Rack power distribution via modular, expandable bus bar for modular and scalable/expandable information handling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340691-B2
Application number	US-201314139828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2013
Priority date	Dec 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A rack-based information handling system (IHS) includes a rack having a modular structure that supports insertion from a front of the rack of different numbers and sizes of information technology (IT) gear to create one or more IT nodes. Power bay chassis is received in the rack with a power distribution unit directed towards a rear of the rack. A modular busbar assembly is attached to the rear of the rack. A first vertical busbar segment is in direct electrical connection with the power distribution unit and spans one or more nodes to provide hot pluggable electrical power to an aft-directed connection of an IT node inserted into the rack. A second busbar segment can be attached to the first vertical busbar to electrically communicate with the power distribution unit and span an additional node adjacent to the one or more nodes to provide electrical power to the adjacent node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rack-based information handling system (IHS), comprising:
a rack having a modular structure that supports insertion from a front of the rack of different numbers and sizes of information technology (IT) gear to create one or more IT nodes, the rack vertically provisioned into an upper standard zone, a switch zone, and a lower standard zone, the switch zone designed with at least one switch bay and at least one power bay, each of the at least one switch bay and the at least one power bay configured to enable insertion of a fill-width chassis, the upper standard zone and the lower standard zone each divided into tiers by shelves, the shelves including full-width shelfs providing full-width IT bays for insertion of full-width IT nodes and shelves including partitions defining partial-width bays for insertion of multiple side-by-side partial-width IT nodes;
a power bay chassis having an exterior casing and configured as a full width IT node for insertion into one of the at least one power bay chassis of the switch zone, the exterior casing presenting a volumetric enclosure with opposed side panels, a top and a bottom panel, and a back and a front side, the power bay chassis being a separate physical component from other IT nodes within the rack, the power bay chassis further comprising, within the volumetric enclosure, a plurality of power supply units that electrically connects to an alternating current (AC) switch to receive AC power, a power controller, and a power distribution unit (PDU) having a positive distribution conductor and a negative distribution conductor directed toward a rear of the rack, the PDU electrically connected to the one or more PSUs to receive direct current (DC) electrical power; and
a modular busbar assembly attached to the rear of the rack, the modular busbar assembly comprising (i) a first positive and a first negative vertical busbar segment extending vertically along a rear of the rack and in direct electrical connection, respectively, to the positive distribution conductor and to the negative distribution conductor of the PDU and spanning one or more nodes inserted into the rack to provide hot pluggable electrical power to an aft-directed connection of an IT node inserted into the rack and (ii) second, separate, positive and negative vertical busbar segments modularly attached to the first positive and negative vertical busbar segments, respectively, to electrically connect with the positive and negative distribution conductor, respectively, of the PDU, the second, separate positive and negative vertical busbar segments extending vertically and spanning at least one additional node that is vertically adjacent to the one or more nodes powered by the first positive and negative busbar segments to provide electrical power to the additional adjacent nodes.

2. The rack-based IHS of claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second busbar segments comprises one or more holes and another of the first and second busbar segments comprises corresponding one or more pins to form an electrically conductive attachment.

3. The rack-based IHS of claim 1 , further comprising:
a block chassis comprising an aft-facing busbar connector aligned to contact and electrical communicate with one of the first and second busbar segments when the block chassis is horizontally inserted into the rack from the front.

4. The rack-based IHS of claim 3 , wherein the aft-facing busbar connector comprises a positive and a negative busbar connector and an attachment component to physically engage the one of the first and second busbar segments.

5. The rack-based IHS of claim 3 , wherein:
the block chassis further comprises more than one partial-width configuration of IT nodes; and
the aft-facing busbar connector further comprises a positive and a negative horizontal busbar assembly in electrical connection, respectively to the positive and a negative busbar connector of each of the more than one partial-width configuration of IT nodes.

6. The rack-based IHS of claim 1 , wherein the rack further comprises:
a first frame assembly having a first number of IT nodes spanned by the first vertical busbar segment; and
a second frame assembly mountable on the first frame assembly and having a second number of IT nodes spanned at least in part by the second busbar segment.

7. The rack-based IHS of claim 1 , wherein the rack comprises a standard zone that receives the one or more nodes, an expansion zone that receives an adjacent node, and a switch zone that receives the power bay chassis.

8. The rack-based IHS of claim 1 , wherein
the AC switch is electrically connected to an external AC source.

9. The rack-based IHS of claim 1 , further comprising:
pairs of rear facing conductive components vertically spaced on the first and second busbar segments;
one or more fan bay modules attachable to the rear of the rack to electrically engage one pair of rear facing conductive components; and
a shroud attachable to the rear of the rack to block rear access to another pair of rear facing conductive components.

10. A method of assembling a rack-based information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:
assembling a rack having a modular structure that supports insertion from a front of the rack of different numbers and sizes of information technology (IT) gear to create one or more IT nodes, the rack vertically provisioned into an upper standard zone, a switch zone, and a lower standard zone, the switch zone designed with at least one switch bay and at least one power bay, each of the at least one switch bay and the at least one power bay configured to enable insertion of a fill-width chassis, the upper standard zone and the lower standard zone each divided into tiers by shelves, the shelves including full-width shelfs providing full-width IT bays for insertion of full-width IT nodes and shelves including partitions defining partial-width bays for insertion of multiple side-by-side partial-width IT nodes;
inserting a power bay chassis in the rack to present a power distribution unit (PDU) having a positive distribution conductor and a negative distribution conductor directed toward a rear of the rack, the power bay chassis having an exterior casing and configured as a full width IT node for insertion into one of the at least one power bay chassis of the switch zone, the exterior casing presenting a volumetric enclosure with opposed side panels, a top and a bottom panel, and a back and a front side, the power bay chassis being a separate physical component from other IT nodes within the rack, the power bay chassis further comprising, within the volumetric enclosure, a plurality of power supply units (PSUs) that electrically connect to an alternating current (AC) switch to receive AC power, a power controller, and the PDU, the PDU electrically connected to the plurality of PSUs to receive direct current (DC) electrical power; and
attaching a modular busbar assembly to the rear of the rack by:
attaching a first positive and a first negative vertical busbar segment in direct electrical connection, respectively to the positive and negative power distribution unit to span one or more nodes for providing hot pluggable electrical power to an aft-directed connection of an IT node inserted into the rack; and
attaching a second, positive and a second negative vertical busbar segment, respectively to the first positive and the first negative vertical busbar for electrically connection with the PDU, the second positive and negative vertical busbar segments extending vertically and spanning at least one additional node adjacent to the one or more nodes powered via the first positive and negative vertical busbar and providing elec

Assignees

• Dell Inc
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Bailey Edmond
• Stuewe John R
• Vancil Paul W
• Wang Kunrong

Classifications

• H02J1/001

  Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks · CPC title

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• H02J1/10 Primary

  Parallel operation of DC sources · CPC title

• Y10T307/258

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic