occurred in the motor based on the determination that the estimated degree of imbalance in the motor is substantially equal to the estimated degree of imbalance in the network. In some embodiments, it may be determined that no electrical fault has occurred in the motor based on the determination that the estimated degree of imbalance in the motor does not exceed (in some embodiments, exceeds a predefined error range) an estimated degree of imbalance in the network.

[0081] In one or more embodiments, the motor may be a three-phase induction motor.

[0082] Figure 3 Exemplary schemes for determining the state of an electric motor (e.g., whether an electrical fault has occurred) according to one or more embodiments disclosed in this subject matter are shown.

[0083] Figure 3 An electric motor system 1 is shown, which includes a motor driver 2 and an electric (e.g., induction) motor 3, which are operably connected to each other via an interface 4.

[0084] like Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the electric motor system (1) may include an electric motor health monitoring function (6), which, depending on the embodiment, may or may not be implemented as an engine of the electric motor driver (2).

[0085] Depending on the embodiment, the motor health monitoring function (6) can be implemented in software as described above, or in hardware, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or in a combination of hardware and software, such as a software program designed to be loaded and executed on a component of the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) type.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, the motor driver (2) can receive power network signals (5) from a power network (e.g., the power grid) (not shown) to power the motor driver (2). For example, in some embodiments, the motor driver (2) can receive a three-phase power signal, in which case the power signal (5) may include three power supply voltage signals. , and In some embodiments, it can be a sinusoidal signal.

[0087] The motor driver (2) is configured to provide one or more motor power supply (setpoint) signals to the electric motor (3) via a coupling interface (4) to drive its operation. For example, in some embodiments, the motor driver (2) is configured to provide a current signal. , and To control the operation of the motor (3). In some embodiments, the power supply current signal , and It can be a sine wave signal.

[0088] In one or more embodiments, and in some embodiments, a network signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between power network signals can be calculated by a grid imbalance determination engine (6a) of the motor health monitoring function (6). For example, in some embodiments, the grid imbalance determination engine (6a) can be configured to calculate a grid imbalance indicator that can provide a network signal imbalance value.

[0089] For example, in one or more embodiments, an estimate of the imbalance of the power grid supplying the motor driver (2) can be determined (which can provide a value of the network signal imbalance).

[0090] For example, in some embodiments An estimate of the degree of imbalance in a network (grid) can be determined. For example, using the following formula:

[0091]

[0092] in ( , The line-to-line grid voltage is the average value (calculated using an integrand function, such as RMS) between lines. It is a predetermined value known as the nominal grid voltage, and Specify the norm operator (e.g., absolute value). The nominal grid voltage value can be determined based on the voltage values ​​of one or more signals supplied by the power network. For example, in France, the nominal grid voltage value can be chosen to be equal to 400 V between phases.

[0093] In this example, line voltage and The existence of imbalances will be reflected in the corresponding deviations that present non-zero values ​​(given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In the middle. Conversely, line voltage and The absence of an imbalance will be reflected in the corresponding deviation, which will be essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In the middle. Similarly, line voltage. and The existence of imbalances will be reflected in corresponding deviations that exhibit non-zero values ​​(given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In the middle, and the line electricity An imbalance between compression and equilibrium will be reflected in the corresponding deviation, which will exhibit a non-zero value (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In the middle. Conversely, line voltage and The absence of an imbalance will be reflected in the first deviation, which will be essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In, and line voltage and The absence of an imbalance will be reflected in a power supply deviation that is essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). Therefore, it is advantageous to use line-to-line voltage deviations with non-zero values ​​(given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). , and One or more of them use aggregated network imbalance The value is used to detect the presence of imbalance in the network, resulting in an imbalance in the aggregation network with a non-zero value (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). Indicator. Conversely, it can be advantageous to use by having a value that is essentially zero. Line-to-line voltage deviation , and Imbalanced aggregation network The value is used to determine that there is no imbalance in the network, thus resulting in an aggregate network imbalance that is essentially zero in this case (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). indicator.

