Apparatus for the control of a three-phase a.c. motor, especially a squirrel-cage motor

Abstract: Apparatus for the control of a three-phase a.c. motor, especially a squirrel-cage motor, said apparatus comprising inverse-parallel connected solid-state components (D,T) in each phase, at least one of said components being control­ lable. In the apparatus, the control circuit of at least one controllable solid-state component (T), e.g. thyristor, in each phase is connected via resistors (R₂) to the control circuits in the other two phases.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the control of a three-phase a.c. motor, especially a squirrel-cage motor, said apparatus comprising inverse-parallel connected solid-state components in each phase, at least one of said components being controllable. Because of their large starting current, squirrel-cage motors cannot always be started simply by closing a switch in the stator circuit, because the large current surge may generate a voltage swing that may cause e.g. disturbances in the operation of other electrical equipment. For this reason, different starting procedures are needed. At present, squirrel-cage motors are often started using star-delta connection, in which the motor, whose normal connection mode is the delta connection, is first connected in the star mode and then changed to the delta connection mode. The star-delta connection is complex and expensive. An asynchronous motor can also be started using a thyristor circuit as proposed in DE patent publication 2 718 604, in which thyristors are used. According to publication DE 2 721 287, a diode can be connected in parallel with the thyristor in such manner that the diode and the thyristor form an inverse-parallel circuit. The circuits proposed in said DE publications are complex. DE-A-1 964 376 describes a soft-start apparatus for three-phase AC motors in which each control circuit is connected to the control circuit of one of the other phases via active control lines. EP-A-0 149 873 describes an apparatus comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1. The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks referred to above. The object of the present invention is solved by an apparatus for the control of a three-phase a.c. motor, especially a squirrel-cage motor, said apparatus comprising inverse-parallel connected solid-state components in each phase, at least one of said components being controllable, whereby the control circuit of the at least one controllable solid-state component, in each phase is connected via resistors to the control circuits in the other two phases, characterized in that the control circuit comprises a first resistor whose first terminal is connected to the motor's input terminal for the phase in question, and a second resistor, the first terminal of the second resistor being connected to the second terminal of the first resistor (R1) while the second terminal of the second resistor is connected to the first terminal of the first resistor of a control circuit of one of the other two phases, and that the control circuit includes a control component, whose first terminal is connected between the first and second resistors while its second terminal is connected to the control electrode of the controllable solid-state component. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention is characterized in that the controllable solid-state component is a thyristor. A further preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention is characterized in that the first terminal of the first resistor is connected via a solid-state component, e.g. a diode, to the motor's input terminal for the phase in question, and the second terminal of the second resistor is connected to a point between the corresponding solid-state component, e.g. diode, and the first resistor in the control circuit of one of the other two phases. The features of other preferred embodiments of the apparatus of the invention are presented in the other claims. The apparatus of the invention makes it possible to start a motor without a jerk, especially in the case of high-power motors. In the following, the invention is described by the aid of an example with reference to the drawing attached, in which Fig. 1 represents a squirrel-cage motor and its starter circuit. Fig. 2 illustrates how the motor is controlled via the starter or directly from the mains. Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram for an individual phase. Fig. 1 shows a three-phase squirrel-cage motor M and its starter, which, in each phase, comprises a diode D whose anode is connected to the supplying mains L₁, L₂ and L₃ while its cathode is connected to the motor input terminal 1, 2 or 3, and a thyristor T connected in inverse-parallel with the diode, the cathode of the thyristor being connected to the supplying mains while its anode is connected to the motor input terminal. The firing circuit of each thyristor consists of a first resistor R₁, whose first terminal is connected via diode D₁ to the motor input terminal for the phase in question, and a second resistor R₂ of a resistance value equal to that of the first resistor, the first terminal of the second resistor being connected to the second terminal of the first resistor while its second terminal is connected to a point between the corresponding diode D₁ and first resistor R₁ in the control circuit of another phase. In addition, the firing circuit comprises a third resistor R₃, which is adjustable and has its first terminal connected between the first and second resistors while its second terminal is connected via a DIAC P to the grid of the thyristor and also, via a capacitor C, to the mains phase. Fig. 2 shows a circuit which is used for starting the motor with a starter 4 constructed as illustrated in fig. 1, and which allows the motor to be supplied directly from the mains during normal operation. The motor is connected to the mains via a mains switch k₁, which is controlled by means of a switch s connected in series with the relay K₁ of the switch as illustrated by the diagram in fig. 3. Connected in series with the mains switch are a switch b controlled by the relay B of a unit monitoring the firing angle of the thyristor in the inverse-parallel circuit of the first phase, and the relay K L1 of a switch k L1 connected in parallel with the starter. The action of the circuit is as follows. When switch s is closed, the mains switch k₁ is closed. The mains voltage is now applied to the inverse-parallel circuit, a current starts flowing through the glow discharge lamp H in the firing angle monitoring circuit, relay B is energized and switch b is opened. The motor is started. Through diode D, the positive half-cycle of the sinusoidal voltage is passed to the motor, whereas the negative half-cycle of the wave flows via the thyristor T, which is controlled by a firing circuit as shown in fig. 1. As the motor speed is accelerated, the firing circuit decreases the thyristor firing angle until the thyristor conducts during the whole or nearly the whole time of the negative half-cycle and the current through the glow discharge lamp H in the firing angle monitoring circuit stops flowing, causing relay B to release and switch b to be closed. After this, the motor is fed directly from the mains. The rate of acceleration can be adjusted by simultaneously varying the setting of the third resistor in the firing circuit of each phase. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that different embodiments of the invention are not restricted to the examples described above, but that they may instead be varied within the scope of the following claims. Reference signs in the claims are intended for better understanding and shall not limit the scope.

Claims: Apparatus for the control of a three-phase a.c. motor, especially a squirrel-cage motor, said apparatus comprising inverse-parallel connected solid-state components (D,T) in each phase, at least one of said components being controllable, whereby the control circuit of the at least one controllable solid-state component (T), e.g. thyristor, in each phase is connected via resistors (R1, R2) to the control circuits in the other two phases, characterized in that the control circuit comprises a first resistor (R1) whose first terminal is connected to the motor's input terminal (1-3) for the phase in question, and a second resistor (R2), the first terminal of the second resistor being connected to the second terminal of the first resistor (R1) while the second terminal of the second resistor (R2) is connected to the first terminal of the first resistor (R1) of a control circuit of one of the other two phases, and that the control circuit includes a control component (P), whose first terminal is connected between the first and second resistors (R1, R2) while its second terminal is connected to the control electrode of the controllable solid-state component (T). Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that said controllable solid-state component (T) is a thyristor. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first terminal of the first resistor (R1) is connected via a further solid-state component, to the motor's input terminal (1-3) for the phase in question. Apparatus according to claim 3 characterized in that the further solid state component is a diode (D1). Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first and second resistors (R1, R2) have essentially equal resistance values. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the control component (P) is connected between the first and second resistors (R₁, R₂) via a third resistor (R3), and that the third resistor (R3) is variable so as to allow adjustment of the rate of acceleration or deceleration. Apparatus according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it is provided with a controllable switch (K1, KL1) enabling the motor to be supplied during acceleration and braking via said solid-state components and directly from the mains during normal operation. Apparatus according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the apparatus comprises, in at least one of the phases, a monitoring unit (H, B) for monitoring the firing angle of the controllable solid-state component (T) during acceleration and for controlling a switch (b). Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that said monitoring unit consists of a glow discharge lamp (H) and a relay (B). Apparatus according to any one of the previous claims characterized in that it is provided with means (H, B) for monitoring the firing angle of the controllable solid-state component (T) during braking and for controlling a switch (b).

Inventors: AHOLA AARNO, AHOLA, AARNO
Applicants: TEOLLISUUS OY A, A-TEOLLISUUS OY
Application year: 1989
Main classification: H02P1
IPC codes: H02P1, H02P27