Method for model-based determination of an operating temperature in an electric hand tool

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for the model-based determination of a current operating temperature of an electric motor provided as a drive unit in an electric hand tool, by an electronic control unit, on the basis of a thermal network model, wherein, for determining the temperature of an electric motor designed as a brushless DC motor, the parameter of an initial temperature of the stator winding required for using the thermal network model is determined on the basis of a winding resistance when the electric motor is at a standstill, which is ascertained or measured on the basis of the voltage equation of a permanent synchronous motor with internal magnets.

Description

[0001] Method for model-based determination of an operating temperature for an electric hand tool

[0002] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for the model-based determination of a current operating temperature of an electric motor provided as a drive unit in an electric hand tool by means of an electronic motor control based on a thermal network model, an electric hand tool having an electric motor as a drive unit, and also a computer program embodying the method, which can be executed on a microprocessor-controlled control unit of the electric hand tool.

[0003] The field of application of the invention extends primarily to electric hand tools, such as chisel and demolition hammers, hammer drills, drilling devices and the like, in which at least one electric motor is used as a drive unit, which is monitored with regard to its operating temperature.

[0004] Higher-power hand tools, in particular, require monitoring of their electric motor's operating temperature to prevent wear or failure caused by overheating. By considering the cooling design of hand tools, particularly the attachment of a fan to a motor shaft, the direct relationship between the cooling airflow generated and the motor speed becomes apparent, making electric motor temperature monitoring more attractive for new applications. Furthermore, real-time information about the thermal state of the electric motor enables greater efficiency of the hand tool under varying environmental conditions.

[0005] In principle, various approaches have been pursued to monitor the thermal condition of electric hand tools of the type of interest here. For example, in applications with constant load, appropriate motor dimensioning guarantees a safe thermal condition. However, in applications with dynamic loads and without the possibility of thermal monitoring, the electric motor has been oversized with respect to an assumed maximum load to ensure that the electric hand tool always operates below a specified temperature limit. This leads to increased technical complexity of the drive and a correspondingly high weight of the electric hand tool. To avoid this, attempts have been made to implement power control using temperature sensors to prevent overheating of electric motors that are not oversized.However, this comes at the expense of continuous power output and increased sensor technology expenditure.

[0006] In contrast, DE 10 2010 063 950 A1 proposes a sensorless technical solution for estimating the operating temperature. This solution is based on determining the resistance of universal motors in household appliances during motor downtime and recalculating the operating temperature from the determined resistance. Thus, a state observation is performed based on the electrical voltage equation for electrical machines to derive, or estimate, the temperature from the change in resistance of the motor winding.

[0007] In addition to such state monitoring for sensorless temperature determination of electric motors, another model-based approach is based on a generic Lumped Parameter Thermal Network (LPTN), which is of interest here. These LPTNs can describe the actual thermal properties of an electric motor.

[0008] US 2012 / 0007532 A1 discloses a generic method for model-based determination of the current operating temperature of an electric motor designed as a DC motor based on an LPTN. The technical solution includes a thermal runtime model that determines the temperatures of individual components of an electric motor in order to implement power limitation only when necessary due to the thermal load. The power limitation system for a vector-controlled DC motor includes a torque command system for generating a torque command. A thermal protection system determines a runtime estimate for a temperature of an electromagnetic rotating component of the electric motor.An electronic control unit is configured to generate a motor control signal for the vector-controlled DC motor in response to the torque command, with the thermal protection system determining the runtime estimate in response to a multi-node thermal model of the electric motor. The electronic control unit limits the electric motor's power to keep a component temperature below its critical temperature. Thus, the torque command is controlled based on the motor temperature determined in real time via the LPTN. However, to solve the state space of an LPTN, a suitable initial condition is required to accelerate the convergence of the algorithm.

[0009] It is therefore the object of the present invention to further improve a method for model-based determination of a current operating temperature of a brushless DC motor provided as an electric motor in an electric hand tool as a drive unit on the basis of a thermal network model (LPTN) in such a way that an initial temperature of the motor winding for use as an initial condition in an LPTN for brushless DC motors can be determined with simple technical effort and without sensors.

[0010] Disclosure of the invention

[0011] The problem is solved based on a computer-implemented method according to the preamble of claim 1 in conjunction with its characterizing features. With regard to an electric hand tool employing this method, reference is made to claim 5. Claim 10 specifies a computer program embodying the method steps according to the invention, which can be executed on a microprocessor-controlled control unit of an electric hand tool.

[0012] The invention includes the process engineering teaching that, in order to determine the temperature of an electric motor designed as a brushless DC motor, the parameter of an initial temperature of the stator winding required for using the LPTN is analytically determined using a winding resistance when the electric motor is at a standstill, which is determined on the basis of the voltage equation of a permanent synchronous motor with internal magnets (IPMSM).

[0013] The advantage of the inventive solution lies in the fact that, when applying a thermal model (LPTN), a simple analytical method is used to determine an appropriate initial condition, which accelerates the convergence of the algorithm and eliminates the effects of errors. This method is also quite robust against production tolerances. Furthermore, as demonstrated below by transforming the mathematical equations, the injected current does not affect the movement of the electric motor.

