Pump Controller System and Method

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a pump control system. One or more embodiments include a controller communicatively coupled to one or both of a pump and a motor connected to the pump. A device is connected to the controller and configured to connect to a computer network, the device enabling the controller to electronically send, via the computer network to a remote device connected to the computer network, data comprising operational parameters associated with one or both of the pump and the motor.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A pump control system comprising:
 a controller communicatively coupled to one or both of a pump and a motor connected to the pump, the controller comprising memory and one or more processors that read the memory to monitor and control operations of one or both of the motor and the pump; and   a device connected to the controller and configured to connect to a computer network, the device enabling the controller to electronically send, via the computer network to a remote device connected to the computer network, data comprising operational parameters associated with one or both of the pump and the motor.   
     
     
         2 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises peripheral equipment for network communications. 
     
     
         3 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer network is the internet. 
     
     
         4 . The pump control system of  claim 3 , wherein the remote device is a monitoring station and the controller sending the data to the monitoring station enables the monitoring station to monitor one or more of the operations of the motor and the pump. 
     
     
         5 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive a control command from the remote device via the computer network and to execute the control command to perform one or more control functions associated with one or more of the controller, the pump, and the motor. 
     
     
         6 . The pump control system of  claim 5 , wherein the memory stores a plurality of parameters and the one or more processors read a first parameter of the plurality of parameters to perform a first control of the operations of the motor and the pump, and the controller executes the control command to change the first parameter in the memory. 
     
     
         7 . The pump control system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors connected to the controller, the one or more processors reading at least a first sensor of the one or more sensors and producing the data based at least in part on the reading of the first sensor. 
     
     
         8 . A controller for a pump, the controller comprising:
 memory storing a plurality of parameters associated with monitoring and control of one or both of the pump and a motor connected to the pump;   one or more processors in electronic communication with the memory and operatively coupled to one or both of the motor and the pump, the one or more processors reading the memory to monitor and control operations of one or both of the motor and the pump; and   one or more communication devices communicatively connecting the one or more processors to a monitoring system via a computer network, the controller electronically sending, via the computer network to the monitoring system, data comprising operational parameters associated with one or both of the pump and the motor.   
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 8 , wherein the memory comprises an erasable programmable memory storing the plurality of parameters and the one or more processors are configured to receive, from the monitoring system via the computer network, a plurality of control commands each causing the one or more processors to write, to the erasable programmable memory, information describing a change to one or more operating parameters of the plurality of parameters, the one or more processors subsequently reading the one or more operating parameters including the change and, responsive to the change, changing the monitoring and control of operations of the motor and the pump. 
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 9 , wherein to monitor and control operations of the motor and the pump, the one or more processors use the one or more operating parameters to determine whether a fault has occurred in one or both of the motor and the pump. 
     
     
         11 . The controller of  claim 8 , wherein the controller comprises a plurality of integrated circuits, including the one or more processors, cooperating to provide one or both of the pump and the motor with one or more of a plurality of operations including a power conditioner, a variable-speed drive, a pressure regulator, and a motor protector, the data enabling the monitoring system to monitor the plurality of operations. 
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 8 , wherein the computer network is the internet and the controller has an internet-protocol address for network communications. 
     
     
         13 . The controller of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, responsive to a communication from the monitoring system changing one or more operating parameters of the plurality of parameters, activate or deactivate the motor. 
     
     
         14 . The controller of  claim 8 , further comprising a digital signal processor in electronic communication with the one or more processors and cooperating with the one or more processors to read one or more sensors connected to the controller to produce one or more operating parameters of the plurality of parameters, the data enabling the monitoring system to monitor the one or more operating parameters. 
     
     
         15 . The controller of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more communication devices comprise peripheral equipment for network communications. 
     
     
         16 . A method of providing monitoring functions for a pump control system to a monitoring system geographically remote from the pump control system, the pump control system having a motor connected to a pump, the method comprising:
 establishing, by an electronic controller, a link to a monitoring system via a computer network;   measuring, by the controller, one or more parameters of one or both of the pump and the motor to produce data describing the parameters; and   sending, by the controller, the data to the monitoring system via the computer network.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the communication network is the internet and establishing the link comprises determining an internet-protocol address for the controller. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the measuring comprises:
 receiving a signal from a sensor positioned to monitor an operating condition of the motor; 
 accessing a memory of the controller to obtain a programmed threshold associated with the operating condition; 
 comparing the signal to the programmed threshold to determine that the motor is in a first fault condition of a plurality of fault conditions; and 
 responsive to the determination that the motor is in the first fault condition, storing, in the memory as one of the one or more parameters, a first fault condition code of a plurality of fault condition codes; and 
   the sending comprises:
 communicating with the monitoring system to determine that the monitoring system is monitoring the motor; and 
 responsive to a determination that the monitoring system is monitoring the motor:
 accessing the memory to determine that the one or more parameters include the first fault condition code; 
 obtaining the data describing the first fault condition code; and 
 sending the data describing the first fault condition code to the monitoring system via the computer network. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller, a communication from the monitoring system;   determining that the communication comprises instructions to change one or more operating parameters of the controller; and   based on the instructions, performing, by the controller, one or more functions associated with controlling operations of the motor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein performing the one or more functions comprises:
 updating a memory of the controller, the memory storing the one or more operating parameters, to replace the one or more operating parameters in the memory with one or more new operating parameters described in the communication; and   determining an operating condition of the motor based on the one or more new operating parameters; and   changing an operation of the motor based on the operating condition.