Abstract:
A method of controlling a liquid movement system, such as a pool system. The method includes receiving a maximum time that an auxiliary load is to operate, receiving a minimum pump speed of a pump system that pumps a liquid through the auxiliary load, monitoring the time that an auxiliary load has been in operation, monitoring the pump speed of a pump system that pumps a liquid through the auxiliary load, and deactivating the auxiliary load if the maximum time or minimum pump speed has been met. Also disclosed are a pool system and a controller for controlling the pool system.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/285,524, filed Oct. 31, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,238,918. This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a system (such as a pool system) controlled in part by a motor (such as a motor-powered pump controlling the pool system). 
     Pool systems (e.g., swimming pools, hot tubs, spas, whirlpools, jetted tubs, clothes washing machines, and similar apparatuses) typically have auxiliary loads connected to the system that perform different tasks. These task range from heating the fluid within the pool system to sanitizing the fluid within the pool system. These auxiliary loads often require a minimum flow rate of the fluid flowing though them. If the minimum flow rate is not met and the auxiliary load is still operating, then the auxiliary load will not function properly or can be damaged. Therefore, many pump systems for pool systems continually pump the fluid at a rate high enough to meet the minimum flow rate of the auxiliary load connected to the pool system or have sensors within each auxiliary load of the pool system to deactivate the auxiliary load if the minimum flow rate is not met. 
     SUMMARY 
     It has been determined that continually having the flow of fluid at a rate high enough to prevent auxiliary load damage or incorrect functionality wastes energy. Further, having sensors within each auxiliary load is costly for the auxiliary load manufacturers. 
     In one embodiment, the invention provides a pool system for controlling an auxiliary load. The pool system includes a vessel to hold a fluid, an auxiliary load, and a pump system coupled to the vessel and the auxiliary load. The pump system pumps the fluid through the auxiliary load. The pump system includes a motor, and a fluid pump powered by the motor, and a controller. The controller controls a pump speed of the pump system, and a power source to the auxiliary load. 
     In another embodiment the invention provides a control system for controlling a liquid movement system. The control system includes a controller electrically connected to a motor. The controller controls the speed of the motor. The controller is further electrically connected to an auxiliary load. The controller controls the activation of the auxiliary load based on an inputted maximum time that the auxiliary load is to be activated, and an inputted minimum speed of the motor that the auxiliary load is to be activated at. 
     In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method of controlling a liquid movement system. The method includes receiving a maximum time requirement that an auxiliary load is to operate, receiving a minimum pump speed requirement of a pump system that pumps a liquid through the auxiliary load, monitoring the time that an auxiliary load has been in operation, monitoring the pump speed of a pump system that pumps a liquid through the auxiliary load, and deactivating the auxiliary load if the maximum time requirement or minimum pump speed requirement has been met. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a pool system. 
         FIG. 1 a    is a schematic diagram of another construction of a pool system. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a user interface of a controller of the pool system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of the controller of the pool system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the motor, controller, and user interface of the controller of the pool system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart implementing a method of controlling a pool system with an integrated auxiliary load control. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other constructions and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
     A pool system  100  embodying the invention is schematically shown in  FIG. 1 . The pool system  100  generally includes a vessel  105 , an auxiliary load  110 , a pump system  115 , and a controller  120 . The pump system  115  generally includes a motor  116 , a fluid pump  117  coupled to the motor  116 , and a fluid agitator  118  located within the fluid pump  117 . 
     In the preferred construction, the vessel  105  is a hollow container such as a tub, pool, or vat that holds a fluid. The fluid can be any type of fluid. In one construction the fluid is chlorinated water. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the auxiliary load  110  is connected in line with the vessel  105  and pump system  115  by a piping system  125 . The auxiliary load  110  can be a type of pool equipment that receives the fluid originating from the vessel  105  in response to the pump system  115  moving the fluid. In one construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a pool heater used to heat the fluid contained within the vessel  105  and pumped by the pump system  115  through the pool heater. In another construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a saltwater chlorinator used to sanitize the fluid contained within the vessel  105  and pumped by the pump system  115  through the saltwater chlorinator. In another construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a booster pump used to operate a cleaning device within the vessel  105  and pumped by the pump system  115  through the booster pump. In another construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a pool cleaner which is used to clean the bottom of the vessel  105 , and has the fluid from the vessel  105  pumped through the pool cleaner by the pump system  115 . In another construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a solar heater which is used to heat the fluid contained within the vessel  105  and pump by the pump system  115  through the solar heater. In another construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a set of lights and does not receive fluid originating from the vessel  105 . 