[0014] In other words, in the resistance estimation method step according to the invention, the electrical resistance of the stator winding is estimated when the motor is at a standstill, and the temperature of the motor winding is calculated from the electrical resistance after the electric motor is switched on in order to use this as the initial condition for the LPTN. Thus, both analytical modeling approaches are synergistically combined.

[0015] Preferably, during resistance determination, a known current is injected into the stator winding of the DC motor each time the power tool is reset to estimate the initial winding temperature based on the winding resistance. Since the current and voltage across the stator winding are known, the winding resistance can be determined from this. The temperature of the stator winding is then determined from the winding resistance thus determined, which is explained below using the formulaic relationships.

[0016] The basis for the derivation of the measurement is the stress equation of an IPMSM in the rotor-oriented dq reference system:

[0017] The actual measurement is carried out at the beginning of the working cycle when the electric motor is at a standstill, therefore co ei = 0 and equation (1) can be reduced to:

[0018] To eliminate the inductive component of the voltage, a constant d-current is set using current control to ensure that ^i d = 0 .If this condition is met, equation (2) is reduced to the ohmic part as follows:

[0019] R _ etc.

[0020] S (4) id

[0021] By applying only positive d-current for the resistance measurement, it can be ensured that no torque is generated and the electric motor remains stationary during the measurement. Due to nonlinearities in the voltage generation, the reference voltage u d of the regulator is not equal to the actually applied d-voltage u d . u d * u d (5)

[0022] However, since there is no phase voltage measurement in the electronic control unit, only the reference voltage u davailable for evaluation. The following three effects are considered as examples: A voltage error caused by the inverter's dead time; a constant voltage drop across a MOSFET in the power stage; and a voltage drop across the motor wiring. With a fixed rotor position of the electric motor and a fixed current angle, all voltage errors can preferably be assumed to be constant. Both effects will result in a voltage error u err With this assumption, the actually applied d-voltage can be expressed as follows:

[0023] The unknown voltage error can be neutralized by applying two different measuring currents, namely i d l and i d 2 . When the applied currents are in steady state, the output voltages of the voltage regulators are u d l and u d 2scannable. With these measurements, two equations are available for evaluation, namely:

[0024] By solving these two equations (7) and (8) for the voltage error, it can be eliminated:

[0025] R S ' ^d,l ^d,l U err (9)

[0026] R S ' id, 2 ^d,2 Uerr (10)

[0027] The expression can be transformed for the stator resistance Rs as follows:

[0028] In other words, according to the invention, the resistance of the stator winding at standstill is determined in this way before each motor run. Therefore, the initial stator temperature Ts can be determined based on the relationship between resistance and temperature according to the following equation: where Rs, 20 and 020 are the stator resistance Rs and the resistance temperature coefficient of the stator winding at a temperature of 20°C.

[0029] By measuring the stator resistance Rs once at a specific temperature, preferably at the end of the electric motor production line, i.e. immediately after its manufacture as part of a subsequent functional test, and storing it in a memory of the electronic control unit as a starting parameter for later determination of the temperature Ts of the stator winding, the latter can be estimated based on the stator resistance Rs.

[0030] Preferably, the thermal network model (LPTN) implemented in the inventive solution is designed such that the temperature of the model's nodes corresponds to the average temperature of at least one main component of the electric motor, preferably the temperature of the stator winding. Furthermore, other main components of the motor can also be used to determine the temperature, for example, the rotor or a permanent magnet unit. The goal is a thermal network model that calculates the operating temperature TM with minimal computational effort.

[0031] In addition to the input data motor current IM and motor speed nM, the inventive solution provides an initial condition in the form of the estimated initial temperature Ts in order to converge to the actual, current operating temperature TM ZU as quickly as possible. This achieves a thermal time constant of the electric motor that is three times shorter than the prior art.

[0032] The LPTN approach is based on the use of motor loss parameters, such as copper losses of the stator winding and / or iron losses of an iron core for each individual operating point of the electric motor, to calculate the temperature TM of the stator winding.

[0033] Because these losses depend on the respective current and motor speed, look-up tables or equations are used in the control units to determine the actual losses from the motor's RMS current and motor speed. The calculated losses are then inserted into the LPTN model to determine the temperature at specific motor components (also referred to as LPTN model nodes).

[0034] This means that the determined value is the temperature at the stator winding or at any other modeled component of the electric motor.

[0035] The LPTN model is stored as a routine (or program) on the microcontroller of the control unit.

[0036] The determination rate (also called clock rate or calling rate) of the LPTN model depends on the thermal time constant of the electric motor.

[0037] To effectively track the thermal behavior (i.e., heat generation) of the electric motor, the LPTN model should operate ten times faster than the thermal time constant of the electric motor. The LPTN model can thus have a calling rate of 50 to 2000 ms for one to 15 components, and preferably 1000 ms for ten components.

[0038] It is also possible to use the LPTN model without an initial temperature value.

