Patent ID: 8791715
Filing Date: 2014-07-29
Classification: G01R,H02H,H02P

Abstract:
1. A method for monitoring a controller for controlling and/or monitoring a three-winding, three-phase, permanently-excited synchronous electric motor connected in a star configuration in a household appliance, said method comprising the steps of: measuring two out of three phase currents; checking whether one of the two measured phase currents is essentially zero; generating a first error signal when at least one of the two measured phase currents is essentially zero; checking whether both of the two measured phase currents are essentially not equal to zero; forming a sum of the two measured phase currents; generating a second error signal when the formed sum of the two measured phase currents is essentially zero; incrementing a first count when either the first error signal or the second error signal occurs; incrementing a second count when the first count repeatedly exceeds a first threshold within a defined period; and determining a loss of at least one phase current when the second count exceeds a second threshold, wherein the two measured currents are used to control the synchronous motor with a field oriented vector regulation.