EP1146231B2 - Pump system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for operating a pump unit according to the features specified in the preamble of claim 1.

Pump units are used for example in heating systems as circulating pumps. However, this may also be borehole pumps, sewage pumps or other pumps of virtually any type.

From the German Utility Model G 94 00 955 it is known to provide heating circulation pumps with a radio or infra red fafenedung, so that on the one hand the pump is controlled by remote control and on the other hand operating data of the pump are transmitted wirelessly. Such a wireless control has proven itself in practice well, but is practically only intended to bridge short distances and suitable Such a remote control therefore replaces only the otherwise pump side provided operating levers and / or displays. Although operating data, which are stored in an intermediate store, can also be queried quasi continuously using the remote control described therein, continuous operation data acquisition, in particular over a relatively large distance, is virtually impossible.

WO 0 004 427 discloses a system for remote control of an electrical device. Out WO 99/13418 It belongs to the state of the art to connect a pump as part of a system to the Internet to control them from anywhere. WO 99/19782 discloses a similar concept.

Prior to this prior art, the invention has the object to improve a method for operating such a pump.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the drawings.

The basic idea is to associate the controller of the pump unit with a digital communication unit which has an interface based on Internet protocols, so that the pump unit is provided and intended via this interface for direct connection to a digital network, an ISDN line or even a telephone call. This digital communication unit is largely miniaturized, so that it can be arranged within the pump unit. However, a separate external module may also be provided which is incorporated at any point between the pump control and the line connection. Such an arrangement will be particularly advantageous in compact designs such as downhole pumps or series that are only produced in small numbers. It is made possible that the pump set can be directly connected to today's widespread computer networks, whereby a computer control, as it is already possible in larger plants, for example in the field of chemistry, also possible with conventional pumps. It is thus also in the home and private sector such control possible, especially if the computer or the network via a modem to the analog Tefefonnelz or an ISDN card to the ISDN network and then to the Internet or the communication unit with the corresponding interface is directly connected to it, practically from anywhere in the world is controllable.

Advantageously, TCP / IP (Transport Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) is used as the Internet protocol, since this protocol can be used both on the Internet and in computer networks and is particularly suitable for this application. As far as the connection of the communication unit to a digital network (LAN) should take place, it is expedient to equip them with a corresponding network controller as an interface, such as an Ethernet controller. For direct connection to the ISDN network, an ISDN controller must be provided. For communication via an analog telephone line, however, a modem is to be provided as an interface.

Preferably, the pump unit is equipped so that not only can be done via a digital network control, but also at least one sensor is provided, the output signal via the Kommunkationseinheit is queried. This can be for example a pressure sensor, differential pressure sensor, temperature sensor or the like. This makes it possible that the unit can also be incorporated into an external, over the digital network and / or the Internet-run control In addition, the main electrical and / or hydraulic variables of the unit can be queried and possibly recorded at any time.

The basic structure of the communication unit preferably comprises a microprocessor, a dynamic memory and a static memory and an interface to the pump controller and an external interface based on Internet protocols. The static memory is expediently embodied as a rewritable memory, for example as an EPROM, and contains at least the Operating system of the communication unit, but preferably the entire software.

The pump unit, which preferably also includes a digital controller, is conveniently connected via the line bus of the pump control with the communication unit, wherein the communication is preferably via a serial RS-485 interface, which is well known from other technical applications and therefore not in the Individual is described.

It is particularly advantageous if the software and hardware equipment of the communication unit is such that it includes a web server, since then the control via an external computer, either directly via the directly connected digital Network or Internet or indirectly via a router connected to the digital network from almost any location with an Internet browser is controlled. This software / hardware configuration makes it possible to access the communication unit directly from the Internet and to interrogate the operating values made available via the sensors of the unit and / or to intervene in the control of the unit. Within the web server, it is then expedient to have a corresponding web homepage and a WAP homepage so that the communication unit can be controlled not only by means of a computer via the Internet but also, for example, by means of a mobile telephone according to the WAP standard. In this way, in the private sector very simple and flexible control options can be provided, which can be handled practically worldwide via the GSM network or another wireless network.

Additional software is required for communication between the web server and the pump set via the data bus. In this case, a command language based on postscript has proven to be particularly favorable, which is not compiled, but is converted into the machine language by means of an interpreter. This has the advantage that on the one hand, a compiler is not required, on the other hand, the external software of the communication unit can be changed or replaced from the outside. Thus, for example, updates of the software by command over the Internet a variety of such equipped with communication units pump units are transmitted in a short time.

The communication unit, if it has, which is advantageous, a port for communication with at least one other external device, form a corresponding communication for any other electrical devices. Thus, for example, a temperature sensor in the house or any other sensor can be connected via an external connection. However, active devices such as the control of a refrigerator or a cooker, a garden pump, the control of the home lighting or any other devices can also be connected to the digital communication unit via this external connection and thus via a digital network and / or via the Internet controlled.