[0094] In one or more embodiments, the nominal network (grid) voltage value can be advantageously used. For example, as mentioned above, this is used to calculate the imbalance of the aggregation network. The formula for the indicator is used to determine the degree of imbalance when an imbalance is detected in the network. In addition to detecting imbalance in the network, calculating the degree of imbalance in the network advantageously allows for comparison of this degree of imbalance in the network with the degree of imbalance in the motor. This comparison of the degree of imbalance in the network and the degree of imbalance in the motor can advantageously be used to determine that there is no additional imbalance in the motor compared to the imbalance present in the network. Therefore, false alarms due to the detection of motor faults can be avoided, as the imbalance detected in the motor merely reflects the imbalance present in the network, and not a symptom of motor failure.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable metric for imbalance in a network can be used to detect imbalance, for example by measuring the degree of imbalance in the network, such as by using, for example, a current signal received from the network (e.g., received by a motor driver), instead of the above-described scheme for calculating an estimate of the degree of imbalance in the network, which is given by way of example only.

[0096] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable method for detecting imbalances in electrical signals received from a network (e.g., via a motor driver), such as an imbalance observer or external sensor configured to provide knowledge of imbalances occurring in the network, can be used instead of the schemes described in this subject disclosure for calculating network signal imbalance values, which are given by way of example only.

[0097] Network signal imbalance can provide a useful indication of power supply stability and quality, which is beneficial for the normal operation of motors.

[0098] In one or more embodiments, and in some embodiments, a motor signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between motor supply signals can be calculated by a motor imbalance determination engine (6b) of the motor health monitoring function (6). For example, in some embodiments, the motor imbalance determination engine (6b) can be configured to calculate a motor imbalance indicator that can provide a motor signal imbalance value.

[0099] For example, in some embodiments, an estimate of the degree of motor current imbalance can be determined. (It can provide the motor signal imbalance value), for example, using the following formula:

[0100]

[0101] in ( () is the line current output from the motor. The (average, e.g., RMS) value, It is the nominal current of the motor, and Specify the norm operator (e.g., absolute value).

[0102] In this example, the current and The existence of imbalances will be reflected in the corresponding deviations that present non-zero values ​​(given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In the middle. Conversely, current. and The absence of imbalance will be reflected in a deviation that is essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In the middle. Similarly, current. and An imbalance will be reflected in the corresponding deviations that present non-zero values ​​(given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). - |in the middle, and the current and An imbalance will be reflected in the corresponding deviations that present non-zero values ​​(given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). - |in the middle. Conversely, current. and The absence of an imbalance will be reflected in the corresponding deviation, which will be essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). - |in the middle, and the current and The absence of an imbalance will be reflected in the corresponding deviation, which will be essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). - Therefore, through a current deviation with a non-zero value (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance)| - |、| - | and | - One or more of them can be advantageously used with aggregate unbalanced motors. The value is used to detect imbalance in the motor, resulting in a aggregate imbalance motor with a non-zero value (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). Indicator. Conversely, in all current deviations | - |、| - | and | - |When the value is essentially zero (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance), a polymeric unbalanced motor can be advantageously used. The value determines that there is no imbalance in the motor, thus leading to the aggregation of unbalanced motors. The indicator also has a value that is essentially zero in this case (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance).

[0103] In one or more embodiments, the nominal motor current value can be advantageously used. For example, as mentioned above, it is used for calculation The formula describes determining the degree of imbalance when an imbalance is detected in the motor. Besides detecting imbalance in the motor, calculating the degree of imbalance advantageously allows for comparison of this degree of imbalance in the motor with the degree of imbalance in the network. This comparison of the motor imbalance degree with the network imbalance degree can advantageously be used to determine that there is no additional imbalance in the motor compared to the imbalance present in the network. Therefore, false alarms due to detected motor faults can be avoided, as the imbalance detected in the motor merely reflects the imbalance present in the network, and not a symptom of motor failure.

