POWER SUPPLY FOR HIGH SPEED MOTOR
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power supply for a high speed electric motor and relates particularly to a power supply for a motor using magnetic bearings.
International Patent Application No WO 98/33260 describes a high speed electric motor which is particularly suitable for use as a refrigeration compressor motor. Such a motor may be used in, for example, a compressor of the type described in Australian Patent No 686174 and utilizing magnetic bearings for the rotating parts.
Background of the Invention
A known difficulty with use of magnetic bearings is to supply power to the bearings during a system power failure where the power supply to the motor fails. While it is known to supply auxiliary or back-up power supplies to the system by way of batteries of the like, such auxiliary power supplies are relatively expensive and require additional switching controls to enable the auxiliary supply to take over when the main power supply fails. Further, the batteries have a limited life and generally must be replaced every two (2) years. This adds substantial further costs to the system.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved power supply system for a high speed electric motor running in magnetic bearings which can maintain power to the bearings in the event of a main power supply failure.
It is also desirable to provide a power supply system for continuously supplying power to the magnetic bearings of a high speed electric motor following a failure of the main power supply until such time as the rotating parts are at rest.
It is also desirable to provide an improved controller for a high speed
electric motor which enables a spinning rotor to spin down under controlled conditions.
It is also desirable to provide a power supply controller for a high speed electric motor with magnetic bearings which is relatively inexpensive, which is efficient in its operation and which provides a substantially fail-safe power supply for the magnetic bearings.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with one aspect of the invention there is provided a power control system for a high speed electric motor with at least one magnetic bearing comprising a DC/DC converter supplied from a DC link buss connected to a main power supply, said buss supplying power for the electric motor and a bearing actuator, the converter providing low voltage DC power supplies for a motor controller, a bearing controller and a supervisory controller, the supervisory controller monitoring the main power supply and communicating with the motor controller and bearing controller so as to cause the motor to operate as a generator in the event of a failure of the main power supply to thereby supply power to the DC link buss to maintain operation of the magnetic bearing.
The invention is particularly adapted for use with a high electric motor the rotor of which is supported solely by magnetic bearings. The invention may also be utilised for an electric motor having a combination of magnetic and gas bearings.
Preferably, the DC link buss incorporates at least one capacitor which, in normal use, is maintained in a charged condition by the main power supply. The capacitor is able to provide sufficient power in conjunction with that supplied by the motor running as a generator to run down the motor from full speed and maintain operation of the magnetic bearings during the run down period. Running
the motor as a generator during the run down period extracts the kinetic energy stored in the motor and other rotating parts and constitutes an electric brake to quickly and safely stop the rotor rotation. During the run down period, power continues to be supplied from the motor, running as a generator, to the DC link buss which provides an uninterruptable power supply to the DC/DC converter and the several controllers as well as the magnetic bearing actuator for the full run down period.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of running down a high speed, DC electric motor run on magnetic bearings in the event of a failure of the main power supply including the steps of supplying the motor and the magnetic bearings from a high voltage DC buss connected to the main power supply, providing a DC/DC controller to supply low voltage DC power to a magnetic bearing controller and a motor controller, using switching devices to control the motor operation, sensing a main power supply failure and providing a signal to the motor controller, controlling the switching devices to cause the rotating motor to run as a generator, and supplying the generated power to the DC buss to maintain operation of the magnetic bearings.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a block diagram of a power control system in accordance with the present invention.
Description of one embodiment
Referring to the drawing, the power control system 12 is connected to a three phase AC power supply 14 through a bridge rectifier 16. A DC link buss 17 supplies DC power to a DC/DC converter 18, magnetic bearing actuator 19 and electric motor 21. A large capacitor 22 is connected across the link buss 17 to provide a buffer of stored power for motor run down. In this embodiment, the DC
link buss voltage is 1000V and the capacitor, or several capacitors, will have a capacity sufficient for a motor run down time of about 0.1 sec to about 1.5 sec, in the absence of any other power source.
The DC DC converter 18 provides low voltage DC power for a motor controller 23, a bearing controller 24 and a supervisory controller, which, in this embodiment, takes the form of a computer 26. The converter 18 also supplies low voltage power for various sensors associated with the magnetic bearings and for Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) which are used for control purposes in the magnetic bearing actuator 19 and the electric motor power supply 21. The magnetic bearing actuators and associated IGBTs and the electric motor control circuits and its associated IGBTs are known in the art and will not be described in detail. Gate drive signals for the various IGBTs are generated by the bearing controller 24 and motor controller 23, respectively, to provide the desired operational parameters for the electric motor and the electric motor bearings.
An AC power monitor 27 provides a signal to the supervisory computer 26 in the event of a failure of the main AC power supply 14. On receipt of such a signal, the motor controller 23 controls the motor current to reverse relative to the motor magnetic field thereby turning the electric motor into a generator.
To do this, the motor controller controls the operation of a number of electronic switches (6 in a 3-phase motor) between "open" and "closed" conditions to direct the motor current through the motor windings for controlling the motor parameters. When a power failure is detected, the switches are actuated to short the motor windings for a period to generate winding current when the voltage on the capacitor 22 is higher than the motor voltage. The switches are then actuated to connect the motor winding, in generator mode, to the DC buss 17 to feed power to the DC buss 17.
The power developed by the motor/generator 21 is fed into the DC link buss 17 via the motor IGBTs to maintain the power supply for the magnetic bearings 18. By drawing power from the motor 21, the rotor is electrically braked thereby taking potentially hazardous kinetic energy away from the rotor shaft. The power generated during the run down together with the power stored in the capacitor 22 maintains the power supply to the magnetic bearings 18 and the controllers 23 and 24 for sufficient time to enable the motor 21 and associated rotating parts to run down to a stop.
In one particular form of the invention, when the electric motor is used to drive a refrigeration compressor, the supervisory computer, on sensing a power failure, will also operate to unload the compressor.
Subject to the motor speed, the inertia of the rotating parts associated with the motor and any external load on the motor, a run down time of between 2 to 3 seconds is achievable. By operating the motor 21 as a generator and supplying power to the DC link buss 17, the charge in the capacitor 22 is maintained for a substantial part of the run down time. By maintaining a power supply to the magnetic bearings during run down, damage to the bearings is avoided and the motor is able to be safely brought to rest.