According to the present invention, the pump set, in particular its digital control is designed so that it dials itself automatically via the digital communication unit into a local network or directly to the Internet to query data at predetermined addresses by download, which in turn are used for pump control , Such a data request can also be made for other units that are connected to the communication unit via the external connection. In this way, it is possible, for example, that the pump control is controllable in dependence on the future weather data (weather forecast) available on the Internet, so that an intelligent control is possible, which also takes into account future foreseeable events. For example, a time query can also be made via the Internet, which automatically adjusts or replaces the internal clock and provides for the summer / winter time changeover or controls the night setback of the heating system. Also data of the electricity supplier can be queried here in order to throttle the drive power, for example, at peak times.

Fig. 1

den hardwaremäßigen Aufbau einer digitalen Kommunikationseinheit als Blockdiagramm und

Fig. 2

den strukturellen Aufbau der Kommunikations- einheit.

The invention is explained below with reference to two block diagrams.

Fig. 1

the hardware construction of a digital communication unit as a block diagram and

Fig. 2

the structural design of the communication unit.

The size of the building is an essential criterion when setting up the communication unit. The digital communication unit described below may be constructed in less than cigarette box size using today's conventional discrete components on a single board so that it can be integrated into the terminal box or other housing adjacent the unit housing. In any case, the communication unit may be structurally formed with the pump unit as a unit. Instead of incorporation into the pump unit itself, the digital Kommunikationsseinheft may also be incorporated in the manner of a plug-in power supply at the end of a connecting line or in the manner of a filter within the line, z. B. in a small housing.

The digital communication unit 1 has an interface 2, which converts the data coming from the digital pump control to the communication unit 1 and in the reverse direction so that communication via a digital line bus 3 from or to the digital pump / motor control is possible. The interface used here is a modified RS-485 interface, as commonly used in pump units of the Applicant, as far as digital control is provided. The interface 2 is connected to a microprocessor 4 which controls the entire data linkage of the unit 1. The microprocessor is in communication with a dynamic memory 5 (DRAM) which is used to buffer data from the microprocessor 4. Furthermore, the microprocessor 5 communicates with a static memory 6 (permanent memory), which is designed as an EPROM and which includes both the operating system and the remaining software of the communication unit 1 (boot device, flash disc).

Finally, the microprocessor 4 is in this embodiment with an Ethernet controller 7, via which the data of the communication unit 1 is prepared either for a twisted pair connection 8 or for a coaxial connection 9 in order to connect via a data line 10 or 11 to a router which establishes the connection to the Internet or with a personal computer to be connected to a network card or a digital network.

As based on Fig. 2 illustrated, the communication between a PC or an Internet router via an interface 12 (Pump User Interface), which is a web server 13 downstream. The commands of the web server 13 are transmitted by means of a script interpreter 14 to a bus driver 15 and thus to the digital control of the pump set.

Furthermore, the web server 13 is assigned a TCP / IP stack 16 (Transport Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) and a fiash file system 17, including the BIOS level 18 and including the actual hardware 19.

Web server 13 includes a Postscript-based programming language (Web Script) that is directly translated by the Web server from HTTP commands, similar to the CGI (Common Gateway Interface) mechanism known from larger web servers.

The module formed in the example by the Ethernet controller 7, the twisted pair connection 8 and the coaxial connection 9 forms an interface controller 20 to which the digital communication unit 1 is connected via a data line to a digital network. Instead of the illustrated Ethernet controller, which forms the interface to a common today in computer networks Local Area Network (LAN), the communication unit may also be provided with an interface controller for another interface. For example, an ISDN controller or a modem may be provided as the interface controller, in which case the digital communication unit may be connected directly to an ISDN line and in the latter case directly to a telephone line, so to speak direct Internet access.

In addition, the communication unit 1 according to Fig. 1 an external interface 21, which is internally connected to the microprocessor and further includes an external digital interface, which is provided for the connection of one or more of the additional sensors or aggregates, which, with appropriate programming in the same way then over the Internet or over the digital Network can be queried or controlled, such as the pump unit to which this communication unit 1 belongs.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 -

communication unit

2 -

interface

3 -

line bus

4 -

microprocessor

5 -

dynamic memory

6 -

static memory

7-

Ethernet controller

8th -

Twisted-pair connection

9 -

Coaxial connector

10 -

data line

11 -

data line

12 -

interface

13 -

Web Server

14 -

Script interpreter

15 -

Bus Driver

16 -

TCP / IP stack

17 -

Flash File System

18 -

BIOS

19 -

hardware

20 -

Interface Controller

21 -

external interface

Claims (1)

1. A method for operating a pump assembly with a pump, with an electric motor driving this and with a control for the motor, wherein the control comprises a digital communication unit (1), and the communication unit (1) is provided with an interface based on internet protocols, forms part of the pump assembly and contains a web-server (13), characterized in that by way of the communication unit (1) external data is requested automatically and used for the control of the pump.

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