       FIG. 1 a    shows another construction of the pool system  100 . In  FIG. 1 a   , the auxiliary load  110  connected to the vessel  105  and the pump system  115  with a T-shaped piping system  125 ′, rather than connected in line with the vessel  105  and the pump system  125 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the pump system  115  is connected in line with the vessel  105  and the auxiliary load  110  by the piping system  125 . The pump system  115  is used to pump the fluid contained within the vessel  105  through the auxiliary load  110 . The pump system  115  contains a motor  116 , a fluid pump  117 , and a fluid agitator  118 . As is known, the motor  116  takes electrical energy and converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy. The motor  116  can be, for example, a direct-current motor or an alternating-current motor. The motor  116  can also be a single-speed motor, a multi-speed motor, or a variable-speed motor. In one exemplary construction, the motor  116  is a permanent magnet, brushless direct-current (BLDC) motor. As is commonly known, BLDC motors include a stator, a permanent magnet rotor, and an electronic commutator. The electronic commutator typically includes, among other things, a programmable device (a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, or a similar controller) having a processor and memory. The programmable device of the BLDC motor uses software stored in the memory to control the electronic commutator. The electronic commutator then provides the appropriate electrical energy to the stator in order to rotate the permanent magnet rotor at a desired speed. 
     The motor  116  is coupled to the fluid pump  117  by a shaft  130 . The fluid pump  117  contains a fluid agitator  118 . In one construction, the fluid agitator  118  is an impeller that controllably moves the fluid contained by the vessel  105  through the auxiliary load  115 . Other pump systems having other fluid agitators may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the controller  120  is electrically coupled to the auxiliary load  110  and the motor  116  of the pump system  115 . The controller  120  controls the pump speed of the pump system  115  and the activation or deactivation of the auxiliary load  110 . The controller  120  controls the auxiliary load  110  and the pump system  115  based on user inputs. In one construction, the controller  120  is the same controller already contained within the motor  116 , therefore having one controller that both directly controls the speed of the motor  116  and the activation of the auxiliary load  110 . In another construction, the controller  120  is a separate controller from the controller contained within the motor  116  and controls the auxiliary load  110  while controlling the controller contained within the motor  116 , therefore having two separate controllers. An exemplary controller  120  and motor  116  combination is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/285,624, filed on even date herewith, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     One user input that the controller  120  uses to determine activation or deactivation of the auxiliary load  110  is a user-inputted minimum pump speed of the pump system  115  that the auxiliary  110  can be active at. Different auxiliary loads have different minimum flow rates for the fluid that flows through them. If the flow rate falls below the minimum while the auxiliary load  110  is activated, then the auxiliary load  110  can be damaged or not function properly. The flow rate through the auxiliary load  110  is related to the pump speed of the pump system  115 . Therefore, to prevent damage to the auxiliary load  110 , a user inputs a minimum pump speed of the pump system  115 . Once the pump speed of the pump system  115  falls below the user-inputted minimum pump speed, the controller  120  automatically deactivates the auxiliary load  110 , preventing any possible damage that may be done to the auxiliary load  110 . 
     Another user input that the controller  120  uses to determine activation or deactivation of the auxiliary load  110  is a user-inputted maximum time that the auxiliary load  110  is to be activated. Once the user-inputted maximum time is met, the controller  120  deactivates the auxiliary load  110 . In one construction, the user-inputted maximum time is based on a twenty-four hour period. Thus, if for example, a user inputs two hours as the maximum time for the auxiliary load  110  to be activated, the auxiliary load  110  runs for a maximum of two hours every twenty-four hours. 
     In another construction, the controller  120  uses a user-inputted maximum pump speed of the pump system  115  that the auxiliary load  110  can be active at. Once the pump speed of the pump system  115  is above the user-inputted maximum pump speed, the controller  120  automatically deactivates the auxiliary load  110 . 
