JP7238953B1 - escalator - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to further reduce the power consumption of an escalator for automatic operation. An escalator (10) of the present invention includes a motor (17) for circulating steps (11) connected in an endless fashion, a commercial power supply (50) for supplying AC power, an inverter device (32) for inverter-controlling the motor, and the motor. A first circuit 34 that connects the commercial power supply via the inverter device, a second circuit 35 that directly connects the motor and the commercial power supply, and the first circuit and the second circuit are switched and connected. It comprises a switching means 33 , sensors 40 arranged at the entrances 20 a and 21 a for detecting a user who is about to board, and a control device 31 . [Selection drawing] Fig. 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to power saving of an escalator for automatic operation.

An escalator with automatic operation specifications is equipped with a sensor on the entrance side to detect users, and when there are no users, the escalator stops or decelerates, and when the sensor detects a user, it automatically accelerates to the rated speed. .

Patent Literature 1 discloses an escalator provided with two sensors (a first sensor and a second sensor) on the entrance side along the traveling direction of the user. The first sensor is arranged so as to be able to detect an area on the front side in the direction of travel, and upon detecting a user trying to get on the escalator, it starts pre-acceleration from a stopped state. Further, when a second sensor provided so as to be able to detect the area immediately before the step detects the user getting on the step, the main acceleration is performed to the rated speed.

In the escalator of Patent Document 2, in order to save power, acceleration from a stopped state is performed by inverter control in both up and down operations, and when acceleration to the rated speed is completed, the motor drive power is converted from the inverter output power. The rated speed operation is continued by switching to commercial AC power. On the other hand, after the sensor detects the last user, when certain conditions are met, the motor driving power is switched from commercial AC power to inverter output power, and the motor is decelerated from the rated speed by inverter control and stopped. there is

In the escalator of Patent Document 2, AC power is supplied directly instead of inverter output power during rated speed operation. Therefore, compared to braking resistance type full inverter control, it is possible to suppress the generation of power consumption without permission (approximately 5% conversion loss) that occurs when converting from commercial power supply to inverter power supply, resulting in power saving. I can plan. In addition, when running downhill at the rated speed, compared to full inverter control with a power regeneration method, when the regenerated power is regenerated, there is about 3% conversion loss in the boost reactor, about 5% conversion loss in the converter, and about 5% conversion loss in the inverter. Since there is no conversion loss of about 5% in , power saving can be achieved by returning about 13% more regenerative power to the power supply in total.

JP 2019-142649 A JP 2004-262634 A

When the power consumption of a continuous operation specification escalator is assumed to be 100%, the energy saving effect of an automatic operation specification escalator that stops when there are no users due to non-inverter control is about 58%. The energy saving effect of an escalator that operates at standby speed when there are no users by inverter control is about 67%.

Further power saving is required for escalators.

In addition, even with automatic driving specifications, if the steps are completely stopped in the absence of a user, it is not possible to determine at a glance whether the user is driving uphill or downhill. For this reason, escalators with specifications that operate at a low standby speed by inverter control have also been proposed.

An object of the present invention is to further reduce the power consumption of an escalator for automatic operation.

The escalator of the present invention is
a motor for circulating the endlessly connected steps;
a commercial power supply that supplies AC power;
an inverter device for inverter-controlling the motor;
a first circuit connecting between the motor and the commercial power source via the inverter device;
a second circuit that directly connects the motor and the commercial power supply;
a switching means for switching and connecting the first circuit and the second circuit;
A sensor that is placed at the entrance and detects a user trying to get on,
a controller;
Equipped with

The control device, by the switching means,
During uphill operation, the first circuit connects the motor and the commercial power supply via the inverter device,
During descending operation, the second circuit connects the motor and the commercial power supply during rated speed operation, and the first circuit connects the motor and the commercial power supply via the inverter device except during the rated speed operation. to connect.

The control device, during downhill operation,
The switching means closes the first circuit and opens the second circuit, and controls the inverter device so that the step runs at a standby speed lower than the rated speed,
When the sensor detects the user, the step is accelerated until it reaches the rated speed, and then the switching means opens the first circuit, closes the second circuit, and supplies the motor with the commercial power supply. drive the

After the sensor detects the last user, the control device closes the first circuit and opens the second circuit by the switching means when a predetermined standby speed operation transition condition is satisfied, and the step is performed. controls the inverter device to run at the standby speed.

When the control device is running uphill,
controlling the inverter device so that the step travels at a standby speed slower than the rated speed;
After the sensor detects the user, the output torque of the motor is obtained from the inverter device to calculate a boarding rate. , controlling the inverter device to run at a second rated speed lower than the rated speed;
When the boarding ratio exceeds a predetermined value, the step controls the inverter device so that the vehicle runs at the rated speed.

The control device controls the inverter device so that the step travels at the second rated speed when the boarding rate falls below the predetermined value again after the boarding rate exceeds the predetermined value.

The control device controls the inverter device to run the steps at the standby speed when a predetermined standby speed operation transition condition is satisfied after the sensor detects the last user.

The escalator of the present invention can achieve power saving by changing the control method of the power supplied to the motor between the upward operation and the downward operation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing one embodiment of the escalator of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the entrance. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an escalator drive system. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a commercial power supply, an inverter device, a switching device and a motor. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the boarding rate of the escalator and the torque of the inverter device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining control by the control device during uphill operation. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a speed pattern during uphill operation. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining signals transmitted and received between the control device and the inverter device. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining control by the control device during downhill operation. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a speed pattern during downhill driving. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the difference in conversion loss between (a) inverter control operation and (b) commercial power supply operation of the present invention for down rated speed operation.

A control method for the escalator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the escalator 10. FIG. As shown in the figure, the escalator 10 is constructed by circulating steps 11 together with handrails 12 between different floors of a building (an upper floor 20 and a lower floor 21). A truss 13 forming the framework of the escalator 10 is provided with sprockets 14 and 15 on the upper and lower sides, and a step chain 16 is hung between the sprockets 14 and 15 to connect and circulate a large number of steps 11 endlessly. One sprocket 14 is linked to a motor 17 via a speed reducer 18 so as to be able to transmit power. Rails (not shown) are provided between the upper and lower floors of the truss 13, and the steps 11 are pulled by the step chains 16 to run on the rails (not shown).

In an escalator that runs up, the lower floor 21 serves as an entrance 21a, and the upper floor 20 serves as an exit 20a. In the case of descending operation, the upper floor 20 is the entrance 20a, and the lower floor 21 is the exit 21a.

The escalator 10 of this embodiment is an escalator for automatic operation, and a sensor 40 for detecting a user is arranged at the entrance. In addition, in order to share the escalator 10 for up and down operations, a sensor is also arranged at the exit.

As a specific embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entrances 20a and 21a are provided with a first sensor 40 for detecting the user in the region on the front side in the traveling direction. The first sensor 40 can be, for example, a reflective sensor such as a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor. The ToF sensor detects the object from the rotation angle and the time required for the laser light L1 emitted from the light projecting part to be reflected by the object and returned to the light receiving part while rotating the light projecting part and the light receiving part of the laser light L1. A sensor that measures the distance and position to Note that the first sensor 40 is not limited to the sensor described above, and various other sensors can be employed.

The motor 17 and first sensor 40 described above are electrically connected to the drive system 30 of the escalator 10 . FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the drive system 30 of the escalator 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Various controls are performed on the drive system 30 by a control device 31 . In this embodiment, motor 17 is an AC drive motor. An inverter device 32 and a switching means 33 are arranged between the motor 17 and the commercial power source 50 , and the motor 17 is driven by the commercial power source with three-phase AC power or inverter-controlled via the inverter device 32 .

