JP2016010233A - Fan motor control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily deal with a change into a fan motor of a different specification even in the case where a fan motor adopted in design is discontinued.SOLUTION: A fan motor control device includes: a microcomputer 2 which outputs a PWM signal as a rotation speed control signal to the fan motor via a connection connector 7; and a rotation speed detection circuit 5 for detecting an actual rotation speed of the fan motor. When starting the fan motor, the microcomputer 2 sets a duty ratio of the PWM signal to a predetermined initial value and performs feedback control on the duty ratio of the PWM signal in accordance with a predetermined control method in such a manner that the actual rotation speed becomes a target rotation speed, on the basis of an actual rotation speed detection value of the fan motor. In the fan motor control device, the microcomputer 2 automatically changes the initial value and/or the control method in accordance with a specification of the connected fan motor.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fan motor control device that performs operation control of a fan motor for rotationally driving a fan built in a water heater or a heat exchanger.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below, a water heater having a built-in fan motor that sucks combustion air and blows it to a combustion unit has a fan to maintain good combustion efficiency. A control microprocessor for controlling the rotational speed of the motor is incorporated. The fan motor has a built-in motor driver that drives the fan motor to rotate with a rotational torque corresponding to the rotational speed control signal output from the microprocessor, so that the rotational speed of the fan motor can be controlled by a command from the microprocessor. It is possible.

  Usually, the control board side connector for connecting the fan motor is provided on the control board on which the microprocessor is mounted, and the fan motor side connector provided at the end of the connection wiring drawn from the motor driver of the fan motor is controlled. The board is physically connected to the board-side connector, whereby the microprocessor and the fan motor are electrically connected.

JP 2003-185131 A

  In recent years, there have been many suspensions of production of various electrical parts due to withdrawal of fan motor manufacturers and narrowing of product variations to be provided, etc. When fan motors used at the time of water heater design are discontinued, they can be specified as hot water heater manufacturing parts. Another fan motor of different must be adopted. In addition to specifications that use a DC voltage as the rotation speed control signal, there are specifications that use a PWM signal as the rotation speed control signal, but the water heater control board has only one of the specifications. In the case of a design that does not correspond, the types of changed fan motors are limited, and in some cases, there is a risk that the cost must be ignored.

  In order to comply with the above two types of specifications, it is also conceivable to provide a connection board that outputs a rotation speed control signal as a DC voltage and a connection connector that outputs a rotation speed control signal as a PWM signal on the control board. However, since it is necessary to mount a plurality of connection connectors on the control board, there are problems that the mounting cost increases and the mounting area on the control board is occupied.

  In addition, even fan motors that use DC voltage as the rotational speed control signal have different specifications if the manufacturer or model number is different, and the correlation between the voltage value indicated by the rotational speed control signal and the rotational speed of the fan motor is not necessarily the same. For this reason, it is necessary to change the control parameters and control algorithm in the microprocessor according to the specifications of the fan motor in order to perform accurate rotational speed control. However, this problem has not been known in the past.

  Therefore, the present invention is a connection connector for easily connecting to a fan motor with different specifications, and connecting a plurality of fan motors even when the fan motor used at the time of design is discontinued. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fan motor control device capable of reducing the manufacturing cost by making common use.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following technical means.

  That is, the present invention includes a control unit that outputs a rotational speed control signal to the fan motor via a connector, and a rotational speed detection unit that detects the actual rotational speed of the fan motor and outputs the detected rotational speed to the control unit. The control unit sets a value indicated by the rotation speed control signal to a predetermined initial value when starting the fan motor, and rotates the fan motor so as to reach a target rotation speed based on a detected actual rotation speed value of the fan motor. In the fan motor control device that feedback-controls the value indicated by the number control signal by a predetermined control method, the control unit is configured to be able to change the initial value and / or the control method. (Claim 1).

