Patent Description:
Traditional motor thermal overload protection does not provide a separate rotor thermal model. Or, although some motor thermal overload protections provide the rotor thermal model, they only consider the rotor thermal model during the start-up of the motor, and do not consider the heat exchange between the rotor and other parts of the motor. That is to say, the current rotor thermal model regards the rotor as adiabatic.

Without accurate calculation of thermal level of the rotor, rotor thermal overload protection will be inaccurate. It is hoped to propose a new and more accurate rotor thermal model for better thermal overload protection of asynchronous motor.

In <CIT>, an induction motor having a rotor and a stator is protected during running overloads by connecting the motor to an overload protection relay that can be tripped to interrupt power to the motor in the event of an overload, tracking the stator winding temperature of the motor during running overloads with a hybrid thermal model by online adjustment in the hybrid thermal model, and tripping the overload protection relay in response to a predetermined running overload condition represented by the tracked stator winding temperature. In one embodiment of the invention, the stator winding temperature is tracked by use of an online hybrid thermal model that uses the resistance of the rotor as an indicator of rotor temperature and thus of the thermal operating conditions of the motor. The hybrid thermal model incorporates rotor losses and heat transfer between the rotor and the stator, and approximates the thermal characteristics of the rotor and stator.

In view of the above-mentioned problems and requirements, the present disclosure proposes a new control method for thermal overload protection of asynchronous motor, which solves the above problems and brings other technical effects by adopting the following technical features.

The invention is defined in Claim <NUM>.

At an aspect, the present disclosure proposes a control method for thermal overload protection of an asynchronous motor, wherein the asynchronous motor comprises a rotor and a stator, and the control method comprises: determining a current state of the asynchronous motor; determining a thermal level of the rotor according to a first formula based on the fact that the asynchronous motor is in a starting state; determining the thermal level of the rotor according to a second formula different from the first formula based on the fact that the asynchronous motor is in a running state; determining the thermal level of the rotor according to a third formula different from the first formula and the second formula based on the fact that the asynchronous motor is in a shutdown state; comparing the thermal level of the rotor with a first predetermined threshold value and a second predetermined threshold value greater than the first predetermined threshold value, and if the thermal level of the rotor is greater than the first predetermined threshold value and less than the second predetermined threshold value, issuing an overheat alarm; if the thermal level of the rotor is greater than a second predetermined threshold, shutting down the asynchronous motor.

According to a preferable technical solution, in the first formula, the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on a first rotor heating quantity term; in the second formula, the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on a second rotor heating quantity term and a stator thermal balance heating quantity term; in the third formula, the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on the stator thermal balance heating quantity term.

According to a preferable technical solution, the first formula is:
<MAT>
the second formula is:
<MAT>
the third formula is:
<MAT>
wherein, Hrotor(t) and Hrotor(t - Δt) are the thermal level of the rotor at time t and time (t - Δt), respectively; HR<NUM>(t) is the first rotor heating quantity term; HR<NUM>(t) is the second rotor heating quantity term; HS(t) is the stator thermal balance heating quantity term; Δt is a time interval of thermal calculation; τrotor is a rotor heating time constant in the running state of the asynchronous motor.

According to a preferable technical solution, the rotor heating time constant τrotor is calculated based on the following formula:
<MAT>
wherein Rthermal is an equivalent thermal resistance of the rotor, Cthermal is an equivalent thermal capacitance of the rotor.

According to a preferable technical solution, the first rotor heating quantity term and the second rotor heating quantity term are both determined based on an equivalent thermal current of the rotor.

According to a preferable technical solution, the first rotor heating quantity term is obtained based on the following formula:
<MAT>
wherein, Ieq. rotor(t) is the equivalent thermal current of the rotor at time t; ILR is a stator current of the rotor in a locked rotor state; RN is a rotor resistance at a rated speed; RIR is a rotor resistance of the rotor in the locked rotor state; Tcold is an allowed locked rotor time of the rotor in a cold state.

According to a preferable technical solution, the second rotor heating quantity term is obtained based on the following formula:
<MAT>
wherein, Ieq. rotor(t) is the equivalent thermal current of the rotor at time t; ILR is a stator current of the rotor in a locked rotor state; RN is a rotor resistance at a rated speed; RIR is a rotor resistance of the rotor in the locked rotor state.

