JP2023080158A - Motor drive control device, fan, and motor drive control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve silence while ensuring necessary air amount in a fan.SOLUTION: A motor drive control device (1) includes a control circuit portion (4) that produces a drive control signal (Sd) for controlling the rotation speed of a motor, on the basis of a speed instruction signal (Sc) instructing a target rotation speed (Rtg) of the motor (20), and a motor drive portion (2) that drives the motor on the basis of the drive control signal. The control circuit portion carries out speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so as to make the rotation speed of the motor match the target rotation speed when the target rotation speed is lower than a rotation speed threshold value (Rth), and switches the maximum air amount control producing the drive control signal so as to prevent the rotation speed of the motor from exceeding the rotation speed threshold value and the speed feedback control, on the basis of a comparison result of an actual current value of a current flowing in the motor and a current threshold value (Ith), when the target rotation speed is higher than the rotation speed threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a motor drive control device, a fan, and a motor drive control method, and more particularly to a motor drive control device that controls the air volume of a fan rotated by a motor.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a fan (fan motor) is widely known as a device for cooling parts and the like provided inside electrical appliances, office automation equipment, and the like.

In general, the performance of a fan is represented by air volume-static pressure characteristics (hereinafter also referred to as "PQ curve"). The PQ curve represents the relationship between the loss (static pressure) due to the pressure between the suction port and the discharge port of the fan and the air volume. In the PQ curve, when the static pressure is maximum (draft resistance is maximum), the air volume of the fan becomes zero, and when the static pressure is zero (ventilation resistance is zero), the air volume of the fan becomes maximum (for example, See Patent Document 1).
A state in which the static pressure is zero, ie, the air volume of the fan is maximum, is also referred to as a “free air state”.

JP 2009-174414 A

In general, a fan is designed so that a required air volume can be obtained in a predetermined operating range (for example, a mid-range static pressure range). That is, the fan is designed to achieve a PQ curve that provides a predetermined airflow within the required operating range. On the other hand, quietness is more important than air volume in areas other than the required operating range, for example, in areas where the static pressure is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

A conventional fan controls the number of rotations of a motor so as to achieve a rotation speed instructed by a host device, and the air volume changes depending on the pressure loss (static pressure). Therefore, in the conventional fan, in a region where the static pressure is low, such as in a free air state, an air volume larger than the required operating range is generated, resulting in an increase in noise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above, and an object of the present invention is to improve quietness while ensuring a required air volume in a fan.

A motor drive control device according to a representative embodiment of the present invention is a control circuit that generates a drive control signal for controlling the rotational speed of a motor based on a speed command signal that instructs a target rotational speed of the motor. and a motor drive unit that drives the motor based on the drive control signal, and the control circuit unit controls the rotation speed of the motor to increase to the target rotation speed when the target rotation speed is lower than a rotation speed threshold. Speed feedback control is performed to generate the drive control signal so as to match the target rotation speed, and when the target rotation speed is higher than the rotation speed threshold, the rotation speed of the motor does not exceed the rotation speed threshold. The maximum air volume control for generating the drive control signal and the speed feedback control are switched based on a comparison result between an actual current value of the current flowing through the motor and a current threshold.

According to the motor drive control device of the present invention, it is possible to realize a fan with improved quietness while ensuring a necessary air volume.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fan according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining air volume control of the fan by the motor drive control device according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of an air volume control method by the motor drive control device according to the present embodiment; 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a motor drive control device according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the determination method of a current threshold value. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing related to air volume control by the motor drive control device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed of the motor in the fan according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the motor current and the rotation speed of the motor in the fan according to the embodiment;

1. Outline of Embodiment First, an outline of a representative embodiment of the invention disclosed in the present application will be described. In the following description, as an example, reference numerals on the drawings corresponding to constituent elements of the invention are described with parentheses.

[1] A motor drive control device (1) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention controls a motor (20) based on a speed command signal (Sc) that indicates a target rotational speed (Rtg) of the motor. a control circuit section (4) for generating a drive control signal (Sd) for controlling a rotational speed; and a motor drive section (2) for driving the motor based on the drive control signal, the control circuit comprising: section performs speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so that the motor rotation speed matches the target rotation speed when the target rotation speed is lower than a rotation speed threshold value (Rth); When the speed is higher than the rotation speed threshold, the maximum air volume control and the speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so that the rotation speed of the motor does not exceed the rotation speed threshold are performed by reducing the current flowing through the motor. The switching is performed based on the result of comparison between the actual current value and the current threshold value (Ith).

[2] In the above motor drive control device, the control circuit section performs the speed feedback control when the actual current value is greater than the current threshold in a state where the target rotation speed is higher than the rotation speed threshold. and the maximum air volume control may be performed when the actual current value is smaller than the current threshold value.

[3] In the motor drive control device, the control circuit unit may generate the drive control signal so that the motor rotates at a constant rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold in the maximum air volume control. good.

[4] In the motor drive control device, the control circuit section includes a rotation speed calculation section (42) for calculating an actual rotation speed of the motor based on a position detection signal indicating the rotation position of the motor; a speed control unit (43) for generating a first control signal (Sp1) such that the actual rotation speed calculated by the calculation unit matches the target rotation speed indicated by the speed command signal; and the actual current value. a current value acquisition unit (46) that acquires (Ir); and when the target rotation speed is greater than the rotation speed threshold and the actual current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit is greater than the current threshold, a maximum air volume control unit (44) for generating a second control signal (Sp2) so that the rotation speed of the motor does not exceed the rotation speed threshold; and the drive based on the first control signal or the second control signal and a drive control signal generator (45) that generates the control signal.

[5] A fan (100) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention includes a motor (20), an impeller (21) configured to be rotatable by the rotational force of the motor, and controlling the driving of the motor. and a motor drive control device (1) for controlling the rotation speed of the motor (20) based on a speed command signal (Sc) that indicates a target rotation speed (Rtg) of the motor (20). A control circuit section (4) for generating a drive control signal (Sd) for control, and a motor drive section (2) for driving the motor based on the drive control signal, wherein the control circuit section performing speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so that the motor rotation speed matches the target rotation speed when the target rotation speed is lower than a rotation speed threshold value (Rth); Maximum air volume control for generating the drive control signal so that the rotational speed of the motor does not exceed the rotational speed threshold when the rotational speed is higher than the rotational speed threshold, and the speed feedback control are combined with the actual current of the current flowing through the motor. The switching is performed based on the result of comparison between the value and the current threshold (Ith).

[6] A motor drive control method according to a representative embodiment of the present invention controls drive of a motor (20) based on a speed command signal (Sc) that indicates a target rotational speed (Rtg) of the motor (20). A motor drive control method for generating a drive control signal (Sd) to drive the motor based on the drive control signal, wherein the motor rotates when the target rotation speed is lower than a rotation speed threshold A first step (S3) of performing speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so that the speed matches the target rotational speed; and a current threshold (Ith) when the target rotational speed is higher than the rotational speed threshold. maximum air volume control for generating the drive control signal so that the rotation speed of the motor does not exceed the rotation speed threshold based on a comparison result between the actual current value of the current flowing through the motor and the speed feedback control; and a second step (S3, S5 to S9) of switching between.

2. Specific Examples of Embodiments Specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, constituent elements common to each embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fan according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fan 100 according to the present embodiment is a device that generates wind by rotating an impeller. The fan 100 can be used as one of the cooling devices for discharging the heat generated inside the device to the outside and cooling the inside of the device. Fan 100 is, for example, an axial fan.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the fan 100 includes a motor 20 , a motor drive control device 1 that controls driving of the motor 20 , and an impeller 21 rotatable by the rotational force of the motor 20 .

In this embodiment, the motor 20 is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor having coils Lu, Lv, and Lw. The motor drive control device 1 is a device for controlling rotation of the motor 20 . The motor drive control device 1 rotates the motor 20 by periodically applying a drive current to the three-phase coils Lu, Lv, and Lw that constitute the motor 20 .

Specifically, the motor drive control device 1 has a motor drive section 2 , a control circuit section 4 and a current detection section 6 . The components of the motor drive control device 1 shown in FIG. 1 are a part of the whole, and the motor drive control device 1 has other components in addition to those shown in FIG. You may have

In the present embodiment, at least part of the motor drive control device 1 is packaged as one semiconductor device (IC: Integrated Circuit). For example, circuits such as the control circuit unit 4 and the motor driving unit 2 are implemented as separate semiconductor devices.

The motor drive control device 1 may be a fully packaged semiconductor device, or all or part of the motor drive control device 1 and other devices may be packaged together to form a single semiconductor device. A semiconductor device may be configured.

The motor drive unit 2 outputs a drive signal to the motor 20 based on the drive control signal Sd output from the control circuit unit 4 to drive the motor 20 . The motor drive unit 2 selectively energizes the multi-phase coils Lu, Lv, and Lw of the motor 20 .

Specifically, the motor driving section 2 has an inverter circuit 2a and a pre-drive circuit 2b. The predrive circuit 2b generates an output signal for driving the inverter circuit 2a based on the drive control signal Sd output from the control circuit section 4, and outputs the output signal to the inverter circuit 2a. The inverter circuit 2a energizes the coils Lu, Lv, and Lw of the motor 20 based on the signal output from the predrive circuit 2b.

Specifically, in the inverter circuit 2a, for example, a series circuit pair of two switching elements provided at both ends of a power supply voltage (DC power supply) Vcc is connected to each phase (U phase, V phase, W phase). In each pair of two switching elements, a terminal of each phase of the motor 20 is connected to a connection point between the switching elements (not shown). The predrive circuit 2b outputs, for example, six types of signals Vuu, Vul, Vvu, Vvl, Vwu, and Vwl corresponding to the switching elements of the inverter circuit 2a as output signals. By outputting these signals Vuu, Vul, Vvu, Vvl, Vwu and Vwl, the switching elements corresponding to the respective signals Vuu, Vul, Vvu, Vvl, Vwu and Vwl perform ON/OFF operations. As a result, a drive signal is output to the motor 20, and current flows through the coils Lu, Lv, and Lw of each phase of the motor 20 (not shown).

The current detection unit 6 is a functional unit for detecting the current flowing through the motor 20, that is, the current flowing through the coils Lu, Lv, Lw of the motor 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "motor current"). A current detection unit 6 outputs a voltage Vs corresponding to the motor current of the motor 20 . Note that the configuration of the current detection unit 6 will be described later.

The control circuit section 4 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, a digital circuit, an analog circuit, and the like. Various signals for instructing driving of the motor 20 are input to the control circuit unit 4 . The control circuit unit 4 performs drive control of the motor 20 based on these signals. For example, as a signal for instructing the driving of the motor 20, a speed command signal Sc is input to the control circuit section 4 from a device provided outside the control circuit section 4, such as a host device.