  In the present invention, a DC motor can be suitably used as the fan motor, and a fan motor with a built-in motor driver capable of adjusting the rotational torque according to the input rotational speed control signal can be suitably used. The motor driver may be external. The rotation speed control signal output from the control unit may be a DC voltage signal output from the analog output port of the control unit, or may be a PWM signal indicating a rotation speed control value by a duty ratio. It may be a signal in an appropriate form that can indicate the rotation speed control value. In addition, it is preferable that the power supply voltage of the fan motor is also supplied to the fan motor via the connection connector, and further, a rotation pulse signal of the fan motor is input to the rotation speed detection unit via the connection connector. The rotational speed detection unit can be configured to detect the actual rotational speed of the fan motor based on the rotational pulse signal, and the rotational speed detection unit can be a pulse counting IC or the like different from the control unit. It may be configured by a rotation speed detection circuit, or both the control unit and the rotation speed detection unit may be configured by the same microprocessor. When the control method is changed depending on the fan motor specification, the above-mentioned “predetermined initial value” may be a constant value regardless of the fan motor specification. When changing, the control method may be the same regardless of the fan motor specifications. Preferably, according to the specification of the fan motor connected to the connection connector, that is, according to the target rotational speed based on the correlation obtained in advance through experiments or the like between the value indicated by the rotational speed control signal and the rotational speed of the fan motor. Since the predetermined initial value is selected or calculated, the actual rotational speed can be quickly increased to near the target rotational speed without using the feedback control after starting the fan motor. The initial value can be changed by storing the correlation data such as the above-mentioned correlations and formulas in a non-volatile memory and rewriting the correlation data to set when starting the fan motor. The initial value is changed according to the specifications of the fan motor, and correlation data is stored in advance in appropriate storage means for each of the fan motors of a plurality of specifications, and used when starting the fan motor. The configuration may be such that the initial value set at the start of the fan motor can be changed according to the specifications of the fan motor by configuring the correlation data so that it can be selected and set. Further, in the control method, for example, when the rotation speed control signal output from the control unit is a PWM signal, the actual rotation speed detection value is set to the target rotation speed according to the difference between the target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed detection value. The duty ratio of the PWM signal may be controlled so as to approach, and when the rotation speed control signal output by the control unit is a DC voltage signal, the difference between the target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed detection value is calculated. Accordingly, the DC voltage value of the rotation speed control signal may be controlled so that the actual rotation speed detection value approaches the target rotation speed. The change in the control method includes a change in the control parameter and / or control algorithm according to the fan motor specifications. The change may be performed by rewriting the control parameter or the control algorithm stored in the nonvolatile memory. In addition, control parameters and control algorithms that match the specifications for each of the fan motors of multiple specifications can be stored in advance in appropriate storage means, and control parameters and control algorithms used for fan motor feedback control can be selected and set. By changing the configuration, the control method can be changed. In addition, a rotation speed control signal generation program or a rotation speed control signal generation circuit is individually provided for each fan motor of a plurality of specifications, and a rotation speed control signal generation program or a rotation speed control signal generation circuit used for fan motor feedback control is provided. It is also possible to realize a change in the control method by configuring so as to be selectable and settable.

  According to the fan motor control device of the present invention, when connecting a fan motor with a different specification to the connection connector, both the initial value and the control method, or one of them, according to the specification of the fan motor. By changing, it is possible to output the rotation speed control signal that conforms to the specifications of the fan motor, so that even if the fan motor adopted at the time of design is discontinued, it can be changed to a fan motor with a different specification Manufacturing costs can be reduced by using a common connection connector for connecting a plurality of fan motors that can be easily handled.

  In the fan motor control device of the present invention, the connection connector includes first and second terminals to which the rotation speed control signal is supplied, and a predetermined amount is provided between the first terminal and the control unit. A first signal conversion unit for performing signal conversion and supplying the rotation speed control signal to the first terminal is provided, and a signal conversion unit is provided between the second terminal and the control unit. A second signal conversion unit is provided for supplying the rotational speed control signal to the second terminal by performing a predetermined signal conversion different from the signal conversion in the first signal conversion unit or not provided (Claim 2). According to this, even if the signal form of the rotational speed control signal input by the fan motor is different, such as a fan motor that inputs a PWM signal as a rotational speed control signal or a fan motor that inputs a DC voltage signal as a rotational speed control signal. The rotation speed control signal can be supplied to the fan motor using a common connector.