The control device 31 can be configured using a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The control device 31 includes a non-volatile memory that stores the control program, a volatile memory that is used as a work area when executing the control program, and a rewritable memory that stores various setting values to be referred to when executing the control program. A configuration including a non-volatile memory or the like can be employed. The first sensor 40 described above is connected to the control device 31 and a signal is input thereto. The control device 31 also controls the inverter device 32 and the switching means 33 .

An inverter device 32 and switching means 33 are arranged between the motor 17 and the commercial power supply 50 . The switching means 33 allows the motor 17 to switch between a first circuit 34 connected to the commercial power source 50 via the inverter device 32 and a second circuit 35 directly connected to the commercial power source 50 .

A commercial power supply 50 supplies R, S, and T three-phase AC power.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inverter device 32 mainly includes a converter 32b and an inverter 32e, and may include a boost reactor 32a, a smoothing capacitor 32c, a semiconductor switch and a braking resistor 32d.

The converter 32b converts AC power supplied from the commercial power supply 50 into DC power, and supplies the DC power to the inverter 32e.

The inverter 32e converts the DC power generated by the converter 32b into AC power of any voltage and frequency, controls the motor 17, and efficiently generates the required torque.

The boost reactor 32a functions as a filter that prevents the commercial power supply 50 and the motor 17 from being adversely affected by harmonics and surge voltages generated by the inverter 32e and the converter 32b.

The smoothing capacitor 32c is inserted in the DC power portion between the converter 32b and the inverter 32e, and smoothes the pulsating portion of the DC power output from the converter 32b.

The braking resistor 32d is connected via a semiconductor switch, and consumes DC power generated in the inverter 32e by regenerative power generated by the motor 17 during downhill driving, deceleration, and stopping.

As shown in FIG. 3, the switching means 33 is capable of switching between a first circuit 34 connecting the motor 17 to the commercial power source 50 via the inverter device 32 and a second circuit 35 directly connecting to the commercial power source 50. At the same time, it is possible to switch between up and down operations for connection.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the switching means 33 is directly connected to a switch for switching the inverter contactor #PINV connected to the AC side of the inverter device 32, the commercial power supply 50, and the motor 17, thereby power supply contactor #PNML (electromagnetic contactor) for directly turning on the power supply, and a switch for switching between the contactor #1 for up-running and the contactor #2 for down-running. The switching means 33 is, for example, a matrix converter.

In the drive system 30 configured as described above, the controller 31 controls the escalator 10 based on the signal from the first sensor 40 as follows.

<Upbound driving>
The uphill operation is controlled by a braking resistance type full inverter, and the speed at which a user is detected and operated is variable based on the boarding rate of the escalator 10 . Specifically, when the boarding rate is a predetermined value (eg, 10% or less), the vehicle is operated at a predetermined speed (eg, 5 m/min) lower than the rated speed (eg, 30 m/min). When the state in which the boarding rate exceeds a predetermined value continues for a predetermined time (for example, one second), the rated speed operation is performed to save energy.

The boarding rate can be calculated from the output torque of the motor 17 detected by the inverter device 32 which increases when the user gets on the escalator 10 . FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the torque detection level of the inverter device 32 and the boarding rate of the escalator 10 during upward running. During uphill running, the more users get on the steps 11, the greater the load on the motor 17 due to the weight of the users. For example, if the predetermined value of the boarding rate, which is the criterion for switching operation, is set to 10%, this corresponds to a torque detection level of approximately 38% in the illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the control of the escalator 10 during upward operation. The process according to the flowchart of FIG. 6 is started when the administrator or the like of the escalator 10 activates the key switch on the control panel of the escalator 10 (step S101).

