US2016215770A1PendingUtilityA1

Method for operating a linear compressor

Assignee: GEN ELECTRICPriority: Jan 28, 2015Filed: Jan 28, 2015Published: Jul 28, 2016
Est. expiryJan 28, 2035(~8.5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
F04B 35/04F04B 49/065F04B 2203/0402F04B 2203/0401F04B 2203/0409F04B 35/045
38
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Claims

Abstract

A method for operating a linear compressor is provided. The method includes supplying a motor of the linear compressor with a time varying voltage and estimating a back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor. The method also includes determining a velocity of the motor of the linear compressor based at least in part on the back-EMF of the motor and calculating a stroke length of the motor of the linear compressor based at least in part on the velocity of the motor.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating a linear compressor, comprising:
 providing an electrical dynamic model for a motor of the linear compressor;   supplying the motor of the linear compressor with a time varying voltage;   estimating a back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor during said step of supplying using at least the electrical dynamic model for the motor of the linear compressor and a robust integral of the sign of the error feedback;   determining a velocity of the motor of the linear compressor based at least in part on the back-EMF of the motor from said step of estimating; and   calculating a stroke length of the motor of the linear compressor based at least in part on the velocity of the motor from said step of determining.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical dynamic model for the motor comprises 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                    
                   i 
                 
                 
                    
                   t 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     v 
                     a 
                   
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                 
                 - 
                 
                   
                     
                       r 
                       i 
                     
                      
                     i 
                   
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                 
                 - 
                 
                   
                     α 
                      
                     
                         
                     
                      
                     
                       x 
                       . 
                     
                   
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         where
 v a  is a voltage across the motor of the linear compressor; 
 r i  is a resistance of the motor of the linear compressor; 
 i is a current through the motor of the linear compressor; 
 α is a motor force constant; 
 {dot over (x)} is a velocity of the motor of the linear compressor; and 
 L i  is an inductance of the motor of the linear compressor. 
 
       
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further establishing a time varying current through the motor of the linear compressor during said step of supplying. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the linear compressor is positioned within a refrigerator appliance. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein estimating the back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor during said step of supplying using the robust integral of the sign of the error feedback comprises solving
   {circumflex over ( f )}=( K   1 +1) e ( t )+∫ t     0     t [( K   1 +1) e (σ)+ K   2 sgn( e (σ))] d σ−( K   1 +1) e ( t   0 )
   where
 {circumflex over (f)} is an estimated back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor; 
 K 1  and K 2  are real, positive gains; and 
 e=î−i and ė=f−{circumflex over (f)}. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , said step of determining the velocity of the motor of the linear compressor comprises solving 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   x 
                   . 
                 
                 ^ 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                   α 
                 
                  
                 
                   f 
                   ^ 
                 
               
             
           
         
         where
 {dot over ({circumflex over (x)})} is an estimated velocity of the motor of the linear compressor; 
 α is a motor force constant; and 
 L i  is an inductance of the motor of the linear compressor. 
 
       
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said step of calculating the stroke length of the motor of the linear compressor comprises solving 
       
         
           
             
               X 
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       L 
                       i 
                     
                     α 
                   
                    
                   
                     ∫ 
                     
                       
                         f 
                         ^ 
                       
                        
                       
                          
                         t 
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       x 
                       ^ 
                     
                     initial 
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       x 
                       ^ 
                     
                      
                     
                       ( 
                       t 
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         where {circumflex over (x)} is an estimated position of the motor of the linear compressor. 
       
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the time varying voltage supplied to the motor of the linear compressor in order to operate the motor of the linear compressor at a resonant frequency of the motor of the linear compressor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said steps of estimating, determining and calculating are conducted with the motor of the linear compressor sealed within a hermitic shell of the linear compressor. 
     
     
         10 . A method for operating a linear compressor, comprising:
 supplying the motor of the linear compressor with a time varying voltage, the motor of the linear compressor disposed within a hermetic shell of the linear compressor during said step of supplying;   estimating a back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor during said step of supplying using a robust integral of the sign of the error feedback;   determining a velocity of the motor of the linear compressor based at least in part on the back-EMF of the motor from said step of estimating; and   calculating a stroke length of the motor of the linear compressor based at least in part on the velocity of the motor from said step of determining.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing an electrical dynamic model for the motor of the linear compressor, the electrical dynamic model for the motor comprising 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                    
                   i 
                 
                 
                    
                   t 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     v 
                     a 
                   
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                 
                 - 
                 
                   
                     
                       r 
                       i 
                     
                      
                     i 
                   
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                 
                 - 
                 
                   
                     α 
                      
                     
                         
                     
                      
                     
                       x 
                       . 
                     
                   
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         where
 v a  is a voltage across the motor of the linear compressor; 
 r i  is a resistance of the motor of the linear compressor; 
 i is a current through the motor of the linear compressor; 
 α is a motor force constant; 
 {dot over (x)} is a velocity of the motor of the linear compressor; and 
 L i  is an inductance of the motor of the linear compressor. 
 
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further establishing a time varying current through the motor of the linear compressor during said step of supplying. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , the linear compressor is positioned within a refrigerator appliance. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein estimating the back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor during said step of supplying using the robust integral of the sign of the error feedback comprises solving
   {circumflex over ( f )}=( K   1 +1) e ( t )+∫ t     0     t [( K   1 +1) e (σ)+ K   2 sgn( e (σ))] d σ−( K   1 +1) e ( t   0 )
   where
 {circumflex over (f)} is an estimated back-EMF of the motor of the linear compressor; 
 K 1  and K 2  are real, positive gains; and 
 e=î−i and e=f−{circumflex over (f)}. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , said step of determining the velocity of the motor of the linear compressor comprises solving 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   x 
                   . 
                 
                 ^ 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     L 
                     i 
                   
                   α 
                 
                  
                 
                   f 
                   ^ 
                 
               
             
           
         
         where
 {dot over ({circumflex over (x)})} is an estimated velocity of the motor of the linear compressor; 
 α is a motor force constant; and 
 L i  is an inductance of the motor of the linear compressor. 
 
       
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of calculating the stroke length of the motor of the linear compressor comprises solving 
       
         
           
             
               X 
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       L 
                       i 
                     
                     α 
                   
                    
                   
                     ∫ 
                     
                       
                         f 
                         ^ 
                       
                        
                       
                          
                         t 
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       x 
                       ^ 
                     
                     initial 
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       x 
                       ^ 
                     
                      
                     
                       ( 
                       t 
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         where {circumflex over (x)} is an estimated position of the motor of the linear compressor. 
       
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising adjusting the time varying voltage supplied to the motor of the linear compressor in order to operate the motor of the linear compressor at a resonant frequency of the motor of the linear compressor.

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