[0039] Using linear feedback control, the engine power can be reduced based on a comparison between a currently measured temperature value and previously recorded temperature values. The engine power is reduced according to a detected temperature increase. When a temperature value reaches a predetermined threshold, the engine power is set to zero, or the engine speed is set to zero.

[0040] Detailed description based on drawing

[0041] Further measures improving the invention are described in more detail below, together with the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. It shows:

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an electric motor arrangement for an electric hand tool with control unit,

[0043] Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the method steps according to the invention, and

[0044] Figure 3 is a graphical representation of motor current and motor voltage over time for determining the stator resistance of the electric motor.

[0045] Example

[0046] According to Figure 1, an electric hand tool (not shown in further detail) comprises an electric motor 1 as a drive unit, which is controlled by a microprocessor-controlled control unit 2.

[0047] The power tool can be, for example, a hammer drill, screwdriver, grinder, saw or the like.

[0048] A thermal network model LPTN is assigned to the control unit 2 for determining a current operating temperature TM of the electric motor 1 for the purpose of known power control. In the present exemplary embodiment, the temperature of the nodes of the LPTN model corresponds to the average temperature of the stator winding of the electric motor 1. The current motor current IM and the motor speed nM are supplied to the LPTN model as input values, from which the control unit 2 determines the motor loss parameters and passes them on to the LPTN model. In addition, an initial temperature Ts is passed on to the LPTN model as a further parameter as an initial condition for the algorithm so that it converges to the actual temperature values, i.e., the estimated operating temperature TM of the electric motor, as quickly as possible. The ambient temperature Tu is used as a further input value for the LPTN model.

[0049] According to Figure 2, the model-based determination of a current operating temperature TM is carried out using the arrangement described above. In a first step, the initial temperature Ts of a main motor component, preferably the stator winding, is determined based on its winding resistance Rs when the electric motor is at a standstill. This is done based on a state observation.

[0050] In a subsequent step, the current operating temperature TM of the electric motor is determined based on an LPTN model for power control purposes. The inventive solution thus combines the application of two analytical thermal models for temperature determination.

[0051] The time course of variables of the voltage equation (12) transformed to the winding resistance Rs of the stator, illustrated in Figure 3, namely with regard to the motor voltage UM the variables u*d and u* qand with respect to the motor current IM, the variables i*d and id. List of reference symbols

[0052] 1 electric motor (brushless DC motor)

[0053] 2 electronic control unit

[0054] LPTN thermal network model

[0055] IPMSM permanent synchronous motor with internal magnets

[0056] TM current operating temperature

[0057] T s initial temperature

[0058] Tu ambient temperature

[0059] Rs winding resistance

[0060] IM Motor current nM Motor speed

Claims

Patent claims 1. Computer-implemented method for the model-based determination of a current operating temperature (TM) of an electric motor (1) provided as a drive unit in an electric hand tool by an electronic control unit (2) on the basis of a thermal network model (LPTN), characterized in that for the temperature determination in an electric motor (1) designed as a brushless DC motor, the parameter of an initial temperature (T s ) of the stator winding is determined using a winding resistance (Rs) when the electric motor (1) is at a standstill, which is determined on the basis of the voltage equation of a permanent synchronous motor with internal magnets (IPMSM).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a rotor-oriented dq reference system is used in the voltage equation.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for transforming the voltage equation to determine the resistance of the stator winding for a fixed rotor position and current angle, all voltage errors are assumed to be constant.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor-specific winding resistance (Rs) is measured immediately after the manufacture of the electric motor (1) at a specific ambient temperature (Tu) in order to store the measured value in the electronic control unit (2) as a starting parameter for later determination of the temperature (T s ) of the stator winding.

5. Electric hand tool with at least one electric motor (1) as a drive unit, which is controlled by a control unit (2) which comprises a method for Determining a current operating temperature (TM) based on a thermal network model (LPTN) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4.

6. Electric hand tool according to claim 5, characterized in that the thermal network model (LPTN) is designed such that the temperature of the nodes of the model corresponds to the average temperature of at least one main component of the electric motor (1), which are selected from a component group comprising: stator winding, rotor, Permanent magnet unit.

7. Electric hand tool according to claim 5, characterized in that the thermal network model (LPTN) is represented by state space equations whose parameters consist of geometric and material data of one of the main components of the electric motor (1).

8. Electric hand tool according to claim 7, characterized in that motor loss parameters (f(lM, OM)) and the ambient temperature (Tu) are defined as input values ​​for the thermal network model (LPTN), and the operating temperature (TM) of at least one of the main components is defined as output values.

9. Electric hand tool according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one motor speed value is defined as input values ​​for the thermal network model (LPTN).

10. Electric hand tool according to claim 8, characterized in that the determination of the motor loss parameters (f(lM, HM)) is carried out on the basis of the motor current (IM) and the motor speed (HM) of the electric motor (1).

1. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a control unit (2) of an electric hand tool, cause the control unit (2) of the hand tool to execute the computer-implemented method according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4.

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