The speed command signal Sc is a signal regarding the rotation speed of the motor 20 . For example, the speed command signal Sc is a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal with a duty ratio corresponding to the target rotation speed Rtg of the motor 20 . A clock signal may be input as the speed command signal Sc.

A position detection signal Sh is input to the control circuit unit 4 from the position detection element 5 . The position detection element 5 is, for example, a Hall element arranged in the motor 20 , and the position detection signal Sh is a Hall signal output from the Hall element 5 . The position detection signal Sh is a signal indicating the rotational position of the motor 20 , that is, a signal corresponding to the rotation of the rotor (not shown) of the motor 20 . Hereinafter, the position detection element 5 is also called "Hall element 5".

The control circuit unit 4 obtains information on the actual rotation speed of the rotor of the motor 20 from the position detection signal Sh and controls the driving of the motor 20 .

Although FIG. 1 illustrates a case where one Hall element 5 is arranged in the fan 100, the number of Hall elements 5 arranged in the fan 100 is not particularly limited. For example, three Hall elements 5 may be arranged around the rotor of the motor 20 at approximately equal intervals.

In addition to or instead of the position detection signal Sh, the control circuit section 4 may be configured to receive other information regarding the rotational state of the motor 20. . For example, as the FG signal corresponding to the rotation of the rotor of the motor 20, a signal (pattern FG) generated using a coil pattern provided on a substrate on the rotor side may be input. Further, the rotation state of the motor 20 may be detected based on the detection result of the rotational position detection circuit that detects the back electromotive force induced in each phase (U, V, W phase) of the motor 20. good. An encoder, resolver, or the like may be provided to detect information such as the rotation speed of the motor 20 .

The control circuit unit 4 generates a drive control signal Sd for controlling the rotational speed of the motor 20 based on the speed command signal Sc, the position detection signal Sh, the voltage Vs, and the like.

The drive control signal Sd is, for example, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal. The control circuit unit 4 supplies a drive control signal Sd, which is a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal, to the motor drive unit 2, thereby controlling the energization phases of the multi-phase coils Lu, Lv, and Lw that are energized by the motor drive unit 2. are switched in a predetermined order, the rotation speed of the motor 20 is adjusted to control the air volume of the fan 100 .

Motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment controls the rotation speed of motor 20 so that the air volume of fan 100 is limited in a region where the static pressure of fan 100 is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining air volume control of fan 100 by motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the air volume Q, and the vertical axis represents the static pressure P. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows PQ curves for each target rotation speed Rtg of the fan when the target rotation speed Rtg instructed by the speed command signal Sc is changed.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 201_min represents the PQ curve of the fan when the target rotation speed Rtg is set to the minimum value Rmin, and reference numeral 201_max is the fan when the target rotation speed Rtg is set to the maximum value Rmax. Reference numeral 201_x represents the PQ curve when the target rotation speed Rtg is set to a value Rx between the maximum value Rmax and the minimum value Rmin.

As noted above, fans are designed to provide the desired airflow over the required operating range. For example, in FIG. 2, assume that the operating range required for the fan is the range indicated by reference numeral 200 . In this case, the fan having the PQ curve shown in FIG. region), it can be said that the required specifications are satisfied.

On the other hand, as described above, quietness is more important than air volume in areas other than the required operating range, that is, areas where the static pressure is equal to or less than a predetermined value. For example, in FIG. 2, quietness is more important than air volume in a region where the static pressure is Pb or less.

However, the conventional fan controls the rotation speed of the motor so as to achieve the target rotation speed indicated by the speed command signal Sc, and the air volume changes due to the pressure loss (static pressure). Therefore, even in a region where the static pressure is low, such as in a free air state, there is a tendency for the air volume to increase more than necessary and noise to increase.

For example, consider the case where a conventional fan is designed to operate with a PQ curve 201_max, as shown in FIG. In this case, the conventional fan generates an air volume qmax that greatly exceeds the range of air volumes qr1 to qr2 required in the operating range 200 when the target rotational speed is set to "Rtg_max" in the free air state. However, as described above, in areas other than the operating range 200, it is not necessary to greatly exceed the required range of air volumes qr1 to qr2.

Therefore, the motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment limits the air volume of the fan 100 in a region where the static pressure is lower than a predetermined value, regardless of the target rotational speed Rtg indicated by the speed command signal Sc. , controls the speed of rotation of the motor 20 .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the motor drive control device 1 causes the actual rotational speed Rr of the motor 20 to exceed the rotational speed threshold value Rth (Rmin<Rth<Rmax) in a range where the static pressure is lower than a predetermined value Pb. Limit not to exceed. For example, when the rotation speed threshold Rth=Rx, the motor drive control device 1 controls the motor 20 to rotate at a constant rotation speed in a range where the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the rotation speed threshold Rth and the static pressure is lower than the predetermined value Pb. The motor 20 is controlled to rotate at Rx (Rth). As a result, the fan 100 operates so as to draw the PQ curve 201_th instead of the PQ curve 201_max, and in a region where the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the rotation speed threshold value Rth and the static pressure is lower than the predetermined value, The air volume of fan 100 is limited regardless of target rotation speed Rtg indicated by speed command signal Sc.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the air volume control method by the motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents the external pressure (pressure resistance, static pressure) applied to the fan, and the vertical axis represents the motor current. A characteristic (graph) 300 shown in FIG. 3 represents the relationship between the motor current and the external pressure when the target rotation speed of the fan is set to a predetermined value (for example, maximum value Rmax).