[0104] In other embodiments, different methods may be employed, prioritizing the timeliness of detecting potential faults in the electric motor, potentially at the cost of a higher false alarm rate. For example, in Figure 3 In the examples shown, in some embodiments, the current deviation with a non-zero value (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance) can be used as a basis. , and At least one of these factors can be used to determine a fault in the motor. In some embodiments, a fault in the motor can be determined based on a deviation of at least one motor electrical quantity (e.g., (output) voltage or (output) current) having a non-zero value (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance).

[0105] Those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable unbalance metric can be used to detect unbalance in a motor, for example by measuring the degree of unbalance in the network, such as by using the line voltage signal of the motor (e.g., measured at the motor terminals), instead of the above-described method to calculate an estimate of the degree of unbalance in the motor, which is given by way of example only.

[0106] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable method can be used to detect imbalances in the electrical signals used by the motor for operation, instead of the schemes described in this subject disclosure for obtaining (in some embodiments by calculation) motor signal imbalance values, which are given by way of example only.

[0107] The motor signal imbalance value can advantageously reflect the operating status of the motor (3) and can provide an indication of potential problems (faults) such as inter-turn short circuits in the (stator) of the motor (3).

[0108] In one or more embodiments, the occurrence of electrical faults in a motor can be detected based on network signal imbalance values ​​and motor imbalance values. In some embodiments, this is done via the ITSC detection engine (6c) of the motor health monitoring function (6). For example, in some embodiments, the ITSC detection engine (6c) can be configured to compare network signal imbalance values ​​and motor imbalance values.

[0109] For example, in some embodiments, once the estimates of the motor imbalance and the network (grid) imbalance are determined, these two estimates can be compared to obtain information about the motor health status (particularly ITSC) based on these estimates. In some embodiments, aggregated network imbalance values ​​can be calculated. and the value of unbalanced motors in polymerization For example, as described above, and used respectively as estimates of network (grid) imbalance level and motor imbalance level for comparison.

[0110] In some embodiments, network imbalance can be determined based on the level of imbalance in the network (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). For example, in some embodiments, network imbalance is determined if the estimated level of imbalance in the network is higher than a predefined network imbalance threshold (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance).

[0111] In some embodiments, when a network imbalance is determined, it may be determined that the knowledge of the estimated level of imbalance in the motor may be irrelevant (or unsuitable) to determining whether an electrical fault (e.g., a (stator) short circuit) exists (because motor imbalance may be a direct consequence of network imbalance).

[0112] In some implementations, the motor imbalance can be determined if the network is determined not to be unbalanced (in some implementations, if the estimated level of imbalance in the network is not higher than a predefined network imbalance threshold (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance)).

[0113] For example, in some embodiments, motor imbalance is determined when the estimated level of imbalance in the motor is higher than a predefined motor imbalance threshold (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance).

[0114] In some embodiments, if an imbalance in the motor is determined, it can be determined that an electrical fault (e.g., a (stator) short circuit) may have occurred, and appropriate corrective or preventative measures can be taken to protect the motor. Furthermore, an alarm can be triggered to notify the user of the fault in the motor.

[0115] In some embodiments, if it is determined that the network is not unbalanced (in some embodiments, the estimated level of imbalance in the network is not higher than a predefined network imbalance threshold (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance)), however, if it is determined that the motor is unbalanced, it can be determined that an electrical fault (e.g., a (stator) short circuit) may have occurred, and appropriate corrective or preventative measures can be taken to protect the motor. Furthermore, an alarm can be triggered to notify the user of a fault in the motor.

[0116] In some embodiments, such as those described above, the aggregated network imbalance can be calculated. Value and aggregate unbalanced motor The value is used to determine whether an electrical fault has occurred in the motor, as follows:

[0117] In some embodiments, when determining the imbalance of the aggregation network When the value is reached, the imbalance of the aggregation network can be addressed. The value is compared to a predefined network imbalance threshold γ > 0 (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In some embodiments, in In the case of > γ, it can be determined that the network (power grid) is balanced. In some embodiments, in this case, the aggregation of unbalanced motors may not be used (or even calculated). The value is assumed to be due to the assumption that the motor can be considered unbalanced in this situation. This will be a direct result of network (power grid) imbalance. This knowledge will not provide useful information for determining whether an electrical fault (such as a stator short circuit) has occurred in the motor.