According to a preferable technical solution, the stator thermal balance heating quantity terms of the second formula and the third formula are determined based on the following formula:
<MAT>
wherein, α is the thermal level of the rotor upon the asynchronous motor being stable at a rated operating temperature; k is an overload coefficient of the asynchronous motor; Hstator(t) is a stator thermal level at time t.

According to a preferable technical solution, the equivalent thermal current of the rotor is determined based on the following formula:
<MAT>
wherein, Rpos(t) is a positive-sequence rotor resistance at time t; Rneg(t) is a negative-sequence rotor resistance at time t; I<NUM>(t) is a positive-sequence current in the stator at time t; I<NUM>(t) is a negative-sequence current in the stator at time t.

According to a preferable technical solution, the positive-sequence rotor resistance and the negative-sequence rotor resistance are obtained based on the following formula:
<MAT>
wherein, s(t) is a real-time slip of the asynchronous motor at time t.

Hereinafter, a more detailed description will be given of the best embodiment for implementing the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the features and advantages of the present disclosure can be easily understood.

In order to more clearly explain the technical scheme of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be briefly introduced below. In which, the drawings are only used to show some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not to limit all embodiments of the present disclosure.

<FIG> is a flow chart of a control method for thermal overload protection of asynchronous motor proposed in the present disclosure.

In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the technical scheme of the present disclosure clearer, the technical scheme of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all of them.

Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used here shall have their ordinary meanings as understood by those with ordinary skills in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and the like used in the description and claims of the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, similar words such as "a" or "an" don't necessarily mean quantity limitation. Similar words such as "include" or "including" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the listed elements or objects appearing after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

Referring to <FIG>, it shows a basic flow chart of main steps of a control method for thermal overload protection of motor proposed in the present disclosure. The present method is especially suitable for an asynchronous motor including a rotor and a stator.

The control method for thermal overload protection proposed in the present disclosure mainly includes the following steps.

Firstly, determining a current state of the asynchronous motor. Herein, the current state of asynchronous motor can be divided into three types: a starting state, a running state and a shutdown state. Among them, in the present art, the starting state can also be called a locked rotor state.

After determining the current state of the asynchronous motor, according to different states, different thermal models (different formulas) are selected to determine the thermal level of the rotor.

Specifically, determining a thermal level of the rotor according to a first formula based on a starting state of the asynchronous motor; determining the thermal level of the rotor according to a second formula different from the first formula based on a running state of the asynchronous motor; determining the thermal level of the rotor according to a third formula different from the first formula and the second formula based on a shutdown state of the asynchronous motor.

After the thermal level of the rotor is determined, the thermal level of the rotor is compared with a predetermined threshold to determine whether it is overheated and whether it needs to be treated. Specifically, comparing the thermal level of the rotor with a first predetermined threshold value and a second predetermined threshold value greater than the first predetermined threshold value, and if the thermal level of the rotor is greater than the first predetermined threshold value and less than the second predetermined threshold value, raising an overheat alarm; if the thermal level of the rotor is greater than a second predetermined threshold, shutting off the asynchronous motor. If the thermal level of the rotor is less than the first predetermined threshold value, it means that the motor is running normally, and there is no need for operation control such as raising an overheat alarm or shutting off the asynchronous motor.

It can be seen that the present method monitors the heating quantity in all stages during the operation of the motor, so that the motor is protected in the whole process and the safety is improved.

Preferably, in the first formula, the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on a first rotor heating quantity term. Hereinafter, the rotor heating quantity term in the first formula is called the first rotor heating quantity term, so that the rotor heating quantity term in the second formula (called the second rotor heating quantity term) can be distinguished. Specifically, the first formula can be as follows.

Where, Hrotor(t) and Hrotor(t) - Δt) are the thermal level of the rotor at time t and time (t - Δt), respectively.

Preferably, in the second formula, the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on a second rotor heating quantity term and a stator thermal balance heating quantity term. Specifically, the second formula is as follows<MAT>
wherein, HR<NUM>(t) is the first rotor heating quantity term, HR<NUM>(t) is the second rotor heating quantity term.

Preferably, in the third formula, the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on the stator thermal balance heating quantity term. Specifically, the third formula is as follows.

