US 12,334,780 B2
Electronically commutated motor zero-watt standby power consumption
Jonathan Blake, Newington, CT (US); Luis Arnedo, South Glastonbury, CT (US); and Michael S. Smyth, Andrews, IN (US)
Assigned to CARRIER CORPORATION, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)
Filed by Carrier Corporation, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/864,604.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/223,044, filed on Jul. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0015685 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H02K 11/04 (2016.01); H02K 11/20 (2016.01); H02K 11/30 (2016.01)
CPC H02K 11/04 (2013.01) [H02K 11/20 (2016.01); H02K 11/30 (2016.01); Y02B 30/70 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
a blower assembly comprising a blower motor; and
an electronically commutated motor (ECM) controller in electrical communication with the blower motor, the ECM controller comprising:
a rectifier electrically connected to an alternating current (AC) input source, the rectifier being configured to receive AC electricity from the AC input source and convert the AC electricity from the AC input source to direct current (DC) electricity;
a DC electrical circuit comprising a first DC electrical circuit loop and a second DC electrical circuit loop, the rectifier being configured to circulate the DC electricity through the DC electrical circuit;
a relay located within the first DC electrical circuit loop, the relay being configured to open to break the first DC electrical circuit loop and close to complete the first DC electrical circuit loop in order to reduce standby power consumption of the ECM controller;
a DC-to-DC converter electrically connected to the rectifier, the DC-to-DC converter being configured to receive the DC electricity at a first voltage from the rectifier and convert the DC electricity from the first voltage to at least one of a second voltage or a third voltage, the second voltage and the third voltage being less than the first voltage;
a rectifier-to-converter line electrically connecting the rectifier to the DC-to-DC converter, wherein DC electricity is configured to flow from the rectifier to the DC-to-DC converter through the rectifier-to-converter line; and
a converter-to-rectifier line electrically connecting the DC-to-DC converter to the rectifier, wherein the DC electricity is configured to flow from the DC-to-DC converter to the rectifier through the converter-to-rectifier line,
wherein the relay is located within the converter-to-rectifier line, the relay being configured to open the first DC electrical circuit loop within the converter-to-rectifier line and close the first DC electrical circuit loop within the converter-to-rectifier line.