  Further, as the first signal conversion unit, for example, a signal conversion unit that converts a rotation speed control signal including a PWM signal output from the control unit into a DC voltage signal (analog signal) corresponding to the duty ratio, for example, an integration / smoothing circuit (Claim 3). According to this, it is possible to control a fan motor having a specification for inputting a DC voltage signal as a rotation speed control signal by PWM signal output.

  The first signal converter may be a signal converter that converts a rotation speed control signal composed of a DC voltage signal output from the controller into a PWM signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the voltage value. Further, the second signal conversion unit is, for example, a pulse multiplication circuit that multiplies the frequency of the PWM signal output from the control unit, or an amplification circuit that multiplies the voltage value of the DC voltage signal output from the control unit. It's okay.

  In addition, the control unit is configured to relate the initial value and / or the control method to a value indicated by the rotation speed control signal output to a fan motor connected to a connection connector and an actual rotation speed detection value of the fan motor. It is possible to provide automatic changing means for automatically changing based on (Claim 4). According to this, even when a fan motor having a different specification is connected, the automatic change means can determine the initial value and the value based on the relationship between the value indicated by the rotation speed control signal and the actual rotation speed detection value of the fan motor. Since the control method is automatically changed, it is not necessary to change the setting by manual operation, the production management cost can be reduced, and the fan motor built in the already shipped product breaks down. Even if only a fan motor with a different specification exists, the initial value and / or the control method is automatically changed according to the fan motor specification simply by replacing the fan motor and performing a test operation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce replacement costs for fan motors having different specifications.

The configuration of the automatic changing means can be set appropriately. For example,
(1) The value indicated by the rotational speed control signal is set to a predetermined initial value in accordance with the target rotational speed when the fan motor is started, and correlation data is stored in advance in appropriate storage means for each of the fan motors having a plurality of specifications. If the initial value set at the start of the fan motor can be changed according to the specifications of the fan motor by configuring the correlation data used at the start of the fan motor so that it can be selected and set, The automatic changing means outputs a rotation speed control signal corresponding to the target rotation speed based on the correlation data selected and set when the fan motor is started, and performs the above feedback control for a predetermined inspection time after the fan motor is started. If the difference between the target rotational speed and the detected actual rotational speed is within a predetermined allowable range within the inspection time, the feedback control is started. If serial difference does not become within a predetermined allowable range can be controlled structure sequentially repeated the process for the other remaining correlation data, and
(2) A configuration in which control parameters and control algorithms according to the specifications are stored in advance in appropriate storage means for each of the fan motors having a plurality of specifications, and the control parameters and control algorithms used for fan motor feedback control can be selected and set. In this case, the automatic change means starts the fan motor and performs feedback control of the rotation speed control signal using any one of the control parameters and control algorithm, and the target rotation speed and the actual rotation within a predetermined inspection time. If the difference from the number detection value is within the predetermined allowable range, the control parameter and the control algorithm at this time are determined to be used for feedback control, and if the difference does not fall within the allowable range within the predetermined inspection time, the remaining A control configuration that repeats the above process sequentially for other control parameters and control algorithms It can be. The inspection time in this case may be longer than the inspection time in the case (1) in consideration of the convergence time by feedback control, and the difference is larger than the difference in the case (1). It can be small. The control configuration of (2) can be suitably implemented when the actual rotational speed does not converge to the target rotational speed unless the connected fan motor and the selected control parameter or control algorithm correspond. is there.

  According to the fan motor control device according to claim 1 of the present invention, when connecting a fan motor with a different specification to the connection connector, both the initial value and the control method according to the specification of the fan motor, or By changing either one, it is possible to output a rotation speed control signal that conforms to the specifications of the fan motor, so that even if the fan motor used at the time of design is discontinued, the fan motor with a different specification The manufacturing cost can be reduced by using a common connector for connecting a plurality of fan motors.