When the starting operation is performed, the control device 31 controls the switching means 33 so as to close the contactor #PINV for the inverter and the contactor #1 for the up-running operation (step S102). As a result, the motor 17 is connected to the commercial power source 50 through the first circuit 34 via the inverter device 32, and inverter control operation is started (step S102). Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the control device 31 issues an operation command to the inverter device 32 for standby speed operation (for example, the moving speed in step 11 is 10 m/min) (standby speed operation command in FIG. 8), The motor 17 is driven at a rotation speed corresponding to the standby speed (standby speed operation section in FIG. 7). As a result, in step 11, the vehicle travels upward at the standby speed due to the inverter-controlled operation (step S103). The reason why the vehicle is operated at the standby speed is that the step 11 is circulated in the upward direction so that the user can visually recognize the direction in which the vehicle should ride.

From this state, when the first sensor 40 detects a user at the entrance 20a or 21a (YES in step S104), the controller 31 controls the inverter so that the step 11 runs at a speed corresponding to the boarding rate of the user. The device 32 is controlled to perform acceleration (YES in step S105, user-detected acceleration start in FIG. 7, second rated speed operation command in FIG. 8). It should be noted that the main acceleration and the acceleration/deceleration described below are desirably set to an acceleration/deceleration at which the user does not feel the acceleration/deceleration, for example, 0.008 m/s ² (acceleration time of 10 seconds).

If the boarding rate is equal to or less than the predetermined value (YES in step S104), control device 31 executes step 11 as shown in FIG. 25 m/min), and control the inverter device 32 to maintain the speed (step S106, second rated speed section below the boarding rate predetermined value in FIG. 7). In addition, since the predetermined boarding rate is not reached immediately after the first sensor 40 detects the user, there is always a section in which the second rated speed is lower than the rated speed by a predetermined speed during uphill driving. .

In this state, when the user is further detected (YES in step S107) and the boarding rate exceeds a predetermined value (NO in step S105), the controller 31 accelerates to the rated speed in step S11, and The inverter device 32 is controlled so as to maintain the speed (step S108, boarding rate exceeds the predetermined value in FIG. 7, acceleration starts). As a result, the travel speed in step 11 becomes the rated speed (the rated speed operation section in FIG. 7), and the transportation efficiency of the escalator 10 is improved.

The inverter device 32 calculates a boarding rate each time the first sensor 40 detects a user (YES in S107, step S105). Then, when the boarding rate becomes 10% or less (YES in step S104), the control device 31 decelerates step 11 to the second rated speed, as shown in FIG. The device 32 is controlled (step S106, boarding ratio predetermined value or less in FIG. 7, deceleration start, second rated speed operation command in FIG. 8). Power saving can be achieved by running step 11 at the second rated speed.

After that, when the predetermined standby speed operation transition condition is satisfied after the user is no longer detected (YES in step S109), the control device 31 starts deceleration to the standby speed (non-user state deceleration start in FIG. 7; 8), the inverter device 32 is controlled so as to maintain the running of step 11 at the standby speed (step S110). The predetermined waiting speed operation transition condition can be exemplified by, for example, that after the user is detected, the steps are rotated by 1/2 and 30 seconds have elapsed.

As mentioned above, when the boarding rate is below a predetermined value, the speed is reduced to the second rated speed operation, which is lower than the rated speed. Also, it is possible to obtain a greater energy-saving effect than a non-inverter-controlled automatic start-stop escalator. Specifically, when the escalator of continuous operation specification is assumed to be 100%, the energy saving effect of the automatic start and stop operation specification that stops when there are no users due to non-inverter control is about 58%. The energy-saving effect of the power-saving escalator, which operates at standby speed when there is no one, is about 67%. If the boarding rate is 10% or less, it is operated at the second rated speed, which is -5m/min below the rated speed. An energy saving effect of 44% can be achieved.

<Driving downhill>
Downstream operation is commercial power supply operation at rated speed operation, and inverter control operation at other times. It should be noted that control based on the boarding rate is not performed for downhill driving.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the control of the escalator 10 during upward operation. The process according to the flowchart of FIG. 9 is started when the administrator or the like of the escalator 10 activates the key switch on the control panel of the escalator 10 (step S201).

