Optical Feedback for Elevator Motor Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing encoderless elevator control systems are complex, costly, and prone to noise and reliability issues, especially at low speeds, necessitating a cost-effective and reliable feedback solution for efficient motor control across all operational speeds.
Innovation Solution
A feedback system utilizing sensors and processing circuits to detect changes in position and speed of drive components, such as traction sheaves and rotors, through frequency shifts and image recognition, generating feedback signals for motor control, and monitoring traction states between components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If encoderless feedback systems are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but device complexity and reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical encoders with an optical feedback system using laser interferometry. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical encoder components while providing reliable position feedback through optical interference patterns, thereby reducing manufacturing cost without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an optical intermediary (laser beam and interference pattern) between the motor and feedback system. Instead of directly reading mechanical position, the system uses optical interference to detect position changes, providing a reliable intermediary measurement method that reduces cost while maintaining accuracy.
2Ease of manufacture
If encoderless feedback systems are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical encoder assemblies with a simpler optical interference-based system. The laser interferometry method requires fewer mechanical parts and can be implemented with standard optical components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses optical copying of position information through interference patterns. Instead of mechanically encoding position, the system creates an optical copy of position data through laser interference, which can be read and processed with simpler electronics, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Reliability
If traditional feedback systems are used to ensure reliability, then reliability is improved, but noise and inefficiency at low speeds worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical encoder systems that generate noise with an optical interference-based system. The optical method is inherently quieter and more efficient at low speeds because it detects position changes through light interference rather than mechanical sensing, eliminating noise-related reliability issues while maintaining accurate feedback.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides reliable, cost-effective, and quiet feedback for elevator control across all speeds, reducing complexity and noise, and enabling early detection of traction issues, thus improving the efficiency and reliability of elevator operations.
Implementation Method 1
The processing circuit may be configured to detect any shift in frequency between the sensor signal emitted and the reflected sensor signal received by the first sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A feedback system for a motor of an elevator system is provided. The feedback system may include a first sensor and a processing circuit. The first sensor may be disposed in proximity to a drive component of the elevator system and configured to detect a change in position of the drive component. The processing circuit may be configured to receive a first data signal from the first sensor corresponding to the change in position of the drive component and generate a feedback signal for controlling the motor based on the first data signal.