Sensorless Washing Machine Motor Startup Without Rotor Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Washing machines with sensorless motors face challenges in aligning the rotor during startup, leading to instability and increased failure rates, and struggle to control deceleration and stopping efficiently, which can delay operations and increase power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The washing machine employs a controller that accelerates the motor speed stepwise during startup without alignment and applies a magnetic flux component current greater than the torque component current during deceleration and stopping to stabilize motor control, preventing DC voltage rise and ensuring reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alignment is performed before motor startup, then motor starting control is achieved, but the process becomes complex and failure rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the alignment process from the motor starting sequence. By using sensorless control with stepwise acceleration, the system achieves reliable motor starting without requiring the complex alignment procedure that involves position sensors and rotor positioning, thus reducing process complexity while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the acceleration parameter profile by implementing stepwise acceleration with multiple stages (first acceleration phase, second acceleration phase) instead of uniform acceleration. This parameter modification enables reliable motor starting without alignment, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity
2Speed
If conventional deceleration control is used, then motor speed is reduced, but DC voltage rises and operation is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the current component parameters during deceleration by applying magnetic flux component current greater than torque component current. This parameter change enables faster deceleration without causing DC voltage rise, thus reducing operation time delay while maintaining speed control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies excessive magnetic flux component current relative to the torque component current during deceleration. This partial action focused on the magnetic flux component enables effective deceleration control that prevents DC voltage rise and reduces operation delays
3Device complexity
If sensorless motor is used, then device complexity is reduced, but rotor alignment control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the position sensor from the motor system, using sensorless control to eliminate the alignment requirement. By combining sensorless control with stepwise acceleration, the system achieves ease of operation without alignment while maintaining reduced device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the acceleration parameter profile through stepwise acceleration with multiple phases. This parameter change compensates for the lack of alignment control in sensorless motors, making the system easy to operate without requiring rotor positioning
4Reliability
If stepwise acceleration is applied, then motor starting reliability is improved, but control process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the acceleration process into distinct phases (first acceleration phase with first acceleration parameter, second acceleration phase with second acceleration parameter). This segmentation improves motor starting reliability by preventing excessive current and mechanical stress, while the segmented structure makes the control process more manageable and less complex
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
This approach reduces motor failure rates, prevents operation delays, and enhances the reliability and efficiency of the washing machine by stabilizing motor control during deceleration and stopping, improving user satisfaction and product competitiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a motor configured to apply a driving force to the rotating tub... control generation of a starting current to be applied to the motor
Data Source
AI summary
A washing machine including a rotating tub and a motor applying a driving force to the rotating tub. The washing machine configured to generate a starting current to be applied to the motor when it is a start time of the motor, accelerate the speed of the motor stepwise while the starting current is applied to the motor, check a current of a torque component when it is determined as a deceleration time or a stop time, and apply a current of a magnetic flux component greater than the magnitude of the current of the checked torque component to the motor.