When the starting operation is performed, the control device 31 controls the switching means 33 so as to close the contactor #PINV for the inverter and the contactor #2 for the downward operation (step S202). As a result, the motor 17 is connected to the commercial power supply 50 through the inverter device 32 by the first circuit 34, and inverter control operation is started. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the control device 31 issues a standby speed operation command to the inverter device 32 (standby speed operation command in FIG. 8), and drives the motor 17 at a rotation speed corresponding to the standby speed. do. As a result, in step 11, the vehicle travels downward at the standby speed by the inverter-controlled operation (step S203, standby speed in FIG. 10). The reason why the vehicle is operated at the standby speed is that the step 11 is circulated in the downward direction so that the user can visually recognize the direction in which the vehicle should ride.

When the first sensor 40 detects the user at the entrance 20a or 21a (YES in step S204), the control device 31 once controls the inverter device 32 to accelerate the step 11 from the standby speed to the rated speed. (Step S205, acceleration start when user is detected in FIG. 10).

Then, when step 11 accelerates to the rated speed (YES in step S205, reaching the rated speed in FIG. 10), the control device 31 synchronizes the phase of the inverter output power and the phase of the commercial power supply 50, and then the switching means 33 opens inverter contactor #PINV and closes power supply contactor #PNML. As a result, AC power is supplied directly to the motor 17 from the second circuit 35 directly connected to the commercial power supply 50 instead of from the first circuit 34 via the inverter device 32, and the rated speed operation is changed from the inverter control operation to the commercial power supply operation. can be switched. By setting the rated speed operation to the commercial power supply operation, power can be regenerated to the commercial power supply 50 without conversion loss due to the inverter device 32 .

Then, when a predetermined standby speed operation shift condition is satisfied after the user is no longer detected (YES in step S208, non-user state deceleration starts in FIG. 10), the inverter control operation is resumed (step S209). The predetermined waiting speed operation transition condition can be exemplified by, for example, that after the user is detected, the steps are rotated by 1/2 and 30 seconds have elapsed.

Specifically, after synchronizing the phase of the commercial power supply 50 and the phase of the inverter output power, the control device 31 controls the switching means 33 to open the power supply contactor #PNML and the inverter contactor #PINV. is closed (step S209). As a result, the motor 17 is connected to the first circuit 34 via the inverter device 32 instead of the second circuit 35 directly connected to the commercial power supply 50, and the inverter control operation is restored.

Then, the control device 31 starts deceleration to the standby speed in step 11 (start of deceleration in non-user state in FIG. 9), and controls the inverter device 32 to maintain the standby speed (step S203).

As described above, the downstream operation is commercial power supply operation during rated speed operation, and inverter control operation at times other than rated speed operation. When the rated speed operation is the inverter control operation, as shown in FIG. 11(a), conversion loss occurs in the inverter 32e, the converter 32b, and the step-up reactor 32a when the regenerated electric power generated by the motor 17 is regenerated. This conversion loss is about 5% in the inverter 32e, about 5% in the converter 32b, and about 3% in the boost reactor 32a, totaling about 13%. However, in the present invention, since the rated speed operation is the commercial power supply operation, power can be regenerated to the commercial power supply 50 without these conversion losses, as shown in FIG. can be achieved. In particular, as the usage situation increases, the rated speed operation increases, so a large power saving effect can be obtained.

When the continuous operation specification escalator is assumed to be 100%, the energy saving effect of the automatic start/stop operation specification that stops when there are no users by non-inverter control is about 58%, and the standby when there is no user by inverter control. The energy-saving effect of the power-saving escalator operating at high speed is about 67%. On the other hand, as in the present invention, commercial power supply operation is performed during rated speed operation, and inverter control operation is performed at times other than rated speed operation. can achieve an energy saving effect of about 54%.

