Pump Controller With External Device Control Capability

Abstract

A variable speed motor controller senses the electrical load on the motor in turning a pump. An output of the controller may be used to trigger a vent valve or power to the motor may be cut if the load level indicates a restricted flow of fluid into the suction side of the pump, such as would be caused by drain occlusion in a swimming pool. A sensor in communication with the suction side of the pump ascertains a vacuum/pressure level present and may be used to verify that an intended operational state for the variable speed motor and the pump is actualized, otherwise anomaly processing is invoked. This pressure/vacuum monitoring may be conducted through speed changes of the motor/pump.

1 . A fluid circulation system for a fluid receptacle with a fluid outlet through which fluid exits the receptacle, a fluid inlet for returning fluid to the receptacle, a pump for moving the fluid from the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet, a suction conduit providing fluid communication between the fluid outlet and the pump and a return conduit providing fluid communication between the pump and the fluid inlet, the power used to turn the pump depending upon flow resistance into and out of said fluid receptacle, comprising:
 a variable speed motor couplable to the pump for turning it;   a controller in electrical communication with said variable speed motor, said controller determining the amount of electrical power delivered to said variable speed motor and the rotational speed of said variable speed motor;   an electrical load sensing circuit for sensing the electrical load on said variable speed motor in turning said pump;   a vent valve coupled to the suction conduit and having at least two positions, a first position which fluidly connects the suction conduit to matter outside the suction conduit and a second position which isolates the suction conduit from matter outside the suction conduit; said controller having an output that triggers said vent valve to assume the first position when said electrical load sensing circuit senses a load level indicative of a restricted flow of fluid into said suction conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said controller cuts power to said variable speed motor when said electrical load sensing circuit senses a load level indicative of a restricted flow of fluid into said suction conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said output of said controller that triggers said vent valve to assume the first position, acts through a relay. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a suction vacuum release system (SVRS) and said output of said controller that triggers said vent valve to assume the first position is received by said SVRS, said SVRS interpreting said output as an indication of restricted flow of fluid into the suction conduit and trigging said vent valve to assume said first position and turning power to said variable speed motor OFF. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a sensor in communication with the suction conduit for ascertaining a vacuum level present in the suction conduit and generating a corresponding output signal, the vacuum level present in the suction conduit varying depending upon the degree of restriction of fluid flow into and out of the receptacle and the speed of said variable speed motor driving the pump. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said controller generates control outputs to said variable speed motor to control the operational state of said variable speed motor and defining an intended operational state for said variable speed motor and the pump, said controller checking output from said sensor to verify that an actual operational state of the pump is consistent with the intended pump state and terminating pump operation when an inconsistency exists. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said controller triggers said vent valve to assume said first position when the actual operational state of the pump is inconsistent with the intended pump state. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the intended state of the pump is OFF and the output from said sensor has a value indicating a pump ON state, thereby representing an inconsistency. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the intended state of the pump is ON and the output from said sensor has a value indicating a pump OFF state, thereby representing an inconsistency. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the intended state of the pump is a first speed and the output from said sensor has a value indicating a second speed, thereby representing an inconsistency. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said controller checks the output of said sensor after generating a control output to the pump to change the operational state of the pump to verify that that the intended operational state was achieved. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said control program checks the output of said sensor before generating a control output to the pump to change the operational state of the pump. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 6 , further including a plurality of pumps, and wherein said sensor senses operational parameters of the fluid circulation system indicative of the operational state of said plurality of pumps. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 6 , further including a perceptible alarm and wherein a second control output from said controller turns said alarm ON when the intended operational state is not verified. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the intended operational state is a reduction in pump output relative to a prior operational state and an expected associated sensed parameter is a reduced suction conduit vacuum level relative to that which persisted prior to the control output intended to reduce pump output. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the reduction in pump output is to nil resulting in an expected corresponding vacuum level of approximately nil. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 2 , further including a clock, said clock providing time information to count down a delay period after the pump is shut OFF due to a restricted flow condition in said suction conduit, the pump being automatically restarted after the delay period, said controller activating said vent valve momentarily when the pump is restarted. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further including a counting program portion in said controller that counts the number of times the pump is shut OFF due to a flow restriction in the suction conduit, and comparing the count to a limited number of times, the pump being shut down and requiring user intervention to restart after reaching the limited number of times. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said controller has a scheduling program portion for scheduling times for powering said variable speed motor to achieve different speeds, each speed having a corresponding criteria range of suction conduit vacuum values associated therewith, said controller having a comparing program portion that compares a current vacuum level with the criteria range corresponding with the current scheduled speed and turning the pump OFF if the current vacuum level is inconsistent with the criteria range. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 6 , further including a suction vacuum release system (SVRS), wherein said controller has a scheduling program portion for scheduling times for powering said variable speed motor to achieve different speeds, each speed having a corresponding criteria range of suction conduit vacuum values associated therewith and wherein said SVRS receives control outputs from said controller and said sensor as inputs, said SVRS comparing a current vacuum level with the criteria range corresponding with the current scheduled speed and turning the pump OFF and triggering the vent valve to assume the first position if the current vacuum level is inconsistent with the criteria range. 
     