As shown in FIG. 3, when the fan is rotating at a constant rotational speed, the motor current increases as the external pressure increases. That is, in the fan, the motor current and the external pressure are in a substantially proportional relationship. Therefore, by monitoring the motor current, it is possible to estimate the external pressure applied to the fan.

Therefore, in fan 100 according to the present embodiment, in order to limit the air volume when the external pressure (static pressure) is lower than a predetermined value, the reference A current threshold value Ith is set as a value, and by comparing the current threshold value Ith with the motor current of the motor 20, it is estimated whether the external pressure is high or not, and the motor control method is switched.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the motor drive control device 1 controls the rotation speed of the motor 20 to reach the target rotation speed when the target rotation speed Rtg specified by the speed command signal Sc is lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth. Speed feedback control is performed to generate the drive control signal Sd so as to match Rtg, and drive control is performed so that the rotational speed of the motor 20 does not exceed the rotational speed threshold Rth when the target rotational speed Rtg is higher than the rotational speed threshold Rth. Maximum air volume control and speed feedback control for generating the signal Sd are switched based on the comparison result between the actual current value Ir of the motor current and the current threshold value Ith.

The configuration of the motor drive control device 1 for realizing the function of limiting the maximum air volume of the fan 100 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the motor drive control device 1 according to this embodiment.
FIG. 4 shows, of the functional blocks constituting the motor drive control device 1, functional blocks related to the function for limiting the maximum air volume of the fan 100 described above.

When the target rotation speed Rtg of the motor 20 specified by the speed command signal Sc is lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth (for example, when Rtg<Rth), the control circuit unit 4 in the motor drive control device 1 controls the rotation speed of the motor 20. Speed feedback control is performed to generate the drive control signal Sd so that the rotation speed (actual rotation speed Rr) matches the target rotation speed Rtg.

On the other hand, when the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the rotation speed threshold Rth (for example, when Rtg≧Rth), the control circuit unit 4 outputs a drive control signal so that the rotation speed of the motor 20 does not exceed the rotation speed threshold Rth. Maximum air volume control for generating Sd and speed feedback control are switched based on the result of comparison between the motor current (actual current value Ir) of the motor 20 and the current threshold value Ith.

Specifically, the control circuit unit 4 includes, as functional blocks for realizing speed feedback control and maximum air volume control, a target rotation speed acquisition unit 41, a rotation speed calculation unit 42, a speed control unit 43, a maximum air volume control unit 44, It has a drive control signal generation section 45 , a current value acquisition section 46 , a storage section 47 , a comparison section (RCMP) 48 and a comparison section (ICMP) 49 .

The target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 acquires information on the target rotation speed Rtg of the motor 20 from the speed command signal Sc output from, for example, a host device existing outside the motor drive control device 1, and controls the speed control unit 43 and the maximum air volume. It is given to the control unit 44 .

For example, when the speed command signal Sc is a PWM signal that represents the target rotation speed Rtg by a duty ratio, the target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 analyzes the duty ratio of the input PWM signal as the speed command signal Sc, A rotation speed corresponding to the duty ratio is calculated and output as a target rotation speed Rtg. For example, the target rotational speed acquisition unit 41 has a table representing the correspondence relationship between the duty ratio of the PWM signal and the target rotational speed. The target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 acquires information on the target rotation speed Rtg from the speed command signal Sc by reading the target rotation speed corresponding to the duty ratio of the input speed command signal Sc from the table.

The target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 is realized by, for example, an external interface circuit of a microcontroller and program processing of a CPU.

The rotation speed calculator 42 calculates the rotation speed (the number of rotations per unit time) of the motor 20 based on the position detection signal Sh output from the position detection element 5 . The rotation speed calculation unit 42 calculates the actual rotation speed of the rotor of the motor 20 using the position detection signal Sh, and gives it to the speed control unit 43 as the actual rotation speed Rr.

The rotational speed calculator 42 is realized by, for example, an external interface circuit of a microcontroller and program processing of a CPU, like the target rotational speed acquisition unit 41 .

Based on the target rotation speed Rtg output from the target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 and the actual rotation speed Rr of the motor 20 calculated by the rotation speed calculation unit 42, the speed control unit 43 generates a PWM signal as the drive control signal Sd. A PWM command signal (an example of a first control signal) Sp1 that specifies the duty ratio of the signal is generated.

Specifically, the speed control unit 43 generates the PWM command signal Sp1 such that the actual rotation speed Rr matches the target rotation speed Rtg. For example, the speed control unit 43 calculates the difference between the actual rotation speed Rr and the target rotation speed Rtg, and calculates the duty ratio of the PWM signal as the drive control signal Sd so that the difference becomes zero. Then, the speed control unit 43 outputs information on the calculated duty ratio as the PWM command signal Sp1.

The current value acquisition unit 46 is a functional unit that calculates the actual current value of the current flowing through the motor 20 . The current value acquisition unit 46 includes, for example, an A/D conversion circuit that converts an analog signal into a digital signal. For example, the current value acquiring unit 46 is a delta-sigma modulation type analog/digital conversion circuit, and is configured by a dedicated logic circuit. The current value acquisition unit 46 converts the analog signal input from the current detection unit 6 into a digital signal by the ΔΣ modulation method.