As described above, according to the escalator 10 of the present invention, the control method is changed between uphill and downhill operation. Commercial power supply operation and others are inverter control operation. As a result, it is possible to achieve power saving compared to escalators with continuous operation specifications and automatic start/stop specifications, and an energy saving effect can be obtained.

The above description of the embodiments is for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or narrowing the scope. Further, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is of course possible to make various modifications within the technical scope of the claims.

In the above embodiment, the user is detected by the first sensor 40, and the traveling speed in step 11 is changed from the standby speed to the second rated speed in the case of uphill operation, and from the standby speed to the rated speed in the case of downhill operation. However, a second sensor 41 can be arranged to detect the user in the area just before step 11, for example, as shown in FIGS. In the case of uphill operation, when a user is detected by the first sensor 40, the third rated speed is set to a third rated speed that is lower than the second rated speed, and when a user is detected by the second sensor 41, the second rated speed is set. The speed may be changed to . Similarly, in the case of downhill driving, when the user is detected by the first sensor 40, the speed is changed to a second rated speed that is lower than the rated speed, and when the user is detected by the second sensor 41, the speed is changed to the rated speed. can be As a result, when the user approaches the entrances 20a and 21a but does not get on the step 11, the acceleration of the escalator 10 can be suppressed, so that an energy saving effect can be exhibited.

The second sensor 41 can be exemplified by a photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric sensor is configured by arranging a light emitting portion 41a and a light receiving portion 41b on the skirt guard 19 or the newer cover so as to face each other. The passage of the user may be detected by blocking the light L2 emitted from the light emitting unit 41a by the user.

10 escalator 17 motor 30 drive system 31 control device 32 inverter device 33 switching means 34 first circuit 35 second circuit

Claims (7)

a motor for circulating the endlessly connected steps;
a commercial power supply that supplies AC power;
an inverter device for inverter-controlling the motor;
a first circuit connecting between the motor and the commercial power source via the inverter device;
a second circuit that directly connects the motor and the commercial power supply;
a switching means for switching and connecting the first circuit and the second circuit;
A sensor that is placed at the entrance and detects a user trying to get on,
a controller;
escalator with. The control device, by the switching means,
During uphill operation, the first circuit connects the motor and the commercial power supply via the inverter device,
During descending operation, the second circuit connects the motor and the commercial power supply during rated speed operation, and the first circuit connects the motor and the commercial power supply via the inverter device except during the rated speed operation. to connect,
An escalator according to claim 1. The control device, during downhill operation,
The switching means closes the first circuit and opens the second circuit, and controls the inverter device so that the step runs at a standby speed lower than the rated speed,
When the sensor detects the user, the step is accelerated until it reaches the rated speed, and then the switching means opens the first circuit, closes the second circuit, and supplies the motor with the commercial power supply. to drive the
An escalator according to claim 2. After the sensor detects the last user, the control device closes the first circuit and opens the second circuit by the switching means when a predetermined standby speed operation transition condition is satisfied, and the step is performed. controls the inverter device to run at the standby speed;
An escalator according to claim 2. When the control device is running uphill,
controlling the inverter device so that the step travels at a standby speed slower than the rated speed;
After the sensor detects the user, the output torque of the motor is obtained from the inverter device to calculate a boarding rate. , controlling the inverter device to run at a second rated speed lower than the rated speed;
controlling the inverter device so that the step travels at the rated speed when the boarding rate exceeds a predetermined value;
The escalator according to any one of claims 2 to 4. After the boarding rate exceeds a predetermined value, the control device controls the inverter device to run the step at the second rated speed when the boarding rate becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value again.
An escalator according to claim 5. After the sensor detects the last user, the control device controls the inverter device to run the step at the standby speed when a predetermined standby speed operation transition condition is satisfied.
An escalator according to claim 5 or claim 6.

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