[0118] In some embodiments, When ≤ γ, the aggregate unbalanced motor can be calculated. The value is then compared with a predefined motor imbalance threshold ξ > 0 (given a predefined acceptable error tolerance). In some embodiments, in ≤ γ and In cases where ξ is present, a high probability of failure (e.g., a short circuit in one of the stator phases) can be determined, and appropriate corrective or preventative measures can be taken to protect the motor. Furthermore, an alarm can be triggered to notify the user of a fault in the motor.

[0119] Figure 4 An exemplary architecture of an apparatus 100 configured to implement a method according to an embodiment disclosed in this subject matter is shown. According to an embodiment, the apparatus 100 may be included in a motor driver or a motor system management server.

[0120] like Figure 4 As shown, device 100 may include [missing information - likely related to a specific device or component]. Figure 1 and Figure 3 The system 1 shown includes an engine or a similar engine or function, and can be configured to perform a method for detecting faults in an electric motor according to embodiments disclosed in this subject matter.

[0121] The device 100, which may include one or more computers, includes a control engine 101, a network imbalance management engine 102, a motor imbalance management engine 103, a fault detection engine 104, a data interface engine 105, and a memory 106.

[0122] exist Figure 4 In the architecture shown, the network imbalance management engine 102, the motor imbalance management engine 103, the fault detection engine 104, the data interface engine 105, and the memory 106 are all operably coupled to each other through the control engine 101.

[0123] In some embodiments, the network imbalance management engine 102 is configured to perform aspects of embodiments of one or more of the proposed methods for detecting motor faults described herein, such as obtaining a network signal imbalance value representing an imbalance (level) between power network signals. In some embodiments, the network imbalance management engine 102 is configured to calculate a network signal imbalance value representing an imbalance (level) between power network signals.

[0124] In some embodiments, the motor imbalance management engine 103 is configured to perform aspects of embodiments of one or more of the proposed methods for detecting motor faults described herein, such as obtaining a motor signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between electrical signals output by the electric motor. In some embodiments, the motor imbalance management engine 103 is configured to calculate a motor signal imbalance value representing the level of imbalance between electrical signals output by the electric motor.

[0125] In some embodiments, the fault detection engine 104 is configured to perform various aspects of one or more of the proposed methods described herein for detecting motor faults, such as determining whether an electrical fault (e.g., a (stator) short circuit) has occurred in the motor based on network signal imbalance values ​​and motor imbalance values.

[0126] In some embodiments, the data interface engine 105 is configured to receive power network signals and electrical signals output by the electric motor as inputs, and to output alarms (e.g., in the event of an electrical fault in the motor) under the control of the control engine 101.

[0127] Control engine 101 includes a processor, which may be any suitable microprocessor, microcontroller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processing chip and / or state machine or a combination thereof. According to various embodiments, one or more of the computers may be configured as a multiprocessor computer having multiple processors for providing parallel computing. Control engine 101 may also include, or be in communication with, a computer storage medium, such as, but not limited to, memory 106, capable of storing computer program instructions or software code that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the elements described herein. Additionally, memory 106 may be any type of data storage or computer storage medium coupled to control engine 101 and may operate in conjunction with network imbalance management engine 102, motor imbalance management engine 103, fault detection engine 104, and data interface engine 105 to manage the data stored therein, such as, for example, cache memory, data farm, data warehouse, data mart, data center, data cloud, or a combination thereof.

[0128] In embodiments of the invention, device 100 is configured to perform one or more of the fault detection methods described herein. In some embodiments, device 100 may be included in a motor driver configured to drive a motor.