Here, as described above, the current detection unit 6 is a circuit that outputs a voltage Vs corresponding to the current (motor current) flowing through the motor 20 to be controlled. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the current detection unit 6 includes a resistor Rs connected in series between the coils Lu, Lv, Lw of the motor 20 via the motor drive unit 2 and the ground potential. A voltage Vs generated across both ends is output as a detected value of the motor current of the motor 20 .

The current value acquisition unit 46 converts the voltage Vs, which is an analog signal output from the current detection unit 6 , into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal as the actual current value Ir of the motor current of the motor 20 .

A comparison unit (RCMP) 48 compares the target rotation speed Rtg and the rotation speed threshold value Rth, and outputs the comparison result.

The rotation speed threshold value Rth is one parameter that serves as a reference for switching between the control modes of the fan 100 (speed feedback control and maximum air volume control). In other words, the rotational speed threshold Rth is the rotational speed that defines the maximum air volume of fan 100 . For example, when it is desired to control the fan 100 along the PQ curve 201_th shown in FIG. ) should be set as Information 471 of the rotation speed threshold value Rth is stored in the storage unit 47 .

The comparison unit 48 compares the rotation speed threshold value Rth read from the storage unit 47 and the target rotation speed Rtg output from the target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 . When the target rotation speed Rtg output from the target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 is greater than the rotation speed threshold value Rth, the comparison unit 48 outputs a high level determination signal Scp1, for example. On the other hand, when the target rotation speed Rtg output from the target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 is smaller than the rotation speed threshold value Rth, the comparison unit 48 outputs a low level determination signal Scp1, for example.

A comparison unit (RCMP) 48 compares the actual current value Ir of the motor current and the current threshold value Ith, and outputs the comparison result.

The current threshold Ith is another parameter that serves as a reference for switching between the control modes of the fan 100 (speed feedback control and maximum air volume control).

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of determining the current threshold Ith.
In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the rotation speed of the fan motor, and the vertical axis represents the fan motor current. Reference numeral 500 is a characteristic representing the relationship between the motor rotation speed and the motor current when speed feedback control is performed in the free air state of the fan 100 .

The current threshold Ith is determined based on the motor current when the fan is rotating at a predetermined rotational speed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the value obtained by adding the offset amount Iof to the current value Ith0 of the motor current when the fan 100 is operating at a rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold value Rth in the free air state is set as the current threshold value. It should be set as Ith.

Here, the offset amount Iof may be appropriately set according to the size (weight and shape) of the impeller 21 of the fan 100, the number of turns of the coil (winding), the diameter of the coil wire, and the like.

Information 472 of the current threshold Ith is stored in the storage unit 47 .

A comparison unit (ICMP) 49 compares the current threshold Ith read from the storage unit 47 and the actual current value Ir of the motor current output from the current value acquisition unit 46 . When the actual current value Ir is greater than the current threshold value Ith (for example, when Ir≧Ith), the comparator 49 outputs a high level determination signal Scp2, for example. On the other hand, when the actual current value Ir is smaller than the current threshold value Ith (for example, when Ir<Ith), the comparator 49 outputs a low level determination signal Scp2, for example.

The storage unit 47 is a functional unit for storing various parameters, calculation results, and the like for speed feedback control and maximum air volume control. For example, the storage unit 47 stores information 471 on the rotational speed threshold value Rth, information 472 on the current threshold value Ith, and the like. The storage unit 47 is implemented by a storage device such as a RAM or ROM, a register, or the like.

The maximum air volume control unit 44 generates a PWM command signal Sp2 that specifies the duty ratio of the PWM signal as the drive control signal Sd based on the determination signal Scp1 of the comparison unit 48, the determination signal Scp2 of the comparison unit 49, and the rotation speed threshold value Rth. (an example of a second control signal).

Specifically, the maximum air volume control unit 44 operates when the comparison unit 48 determines that the target rotational speed Rtg is higher than a predetermined value and the comparison unit 49 determines that the actual current value Ir is higher than the current threshold value Ith (Rtg >Rth and Ir>Ith), the PWM command signal Sp2 is generated so that the motor 20 rotates at a constant rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed Rtg.

On the other hand, when the comparison unit 48 determines that the target rotation speed Rtg is lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth, or when the comparison unit 49 determines that the actual current value Ir is lower than the current threshold value Ith (Rtg<Rth or Ir <Ith), the maximum air volume control unit 44 does not generate the PWM command signal Sp2.

As described above, when Rtg>Rth and Ir>Ith, the maximum air volume control unit 44 generates the PWM command signal Sp2 so that the motor 20 rotates at a constant rotation speed lower than the target rotation speed Rtg. Specifically, the maximum air volume control unit 44 generates the PWM command signal Sp2 so that the motor 20 rotates at a constant rotational speed corresponding to the rotational speed threshold value Rth.

For example, the maximum air volume control unit 44 calculates the difference between the actual rotation speed Rr and the rotation speed threshold value Rth, and calculates the duty ratio of the PWM signal as the drive control signal Sd so that the difference becomes zero. Then, the maximum air volume control unit 44 outputs the calculated duty ratio information as the PWM command signal Sp2.

The drive control signal generation unit 45 is a functional unit that generates a drive control signal Sd for controlling driving of the motor 20 . The drive control signal generation unit 45 generates the drive control signal Sd based on the PWM command signal Sp1 output from the speed control unit 43 and the PWM command signal Sp2 output from the maximum air volume control unit 44.