     In another construction, the controller  120  uses a user-inputted minimum time that the auxiliary load  110  is to be activated. For example, the controller  120  controls the pump system  115  to operate at the minimum pump speed that the auxiliary load  110  can be active at and activates the auxiliary load  110  for at least the user-inputted minimum time. This ensures that no matter how the normal pump schedule is set the auxiliary load  110  will at least be active for the user-inputted minimum time. 
     In another construction, the auxiliary load  110  is a load that does not receive fluid originating from the vessel  105 , but is still controlled by the controller  120 . For example, the auxiliary load  110  is a set of lights which are controlled by the controller  110  to be activated for a user-inputted minimum or maximum amount of time. 
     The controller  120  further includes a user interface  200 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The user interface  200  includes a display screen  205 , push buttons  210 , and a control knob  215 . The display screen  205 , push buttons  210 , and control knob  215  allow the user to input the minimum pump speed, the maximum pump speed, the maximum time, and the minimum time. The user interface  200  can further include an audio output. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the controller  120  further includes a microcontroller  300  having a processor  305  and memory  310 . The processor  305  of the controller  120  receives an input from the user interface  200 . The processor  305  then executes a software program, stored in the memory  310 , for analyzing the received signal, and generates one or more control signals that control the activation of the auxiliary load  110  and the motor  116  of the pump system  115 . In one construction, the controller  120  includes a relay switch to activate or deactivate the auxiliary load  110  and an internal clock to measure time. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of one construction of the motor  116 , the controller  120 , and the user interface  200  of the controller  120 . 
     In one operation and as shown in  FIG. 5 , the user first inputs a normal pump speed schedule  400  using the user interface  200  of the controller  120 . In one construction, where the motor  116  of the pump system  115  is a variable-speed motor, the normal pump speed schedule is a schedule of the pump system  115  operating at different pump speeds. In another construction, where the motor  116  of the pump system  115  is a single-speed motor, the normal pump speed schedule is a schedule of when the pump system  115  is activated or deactivated. In some constructions, the normal pump speed schedule is based on a twenty-four hour period. 
     The user then inputs a minimum pump speed at act  405  using the user interface  200  of the controller  120 . The user then inputs a maximum time that the auxiliary load  110  is to be activated at act  410  using the user interface  200  of the controller  120 . 
     At act  415 , the controller  120  starts the normal pump speed schedule that was inputted by the user at act  400 . While running the normal pump speed schedule, the controller  120  continually checks if the user-inputted minimum pump speed for the auxiliary load  110  and the user-inputted maximum time the auxiliary load  110  is to be activated has been met. When referring to the controller  120  performing an operation, the processor executes one or more instructions of the software to perform the operation. This may result in the process controlling one or more aspects of the controller  120  or the system either directly or indirectly. 
     At act  420 , the controller  120  determines the pump speed of the pump system  115 . For example, at act  425 , the controller  120  determines if the calculated pump speed of the pump system  115  is less than or greater than the user-inputted minimum pump speed. If the calculated pump speed of the pump system  115  is greater than the user-inputted minimum pump speed then the operation proceeds to act  430  where the auxiliary load  110  is activated. If the calculated pump speed of the pump system  115  is less than the user-inputted minimum pump speed then the operation proceeds to act  435  where the auxiliary load  110  is deactivated if it is not already. 
     If the auxiliary load  110  is activated at act  430  then the operation proceeds to act  440  where the controller  120  determines the time that the auxiliary load  110  has been active. At act  445 , the controller  120  determines if the determined time is less than or greater than the user-inputted maximum time the auxiliary load  110  is to be active. If the determined time is less than the user-inputted maximum time, then the operation proceeds to act  450 . If the calculated time is greater than the user-inputted maximum time, then the operation proceeds to act  455 . At act  455  the auxiliary load is deactivated. 
     At act  450  the controller  120  determines the total time the pool system  100  has been operating. The operation then proceeds to act  460 . At act  460 , the controller  120  determines if the total time period that the pump system  115  operates has been met. In one construction, the total time period is twenty-four hours. If the total time period of the pump system  115  has been met, the operation then proceeds back to act  415 , which restarts the normal pump schedule again. If the total time period of the pump system  115  has not been met then the operation proceeds back to act  420 , where the controller  120  once again checks if the minimum pump speed has been met and if the maximum time has been met, activating or deactivating the auxiliary load  110  as necessary. 
     Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a new and useful pool system for controlling an auxiliary load. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.