  According to the fan motor control device of the second aspect of the present invention, the fan motor is input such as a fan motor that inputs a PWM signal as a rotation speed control signal or a fan motor that inputs a DC voltage signal as a rotation speed control signal. Even when the signal form of the rotational speed control signal is different, the rotational speed control signal can be supplied to the fan motor using a common connector.

  According to the fan motor control device of the third aspect of the present invention, a fan motor having a specification for inputting a DC voltage signal as a rotation speed control signal can be controlled by PWM signal output.

  According to the fan motor control device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, even when fan motors having different specifications are connected, the automatic change means is configured to detect the value indicated by the rotation speed control signal and the actual rotation speed detection value of the fan motor. Since the initial value and / or the control method is automatically changed based on the relationship between the initial value and the control method, it is not necessary to change the setting by manual operation, the production management cost can be reduced, and the product has already been shipped. Even if the fan motor built into the product fails and only a fan motor with a different specification is available, simply replace the fan motor and perform a test operation to automatically match the fan motor specifications. The initial value and / or the control method are automatically changed, and the cost of replacement / repair to a fan motor having a different specification can be reduced.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a fan motor control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a fan motor control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control device 1 includes a control unit including a microprocessor 2, a power supply circuit 3, and an integration / smoothing circuit 4. 1 is provided with a rotation number detection unit including a signal conversion unit 1 and a rotation number detection circuit 5, which are mounted on a control board 6. The control board 6 is provided with a connector 7 that can connect fan motors A to D having a plurality of specifications.

  Each of the fan motors A to D is a DC brushless motor with a built-in motor driver (not shown), and a fan motor side connector 8 having a shape corresponding to the connection connector 7 is provided at the end of the connection wiring drawn from the motor driver. The connector 8 of each of the fan motors A to D can be physically connected to the connection connector 7. As fan motors A to D having a plurality of specifications, in this embodiment, two fan motors A and B that input a DC voltage signal (analog signal) as a rotation speed control signal (speed command), and PWM signal rotation speed control. Two fan motors C and D input as signals (speed commands) are illustrated. The fan motor A and the fan motor B have different specifications in that the correlation between the DC voltage value of the rotation speed control signal and the rotation speed is different, and the fan motor C and the fan motor D have different rotation speed control signals. The specifications differ from each other in that the correlation between the duty ratio and the rotational speed is different. The first pin 81 of each fan motor side connector 8 is a power supply voltage input terminal, the second pin 82 is an AD input terminal for inputting a rotational speed control signal as a DC voltage signal, and the third pin 83 is a rotational speed control signal. Is input as a PWM signal, and the fourth pin 84 is a rotation pulse signal output terminal for outputting a rotation pulse signal from the hall element of the fan motor to the control board 6. The third pin 83 of the connector 8 of the fan motors A and B and the second pin 82 of the connector 8 of the fan motors C and D are open.

  In the following, reference signs A to D are given only when referring to a plurality of fan motors, and no reference sign is given to describe one fan motor connected to the connector 7 in order to avoid confusion. .

  The power supply circuit 3 supplies power (for example, 5 V) to each active circuit component constituting the microprocessor 2, the integration / smoothing circuit 4 and the rotation speed detection circuit 5, and supplies power to the fan motor connected to the connection connector 7. (For example, 22V) is supplied. In the illustrated example, the first pin 71 of the connection connector 7 is electrically connected to the fan motor power output unit 31 of the power supply circuit 3. The power output from the fan motor power output unit 31 of the power supply circuit 3 is configured to be switched on / off by a control command signal from the microprocessor 2, and from the fan motor power output unit 31 when the fan motor is stopped. The microprocessor 2 is configured to turn on and control the power output from the fan motor power output unit 31 during fan motor operation control.

  The microprocessor 2 includes a rotation speed control signal output terminal 21 that outputs a rotation speed control signal to be supplied to the fan motor. The terminal 21 is connected to one of the digital output ports provided in the microprocessor 2. Can be configured. In this embodiment, the rotation speed control signal is a PWM signal. The rotational speed control signal is branched and supplied to two signal paths, and in one path, the signal is converted into a DC voltage signal corresponding to the duty ratio by the integration / smoothing circuit 4 and the second pin 72 of the connector 7 (first In the other path, the PWM signal is supplied as it is to the third pin 73 (second terminal) of the connector 7 without performing any signal processing.