Specifically, when the PWM command signal Sp2 is not output from the maximum air volume control unit 44, the drive control signal generation unit 45 generates PWM with a duty ratio specified by the PWM command signal Sp1 output from the speed control unit 43. A signal is generated and output as the drive control signal Sd, and when the PWM command signal Sp2 is output from the maximum air volume control unit 44, the PWM command signal output from the maximum air volume control unit 44 is generated instead of the PWM command signal Sp1. A PWM signal having a duty ratio specified by Sp2 is generated and output as a drive control signal Sd.

The speed control unit 43, the maximum air volume control unit 44, the drive control signal generation unit 45, and the comparison units 48 and 49 described above are realized, for example, by program processing of a microcontroller (CPU). Note that the comparison units 48 and 49 may be realized by a dedicated logic circuit or the like.

Next, the flow of air volume control of the fan 100 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing related to air volume control by the motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment.

First, when the speed command signal Sc is input from the host device to the control circuit unit 4, the target rotation speed acquisition unit 41 of the control circuit unit 4 acquires information on the target rotation speed Rtg from the speed command signal Sc ( step S1).

Next, the comparison unit 48 of the control circuit unit 4 determines whether or not the target rotation speed Rtg obtained in step S1 is higher than the rotation speed threshold value Rth (step S2).

When the target rotation speed Rtg is smaller than the rotation speed threshold value Rth (step S2: No), the control circuit unit 4 performs speed feedback control (step S3). That is, as described above, the drive control signal generator 45 generates the drive control signal Sd based on the PWM command signal Sp1 generated by the speed controller 43, so that the actual rotation speed Rr of the motor 20 reaches the target The motor 20 operates so as to match the rotation speed Rtg. At this time, the maximum air volume control unit 44 does not generate the PWM command signal Sp2.

On the other hand, if the target rotational speed Rtg is greater than the rotational speed threshold value Rth in step S2 (step S2: Yes), the control circuit unit 4 acquires the actual current value Ir of the motor 20 (step S4). Specifically, as described above, the comparison unit 49 acquires information on the actual current value Ir of the motor current calculated by the current value acquisition unit 46 .

Next, the comparison unit 49 determines whether or not the actual current value Ir of the motor 20 obtained in step S4 is greater than the current threshold value Ith (step S5).

If the actual current value Ir is greater than the current threshold value Ith (step S5: Yes), the control circuit unit 4 performs speed feedback control (step S3). That is, as described above, the drive control signal generator 45 generates the drive control signal Sd based on the PWM command signal Sp1 generated by the speed controller 43. FIG. As a result, the motor 20 operates so that its rotation speed matches the target rotation speed Rtg.

On the other hand, when the actual current value Ir is smaller than the current threshold value Ith (step S5: No), the control circuit unit 4 starts maximum air volume control (step S6).

In the maximum air volume control, first, the maximum air volume control unit 44 reads the information 471 of the rotation speed threshold value Rth from the storage unit 47 (step S7).

Next, the maximum air volume control unit 44 generates the PWM command signal Sp2 such that the actual rotation speed Rr of the motor 20 matches the rotation speed threshold value Rth (step S8).

Next, the control circuit section 4 generates the drive control signal Sd based on the PWM command signal Sp2 (step S9). Specifically, the drive control signal generator 45 generates a PWM signal having a duty ratio specified by the PWM command signal Sp2 output from the maximum air volume controller 44 in step S9, and outputs it as the drive control signal Sd.

After steps S3 and S9, the control circuit unit 4 determines whether there is an instruction to stop the motor 20 (step S10). In step S10, if there is no instruction to stop the motor 20 (step S10: No), the above-described processes (S1 to S10) are repeatedly executed. On the other hand, if an instruction to stop the motor 20 is received in step S10 (step S10: Yes), the control circuit unit 4 ends the air volume control process.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed of motor 20 in fan 100 according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 7 , the horizontal axis represents the target rotation speed Rtg of the motor 20 and the vertical axis represents the actual rotation speed Rr of the motor 20 . FIG. 7 shows the switching principle of the control mode by the motor drive control device 1, focusing on the relationship between the target rotation speed Rtg and the actual rotation speed Rr.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control circuit section 4 performs speed control feedback control in a range in which the target rotation speed Rtg specified by the speed command signal Sc is lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth. As a result, the fan 100 operates so that the actual rotation speed Rr of the motor 20 matches the target rotation speed Rtg.

On the other hand, in a range where the target rotation speed Rtg is greater than the rotation speed threshold value Rth, the control circuit unit 4 performs speed feedback control and maximum air volume control according to the result of comparison between the actual current value Ir of the motor 20 and the current threshold value Ith. switch.

That is, in a range in which the target rotational speed Rtg is greater than the rotational speed threshold value Rth and the actual current value Ir of the motor 20 is greater than the current threshold value Ith, it can be estimated that the external pressure (pressure resistance) to the fan 100 is large. can. Therefore, the control circuit unit 4 performs speed feedback control in order to secure the necessary air volume. Accordingly, as indicated by reference numeral 700, the fan 100 operates so that the actual rotation speed Rr of the motor 20 matches the target rotation speed Rtg, thereby ensuring the required air volume.

