US 12,436,175 B2
Power converter for a thermal system
Stanton H. Breitlow, Winona, MN (US); John F. Lemke, St. Louis, MO (US); James Hentges, Fountain City, WI (US); Keith Douglas Ness, St. Louis, MO (US); Eric Ellis, Columbia, MO (US); William Bohlinger, Winona, MN (US); Matthew Yender, Winona, MN (US); and Dean R. McCluskey, Winona, MN (US)
Assigned to Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed by WATLOW ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, St. Louis, MO (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/957,247.
Application 17/957,247 is a continuation of application No. 16/861,980, filed on Apr. 29, 2020.
Application 16/861,980 is a continuation of application No. 15/624,060, filed on Jun. 15, 2017, granted, now 10,690,705, issued on Jun. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/350,275, filed on Jun. 15, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0021550 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H05B 1/02 (2006.01); F24D 11/02 (2006.01); G01R 19/165 (2006.01); G01R 19/22 (2006.01); G01R 19/257 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 19/225 (2013.01) [F24D 11/0207 (2013.01); G01R 19/16519 (2013.01); G01R 19/257 (2013.01); H01L 21/67115 (2013.01); H05B 1/0233 (2013.01); Y02B 30/17 (2018.05)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control system for controlling an output voltage provided to a
heater, the control system comprising:
a controller configured to:
determine an input parameter based on an electrical characteristic of the heater, wherein the heater includes a resistive heating element that is operable to emit heat and operable as a sensor, wherein the input parameter includes data indicative of a temperature of the resistive heating element that is determined based on the electrical characteristic, wherein the heater is configured to operate in a plurality of operational states comprising a start-up mode, a soft-start mode, a rate mode, and a hold mode,
determine an operational state of the heater to be at least one of the start-up mode, the soft-start mode, the rate mode, and the hold mode based on the input parameter, wherein each of the start-up mode, the soft-start mode, the rate mode, and the hold mode has one or more unique settings to create a programmable state machine, wherein the start-up mode is a mode in which power is being supplied to measure voltage and current, the soft-start mode is a mode in which the power is increased at a ramp rate until a specific resistance setpoint is passed, the rate mode is a mode in which the temperature is increased at a ramp rate selected based on a material of the heater, and the hold mode is a mode in which the temperature of the heater is controlled to a specific setpoint,
determine the output voltage for the heater based on the input parameter and a desired setpoint using the programmable state machine, wherein the desired setpoint is based on the operational state of the heater,
transmit a signal to a power converter to generate the output voltage, and control the heater based on the signal to the power converter.