Where τrotor is a rotor heating time constant in the running state of the asynchronous motor. The rotor heating time constant can be obtained based on the motor model. More preferably, the rotor heating time constant is calculated based on the following formula: τrotor =Rthermal · Cthermal, wherein Rthermal is an equivalent thermal resistance of the rotor, Cthermal is an equivalent thermal capacitance of the rotor. Where, the equivalent thermal capacitance can be calculated based on the rotor resistance RN at a rated speed and the rotor resistance RLR at a locked rotor state, that is:
<MAT>.

The equivalent thermal resistance Rthermal of the rotor can be calculated based on a locked rotor current ILR, an allowed locked rotor time of the rotor in a cold state Tcold, and an allowed locked rotor time of the rotor in a cold state Thot, that is:
<MAT>.

It can be seen that different rotor thermal models are adopted in different stages of the present method. The thermal level of the rotor is determined based on the first rotor heating quantity item in the starting state, the thermal level of the rotor is determined the second rotor heating quantity item and the stator thermal balance heating quantity term in the running state, and the thermal level of the rotor is determined based on the stator thermal balance heating quantity term in the shutdown state, so that each stage has more accurate thermal model protection.

In particular, the present disclosure incorporates the stator thermal balance heating quantity term into the model, which makes the established thermal model and the realized control method for thermal overload protection more accurate, and greatly reduces the risk of accidental tripping and overheating damage.

According to the present disclosure, the first rotor heating quantity term and the second rotor heating quantity term in the first formula and the second formula are both determined based on the equivalent thermal current of the rotor.

Specifically, the first rotor heating quantity term can be obtained based on the following formula.

Where, Ieq. rotor(t) is the equivalent thermal current of the rotor at time t, ILR is a stator current of the rotor in a locked rotor state, RN is a rotor resistance at a rated speed, RIR is a rotor resistance of the rotor in the locked rotor state, and Tcold is an allowed locked rotor time of the rotor in a cold state.

Specifically, the second rotor heating quantity term can be obtained based on the following formula.

Where, Ieq. rotor(t) is the equivalent thermal current of the rotor at time t, ILR is a stator current of the rotor in a locked rotor state, RN is a rotor resistance at a rated speed, and RIR is a rotor resistance of the rotor in the locked rotor state.

For the stator thermal balance heating quantity terms of the second formula and the third formula, they are preferably determined based on the following formula.

Where, α is the thermal level of the rotor upon the motor being stable at a rated operating temperature, k is an overload coefficient of the motor, Hstator(t) is a stator thermal level at time t.

By bringing the first rotor heating quantity term, the second rotor heating quantity term and the stator thermal balance heating quantity term into the first formula, the second formula and the third formula, a more specific formula is obtained as follows.

According to the preferred technical solution of the present disclosure, in the above algorithm, the equivalent thermal current of the rotor Ieq. rotor(t) is determined based on the following formula:
<MAT>.

Where, Rpos(t) is a positive-sequence rotor resistance at time t, Rneg(t) is a negative-sequence rotor resistance at time t, I<NUM>(t) is a positive-sequence current in the stator at time t, I<NUM>(t) is a negative-sequence current in the stator at time t.

According to a further preferred technical solution of the present disclosure, the positive-sequence rotor resistance Rpos(t) and the negative-sequence rotor resistance Rneg(t) are obtained based on the following formula:
<MAT>.

Where, s(t) is a real-time slip of the asynchronous motor at time t. When the motor speed can be measured, the slip s(t) can be estimated based on the following formula.

Where, Ω(t) is the motor speed at time t, and Ωs is the synchronous speed, for example, it can be <NUM>/N for a <NUM> system and <NUM>/N for a <NUM> system, where N = <NUM>, <NUM>,.

Claim 1:
A control method for thermal overload protection of an asynchronous motor, wherein the asynchronous motor comprises a rotor and a stator, and characterized in that the control method comprises:
determining a current state of the asynchronous motor;
determining a thermal level of the rotor according to a first formula based on the fact that the asynchronous machine is in a starting state;
determining the thermal level of the rotor according to a second formula different from the first formula based on the fact that the asynchronous motor is in a running state;
determining the thermal level of the rotor according to a third formula different from the first formula and the second formula based on the fact that the asynchronous rotor is in a shutdown state;
comparing the thermal level of the rotor with a first predetermined threshold value and with a second predetermined threshold value greater than the first predetermined threshold value, and if the thermal level of the rotor is greater than the first predetermined threshold value and less than the second predetermined threshold value, issuing an overheat alarm; if the thermal level of the rotor is greater than a second predetermined threshold, shutting down the asynchronous motor.