On the other hand, in the range where the target rotational speed Rtg is greater than the rotational speed threshold value Rth and the actual current value Ir of the motor 20 is smaller than the current threshold value Ith, the external pressure on the fan 100 is small and a sufficient air volume is secured. can be estimated. Therefore, the control circuit unit 4 gives priority to air volume quietness and performs maximum air volume control. That is, as indicated by reference numeral 701, fan 100 (motor 20) rotates at a constant rotational speed (rotational speed threshold value Rth) lower than indicated target rotational speed Rtg to suppress the air volume.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the motor current and the rotational speed of motor 20 in fan 100 according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 8 , the horizontal axis represents the rotational speed of the motor 20 and the vertical axis represents the motor current of the motor 20 . FIG. 8 shows the flow of control mode switching by the motor drive control device 1, focusing on the relationship between the motor rotation speed (actual rotation speed Rr) and the motor current.

As shown in FIG. 8, fan 100 according to the present embodiment performs normal speed feedback control in a range in which target rotational speed Rtg is lower than rotational speed threshold value Rth. As a result, as indicated by reference numeral 800, fan 100 operates so that the rotation speed of motor 20 matches target rotation speed Rtg.

After that, when the target rotation speed Rtg specified by the speed command signal Sc exceeds the rotation speed threshold value Rth, the fan 100 performs maximum air volume control. As a result, as indicated by reference numeral 801, the fan 100 operates so that the rotation speed is constant (rotation speed threshold value Rth) regardless of the target rotation speed Rtg until the motor current exceeds the current threshold value Ith.

Thereafter, when the external pressure of the fan 100 rises and the actual current value Ir of the motor current exceeds the current threshold value Ith, the fan 100 performs speed feedback control. As a result, as indicated by reference numeral 802, fan 100 operates so that the rotation speed of motor 20 matches target rotation speed Rtg.

Then, when a target rotation speed Rtg lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth is designated by the speed command signal Sc, as indicated by reference numeral 803, fan 100 returns to normal speed feedback control again.

As described above, in the fan 100 according to the present embodiment, when the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the rotation speed threshold value Rth and the motor current is lower than the current threshold value Ith, the motor 20 is constant, and when the motor current is higher than the current threshold value Ith, the rotation speed of the motor 20 is made to match the target rotation speed Rtg. As a result, the fan 100 can limit the maximum air volume in a region of low static pressure (for example, a region where the static pressure is lower than Pb on the PQ curve in FIG. 2).

As described above, in the motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the target rotation speed Rtg indicated by the speed command signal Sc is lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth, the rotation speed (actual rotation speed Rr) of the motor 20 reaches the target speed. Speed feedback control is performed to generate the drive control signal Sd so as to match the rotation speed Rtg, and when the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the rotation speed threshold Rth, the rotation speed of the motor 20 does not exceed the rotation speed threshold Rth. Maximum air volume control and speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal Sd are switched based on the result of comparison between the motor current of the motor 20 and the current threshold value Ith. Note that the maximum air volume control in the present invention controls the maximum air volume to a desired value according to the relationship between the rotational speed of the motor 20 and the pressure loss when the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the threshold value Rth. However, it does not necessarily control to keep the air volume constant. Therefore, the maximum air volume control of the present invention differs from the conventional so-called constant air volume control in control method and effect.

According to this, as described above, in the range where the target rotation speed Rtg is lower than the rotation speed threshold value Rth, the motor 20 is driven so that the air volume of the fan 100 increases in proportion to the instructed target rotation speed Rtg. On the other hand, in a range where target rotation speed Rtg is higher than rotation speed threshold value Rth, motor 20 is driven such that the air volume of fan 100 changes according to the static pressure.

As described above, in the fan, the motor current and the external pressure are in a substantially proportional relationship. Therefore, the fan 100 according to the present embodiment sets the current threshold Ith as a reference value for determining whether the external pressure is high or low, and compares the current threshold Ith with the motor current of the motor 20. Thus, it is estimated whether the external pressure is high or not, and the motor control method is switched.

Specifically, when the current flowing through the motor 20 is greater than the current threshold Ith in a state where the target rotation speed Rtg is higher than the rotation speed threshold Rth, the fan 100 performs speed feedback control so that the current flowing through the motor 20 is If the current is smaller than the current threshold Ith, maximum air volume control is performed.

As a result, when the external pressure of the fan 100 is lower than a predetermined pressure (static pressure) corresponding to the current threshold Ith, the fan 100 controls the rotation speed of the motor 20 to be lower than the target rotation speed Rtg by maximum air volume control. to reduce the air volume. On the other hand, when the external pressure of the fan 100 is higher than the predetermined pressure (static pressure) corresponding to the current threshold Ith, the fan 100 performs speed feedback control so that the rotation speed of the motor 20 matches the target rotation speed Rtg. control to obtain the required air volume.

As described above, according to the fan 100 to which the motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment is applied, a sufficient air volume can be secured in the required operating range in the region where the static pressure is higher than the predetermined value. In a region where the static pressure is lower than a predetermined value, the air volume can be suppressed regardless of the specified target rotation speed Rtg, and noise generation and power consumption of the fan 100 can be suppressed.

In addition, the motor drive control device 1 according to the present embodiment generates the drive control signal Sd so that the motor 20 rotates at a constant rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold value Rth in the maximum air volume control.
According to this, the motor 20 can be stably rotated at a constant rotational speed during maximum air volume control, so that the stability and quietness of the operation of the fan 100 during maximum air volume control can be further improved. Become.