[0129] It should be understood, for reference Figure 4 The apparatus 100 shown and described is provided by way of example only. Many other architectures, operating environments, and configurations are possible. Other embodiments of the node may include fewer or more components and may be combined with [other components]. Figure 4 The device components shown describe some or all of the functions. Therefore, although control engine 101, network imbalance management engine 102, motor imbalance management engine 103, fault detection engine 104, data interface engine 105, and memory 106 are shown as part of device 100, there are no limitations on the location and control of components 101-106. In particular, in other embodiments, any one of components 101-106 may be part of a different entity or computing system.

[0130] The proposed method can be used to detect faults in any type of multiphase motor, such as (stator) short circuits.

[0131] Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0132] Although the invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that certain advantages, features, and aspects of the systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in various other embodiments. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the various aspects and features described herein can be practiced individually, combined together, or substituted for one another, and various combinations and sub-combinations of features and aspects can be made, all of which still fall within the scope of the invention. Moreover, the systems and devices described above do not need to include all the modules and functions described in the preferred embodiments.

[0133] The information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a wide variety of different techniques and technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0134] Depending on the embodiment, certain actions, events, or functions of any method described herein may be performed in a different order, and may be added together, combined, or omitted (e.g., not all described actions or events are necessary for the practice of the method). Furthermore, in some embodiments, actions or events may be performed simultaneously rather than sequentially.

Claims

1. A method for detecting faults in a multiphase motor, the method comprising: The motor system includes a motor and a motor driver configured to drive the motor, wherein the motor driver is electrically coupled to a power network for supplying power to the motor driver via a multiphase power network signal, and is electrically coupled to the motor via an electrical coupling interface for driving the motor via a multiphase motor power signal. Obtain the network signal imbalance value representing the phase imbalance of the multiphase power network signal; Obtain the motor signal imbalance value, which represents the imbalance between the electrical signals output by the electric motor; The determination of whether an electrical fault has occurred in the motor is based on the network signal imbalance value and the motor imbalance value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The electrical fault is a short circuit in the motor.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The occurrence of the electrical fault in the motor is detected by comparing the network signal imbalance value with the motor signal imbalance value.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The network signal imbalance is calculated based on at least one line-to-line electrical quantity deviation among the electrical signals fed by the power network.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The motor signal imbalance value is calculated based on at least one line-to-line electrical quantity deviation in the electrical signal output by the motor.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The network signal imbalance value includes an estimate of the imbalance level in the network.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, An estimate of the level of imbalance in the network is calculated based on the ratio of the aggregated network imbalance value to a predetermined nominal network electrical quantity value, wherein the aggregated network imbalance value is calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) line-to-line electrical quantity deviations in the electrical signals fed by the network.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The motor signal imbalance value includes an estimate of the imbalance level between the phases of the motor.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, An estimate of the level of imbalance in the motor is calculated based on the ratio of the unbalance value of the aggregate motor to the nominal electrical quantity output by the motor. The unbalance value of the aggregate motor is calculated based on one or more (e.g., multiple) line-to-line electrical quantity deviations in the electrical signals output by the motor.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The network signal imbalance value includes an estimate of the imbalance level in the network, wherein the motor signal imbalance value includes an estimate of the imbalance level in the motor, and wherein the occurrence of an electrical fault in the motor is detected based on the determination that the estimate of the imbalance level in the motor exceeds the estimate of the imbalance level in the network.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The network signal imbalance value includes an estimate of the imbalance level in the network, wherein the motor signal imbalance value includes an estimate of the imbalance level in the motor, and wherein it is determined that no electrical fault has occurred in the motor based on the determination that the estimate of the imbalance level in the motor is substantially equal to the estimate of the imbalance level in the network.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The motor is a three-phase induction motor.

13. An apparatus comprising a processor, a memory operatively coupled to the processor, and an interface for coupling to an induction motor to be driven by the apparatus, wherein, The apparatus is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A computer program product comprising computer program code tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, the computer program code including instructions that, when provided to and executed by a computer system, cause the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A dataset, for example, represented by compression or encoding, of the computer program product according to claim 14.

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