Ramp-up optimizing vacuum system

Abstract

A ramp-up optimizing vacuum pump system comprising a vacuum pump in fluid communication with a blower and one or more apparatus and operable to create a vacuum flow from the one or more apparatus through the outflow of the vacuum pump. The blower is positioned between the vacuum pump and one or more apparatus. The blower includes a blower motor which is controlled by a blower controller and a unit controller. The unit controller increases the blower speed at a predetermined ramp-up rate. The blower controller optimizes the ramp-up rate of the blower based on the operating conditions by monitoring the current draw of the motor and the blower speed. If at any time the current draw exceeds a predetermined maximum at a certain blower speed, the blower controller maintains the blower speed until the current draw decreases below the maximum and then continues ramp-up up at the predetermined ramp-up rate.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A ramp-up optimizing vacuum system comprising:
 a blower having a gas inlet and a gas outlet,   a vacuum pump with a gas inlet and a as outlet, a gas line connecting said blower outlet to said vacuum pump inlet;   a blower motor connected to said blower to rotate a rotor of said blower;   a first sensor;   a second sensor;   a motor controller connected with said blower motor, said first sensor and said second sensor; and   said motor controller operable to ramp-up said blower from a blower speed of from zero to an operating blower speed at a predetermined ramp-up rate at start-up;   wherein during a ramp-up of said blower from the blower speed of zero to the predetermined operating blower speed, said motor controller at a plurality of predetermined intervals, based on information from the first sensor, determines a measured blower speed measured blower speed, and based on information from the second sensor determines a measured current draw, and compares the measured current draw to a predetermined maximum current draw value which corresponds to the measured blower speed, and   wherein the motor controller allows either   (1) the continued ramp-up of said blower speed to said operating blower speed at said predetermined ramp-up rate if said measured current draw is less than said maximum current draw value for the measured blower speed, or   (2) if said measured current draw exceeds said maximum current draw value for said measured blower speed, said motor controller stops said ramp-up without a signal being sent to operate said blower at a blower speed less than said measured speed, said blower allowed to operate at said measured speed.   
     
     
         2 . The ramp-up optimizing system of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined maximum current draw value which corresponds to the measured blower speed is from a plot of predetermined maximum current draw values against blower speeds. 
     
     
         3 . The ramp-up optimizing system of  claim 1  wherein each interval of said plurality is a verification/comparison interval. 
     
     
         4 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein said vacuum pump is a diaphragm pump. 
     
     
         5 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein said blower is a roots type blower. 
     
     
         6 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined ramp-up rate is the fastest ramp-up rate of the vacuum system theoretically possible. 
     
     
         7 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein there are thirty intervals per revolution of a motor shaft of said blower motor. 
     
     
         8 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein pressure sensors are not used to control said ramp-up of said blower to said operating speed. 
     
     
         9 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein the connection between the motor controller and first sensor is wireless and the connection between the motor controller and the second sensor is wireless. 
     
     
         10 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein the blower speed is measured in one of revolutions per unit of time of a shaft of the blower motor or a rotor shaft or a rotor. 
     
     
         11 . A method for optimizing a ramp up of a speed of a blower speed of a blower in a vacuum system from zero to an operating blower speed, the method comprising:
 supplying current to a blower motor to ramp-up of the speed of the blower to the operating blower speed at a predetermined ramp-up rate;   at a first predetermined interval front a plurality of predetermined intervals, determining a measured current draw of the blower motor and determining a measured blower speed of the blower, and comparing said measured current draw with a predetermined maximum current draw value for said measured blower speed;   continuing the ramp-up of said blower speed to said operating blower speed at said predetermined ramp-up rate if said measured current draw is less than said predetermined maximum current draw value for the measured blower speed, or   if said measured current draw exceeds said predetermined maximum current draw value for said measured blower speed, stopping said ramp-up without as signal being sent to operate said blower at a blower speed less than said measured speed and allowing said blower to operate at said measured speed.   
     
     
         12 . The method for optimizing the ramp up of a speed of a blower speed of a blower in a vacuum system from zero to an operating blower speed of  claim 11  comprising the further steps of:
 allowing a density of gas passing through said blower to decrease after said measured current draw is greater than the predetermined maximum current draw value for the measured speed; 
 after said decrease in said gas density, determining another measured current draw of the blower motor and determining another measured blower speed at another predetermined interval from said plurality of predetermined intervals; 
 supplying an amount of current to the blower motor to increase the another measured current draw in magnitude to equal a predetermined maximum current draw for the another measured speed. 
 
     
     
         13 . The ramp-up optimizing vacuum system of  claim 1  wherein the first sensor and/or the second sensor are connected wirelessly to the motor controller.