     
         21 . A fluid circulation system for a fluid receptacle with a fluid outlet through which fluid exits the receptacle, a fluid inlet for returning fluid to the receptacle, a pump for moving the fluid from the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet, a suction conduit providing fluid communication between the fluid outlet and the pump and a return conduit providing fluid communication between the pump and the fluid inlet, the power used to turn the pump depending upon flow resistance into and out of said fluid receptacle, comprising:
 a variable speed motor couplable to the pump for turning it;   a controller in electrical communication with said variable speed motor, said controller determining the amount of electrical power delivered to said variable speed motor and the rotational speed of said variable speed motor;   an electrical load sensing circuit for sensing the electrical load on said variable speed motor in turning said pump;   a sensor in communication with the suction conduit for ascertaining a vacuum level present in the suction conduit and generating a corresponding output signal, the vacuum level present in the suction conduit varying depending upon the degree of restriction of fluid flow into and out of the receptacle and the speed of said variable speed motor driving the pump, said controller generating control outputs to said variable speed motor to control the operational state of said variable speed motor and defining an intended operational state for said variable speed motor and the pump, said controller checking output from said sensor to verify that an actual operational state of the pump is consistent with the intended pump state and terminating pump operation when an inconsistency exists.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said controller has a scheduling program portion for scheduling times for powering said variable speed motor to achieve different speeds, each speed having a corresponding criteria range of suction conduit vacuum values associated therewith, said controller having a comparing program portion that compares a current vacuum level with the criteria range corresponding with the current scheduled speed and turning the pump OFF if the current vacuum level is inconsistent with the criteria range. 
     
     
         23 . A system for controlling a pump having a pump portion and a motor portion driving the pump portion, the pump portion having an intake and an outlet, with a suction conduit leading to the intake of the pump portion, comprising:
 a pulse width modulator in electrical communication with said motor portion, said motor portion being a variable speed motor, said pulse width modulator determining the amount of electrical power delivered to said variable speed motor and the speed of the variable speed motor;   a microprocessor electrically coupled to and controlling said pulse width modulator;   a minimum load sensor circuit in electrical communication with said variable speed motor for sensing electrical load on said variable speed motor in turning said pump portion and generating an output to said microprocessor indicative of a load state of said variable speed motor, including when the electrical load on said variable speed motor drops below a minimum load criteria;   a power supply for powering said microprocessor;   a solenoid valve coupled to the suction conduit that vents the suction conduit to atmosphere when in a venting position;   a power supply to send power signals to said solenoid valve via a relay, said microprocessor programmed to shut said variable speed motor OFF via control of said pulse width modulator when said minimum load detector circuit detects a violation of minimum load criteria and to trigger said relay to provide a power signal to said solenoid causing said solenoid to vent to atmosphere.