<<Expansion of Embodiment>>
Although the invention made by the inventors of the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, it goes without saying that the invention is not limited thereto, and that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. stomach.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the speed command signal Sc is a PWM signal, and the duty ratio of the PWM signal designates the target rotation speed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the speed command signal Sc may be an analog signal, and the target rotation speed may be designated by the voltage level of the analog signal.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the motor 20 is a three-phase brushless motor, but the type and number of phases of the motor 20 are not limited to this. For example, it may be a single-phase brushless motor.

Also, the above-described flowchart is an example for explaining the operation, and is not limited to this. That is, the steps shown in each diagram of the flowchart are specific examples, and the flow is not limited to this flow. For example, the order of some processes may be changed, other processes may be inserted between each process, and some processes may be performed in parallel.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Motor drive control apparatus, 2... Motor drive part, 2a... Inverter circuit, 2b... Pre-drive circuit, 4... Control circuit part, 5... Position detection element (Hall element), 6... Current detection part, 20... Motor, 21 Impeller 41 Target rotation speed acquisition unit 42 Rotation speed calculation unit 43 Speed control unit 44 Maximum air volume control unit 45 Drive control signal generation unit 46 Current value acquisition unit 47 Storage Section 48 Comparing section (RCMP) 49 Comparing section (ICMP) 100 Fan Iof Offset amount Ir Actual current value Ith Current threshold value Ith0 Current value Rr Actual rotational speed Rs ... resistance, Rtg ... target rotational speed, Rth ... rotational speed threshold, Sc ... speed command signal, Scp1, Scp2 ... judgment signal, Sd ... drive control signal, Sh ... position detection signal, Sp1 ... PWM command signal (first control signal an example), Sp2 ... PWM command signal (an example of the second control signal).

Claims (6)

a control circuit unit that generates a drive control signal for controlling the rotation speed of the motor based on a speed command signal that indicates a target rotation speed of the motor of the fan;
a motor drive unit that drives the motor based on the drive control signal;
The control circuit unit
When the target rotation speed is lower than the rotation speed threshold, speed feedback control is performed to generate the drive control signal so that the rotation speed of the motor matches the target rotation speed, and the target rotation speed exceeds the rotation speed threshold. Maximum air volume control and speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so that the rotational speed of the motor does not exceed the rotational speed threshold when the rotational speed of the motor is higher than the actual current value of the current flowing through the motor and the current threshold switch based on the result of comparison with
The current threshold is a value obtained by adding an offset amount to the current value of the current flowing through the motor when the fan is operating at the rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold in a free air state. motor drive controller. In the motor drive control device according to claim 1,
The control circuit section performs the speed feedback control when the actual current value is greater than the current threshold value in a state where the target rotation speed is higher than the rotation speed threshold value, and the actual current value is greater than the current threshold value. A motor drive control device, wherein the maximum air volume control is performed when the air volume is smaller. In the motor drive control device according to claim 1,
The motor drive control device, wherein the control circuit unit generates the drive control signal so that the motor rotates at a rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold in the maximum air volume control. The motor drive control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The control circuit unit
a rotation speed calculation unit that calculates an actual rotation speed of the motor based on a position detection signal that indicates the rotation position of the motor;
a speed control unit that generates a first control signal so that the actual rotation speed calculated by the rotation speed calculation unit matches the target rotation speed indicated by the speed command signal;
a current value acquisition unit that acquires the actual current value;
When the target rotation speed is greater than the rotation speed threshold and the actual current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit is greater than the current threshold, a first control is performed so that the rotation speed of the motor does not exceed the rotation speed threshold. 2 a maximum air volume control unit that generates control signals;
and a drive control signal generator that generates the drive control signal based on the first control signal or the second control signal. a motor;
an impeller configured to be rotatable by the rotational force of the motor;
and a motor drive control device that controls the drive of the motor,
The motor drive control device includes:
a control circuit unit that generates a drive control signal for controlling the rotation speed of the motor based on a speed command signal that indicates a target rotation speed of the motor;
a motor drive unit that drives the motor based on the drive control signal;
The control circuit unit
When the target rotation speed is lower than the rotation speed threshold, speed feedback control is performed to generate the drive control signal so that the rotation speed of the motor matches the target rotation speed, and the target rotation speed exceeds the rotation speed threshold. Maximum air volume control and speed feedback control for generating the drive control signal so that the rotational speed of the motor does not exceed the rotational speed threshold when the rotational speed of the motor is higher than the actual current value of the current flowing through the motor and the current threshold switch based on the result of comparison with
The current threshold is a value obtained by adding an offset amount to the current value of the current flowing through the motor when the fan is operating at the rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold in a free air state. fan to. A motor drive control method for generating a drive control signal for controlling the drive of the motor based on a speed command signal indicating a target rotation speed of the fan motor, and driving the motor based on the drive control signal. There is
a first step of performing speed feedback control to generate the drive control signal so that the motor rotation speed matches the target rotation speed when the target rotation speed is lower than the rotation speed threshold;
maximum air volume control for generating the drive control signal so that the motor rotation speed does not exceed the rotation speed threshold when the target rotation speed is higher than the rotation speed threshold; a second step of switching based on a comparison result between the actual current value of the current flowing through and the current threshold;
The current threshold is a value obtained by adding an offset amount to the current value of the current flowing through the motor when the fan is operating at the rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed threshold in a free air state. motor drive control method.

Images