  The fourth pin 74 of the connection connector 7 is used as an input terminal for the rotation pulse signal of the fan motor. Based on the rotation pulse signal input to the fourth pin 74, the rotation speed detection circuit 5 pulses the actual rotation speed of the fan motor. It is detected by counting and output to the microprocessor 2. The signal form of the actual rotation speed detection value input to the microprocessor 2 may be a digital signal or an analog signal, or may be a PWM signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the actual rotation speed. Other appropriate signal forms may be used.

  With the above configuration, when the fan motors A and B are connected to the connection connector 7, power is supplied to the fan motors A and B via the connectors 7 and 8, and the rotation speed control signal is transmitted to the DC voltage signal. After the conversion, the fan motors A and B are supplied via the connectors 7 and 8. On the other hand, when the fan motors C and D are connected to the connection connector 7, power is supplied to the fan motors C and D via the connectors 7 and 8, and the connector 7 8 is supplied to the fan motors C and D via 8.

  The microprocessor 2 controls the operation of driving or stopping the fan motor. When starting the fan motor, the microprocessor 2 sets the target rotational speed and sets the duty ratio of the rotational speed control signal based on predetermined correlation data. A set value is output to an initial value corresponding to the target rotational speed. Further, after the fan motor is started, the duty ratio of the rotational speed control signal (value indicated by the rotational speed control signal) is set by the appropriate control method known in the art so as to reach the target rotational speed based on the detected actual rotational speed of the fan motor. Feedback control is performed, and the target rotational speed is also calculated by the microprocessor 2 by a conventionally known appropriate calculation method.

  More specifically, on the control board 6, there is provided storage means 9 such as a flash memory accessible by the microprocessor 2, and each of the fan motors A to D is provided in the storage means 9. A plurality of corresponding correlation data is stored. The correlation data corresponding to the fan motors A and B is converted into a DC voltage signal by the integration / smoothing circuit 4 with the duty ratio of the rotational speed control signal output from the microprocessor 2 and the rotational speed control signal of the duty ratio. Thus, the correlation with the actual rotational speed of the fan motors A and B when output to the fan motors A and B can be obtained by a test or the like. The correlation data corresponding to the fan motors C and D is obtained when the rotation speed control signal output from the microprocessor 2 and the rotation speed control signal of the duty ratio are output to the fan motors C and D as they are. It is possible to obtain the correlation with the actual rotational speeds of the fan motors C and D by obtaining the correlation through tests or the like. In addition, each correlation data can be obtained by an appropriate test or estimation method according to the characteristics of the corresponding fan motors A to D, and each correlation data is a list in which the duty ratio is associated with the actual rotational speed. Or a mathematical expression that approximates the test result.

  The microprocessor 2 matches the specifications of the fan motor connected to the connection connector 7 among the plurality of correlation data by manual operation of a remote controller (not shown) or other appropriate operation unit that is communicably connected. By making it possible to select and set, it is possible to change the initial value of the duty ratio of the rotation speed control signal at the start of the fan motor. And the like so that the actual rotational speed approaches the target rotational speed immediately after starting the fan motor.

  Further, immediately after the fan motor is started, the microprocessor 2 determines the fan motor specifications and automatically selects and sets the optimum correlation data among the plurality of correlation data, thereby setting the duty ratio set at the start. The automatic change means for automatically changing the initial value is configured. Specifically, the microprocessor 2 outputs a rotational speed control signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the target rotational speed based on the correlation data selected and set when the fan motor is started, and a predetermined inspection time after the fan motor is started. Feedback control is not performed during (preferably several seconds), and feedback control is started if the difference between the target rotational speed and the actual rotational speed detection value falls within a predetermined allowable range within the inspection time, and the above-mentioned within the inspection time. If the difference does not fall within a predetermined allowable range, the control configuration can be configured such that the correlation data selection setting is sequentially switched to the remaining other correlation data, and the above process is repeated.

  The feedback control by the microprocessor 2 may be performed by the same control method regardless of which fan motors A to D are connected, and the control parameters and the like according to the specifications and characteristics of the fan motors A to D may be used. A control method using a control algorithm can also be used. The control parameter can include, for example, the adjustment amount of the duty ratio of the rotation speed control signal, the upper limit threshold, and the like, and the control algorithm can be, for example, adjustment of the target rotation speed or the duty ratio based on detection values of various sensors Examples include an algorithm for correcting the amount. More preferably, control parameters and control algorithms according to the specifications are stored in advance in the storage means 9 for each of the fan motors having a plurality of specifications, and the control parameters and control algorithms used for fan motor feedback control can be selectively set. Can be kept. In this case, the microprocessor 2 starts the fan motor and performs feedback control of the rotational speed control signal according to the currently selected control parameter or control algorithm, and the target rotational speed and the actual rotational speed detection value within a predetermined inspection time. If the difference is not within the predetermined allowable range, the above processing is repeated while sequentially switching the settings to the remaining other control parameters and control algorithms, and the actual rotation speed detection value is the target rotation by any control parameter or control algorithm. If the number does not converge, predetermined error processing such as error display can be performed.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the design can be changed as appropriate. For example, without providing the integration / smoothing circuit 4 and the second pin 72 of the connection connector 7, it is possible to connect either of the fan motors C and D having different response characteristics for inputting a speed command as a PWM signal, Alternatively, the third pin 73 of the connection connector 7 may not be provided, and any one of the fan motors A and B having different response characteristics that input a speed command as a DC voltage signal may be connected. The initial value data at the time of starting the fan motor and the control parameters and control algorithm for defining the control method of feedback control are stored only in the fan motor of any one specification in the storage means 9 comprising a nonvolatile memory. It is also possible to change the initial value and the control method by storing and rewriting the storage means 9 when a fan motor having a different specification is adopted. In addition, a second signal for performing a signal conversion different from that of the integration / smoothing circuit 4 between the third pin 73 of the connection connector 7 and the microprocessor 2 and supplying a rotation speed control signal to the third pin 73 is provided. A signal conversion circuit can also be provided. Further, a fan motor having a frequency control method capable of speed control by the on / off frequency of the pulse can be configured to be connectable.

1 Fan motor controller 2 Control unit (microprocessor)
4 First Signal Conversion Unit 5 Rotational Speed Detection Unit 7 Connection Connector 71 First Terminal (Second Pin)
72 Second terminal (third pin)

Claims (4)

  A control unit that outputs a rotational speed control signal to the fan motor via a connection connector; and a rotational speed detection unit that detects an actual rotational speed of the fan motor and outputs the detected rotational speed to the control unit. The value indicated by the rotational speed control signal when starting the fan motor is set to a predetermined initial value, and the value indicated by the rotational speed control signal so as to reach the target rotational speed based on the actual rotational speed detected value of the fan motor. In the fan motor control apparatus that performs feedback control using a predetermined control method, the control unit is configured to be able to change the initial value and / or the control method.   The fan motor control device according to claim 1, wherein the connection connector includes first and second terminals to which the rotation speed control signal is supplied, and between the first terminal and the control unit, A first signal conversion unit for performing predetermined signal conversion and supplying the rotation speed control signal to the first terminal is provided, and a signal conversion is performed between the second terminal and the control unit. Or a second signal conversion unit for performing predetermined signal conversion different from the signal conversion in the first signal conversion unit and supplying the rotational speed control signal to the second terminal. The fan motor control apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   3. The fan motor control device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation speed control signal output from the control unit is a PWM signal, and the first signal conversion unit converts the PWM signal into a DC voltage signal corresponding to the duty ratio. A fan motor control device characterized by being converted.   4. The fan motor control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit indicates the rotation speed control signal for outputting the initial value and / or the control method to a fan motor connected to a connection connector. 5. A fan motor control device comprising an automatic changing means for automatically changing a value based on a relationship between the value and a detected value of the actual rotational speed of the fan motor.

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