Power distribution units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10444809-B2
Application number	US-201715420657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

In various examples, a system comprises a rack-mountable power distribution unit (PDU). The PDU may: receive an alternating current (AC) power feed, convert the AC to a direct current (DC) power pool, determine an amount of available amount of power of the DC power pool to be delivered to devices electrically coupled to the PDU, and output the DC power pool to the devices coupled to the PDU based on the amount of available power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a power distribution unit (PDU), an alternating current (AC) power feed;
converting, by the PDU, the AC power feed to a direct current (DC) power pool;
determining, by the PDU, an amount of power of the DC pool available to be delivered to devices electrically coupled to the PDU;
determining, by the PDU, an amount of power of the DC pool consumed by the devices coupled to the PDU;
outputting, by the PDU, an amount of power of the DC pool to the devices coupled to the PDU based on the amount of available power and the amount of the power of the DC pool consumed by the devices;
determining, by the PDU, that an amount of the consumed DC power has changed; and
adjusting the outputted power to the devices based on the changed DC power;
wherein determining that the amount of the consumed DC power has changed comprises determining that one of the devices has failed and adjusting the outputted power comprises increasing the amount of the available power of the DC pool outputted to each of the devices still operating.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDU is rack-mountable, and
wherein the PDU is coupled to a bus bar,
wherein the bus bar comprises a plurality of connectors, wherein each of the plurality of connectors is coupled to one of the devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of connectors protrude from the bus bar and couple to one of the devices.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein one of the connectors of the bus bar is disposed to couple to one of the devices via a plurality of electrical connectors of the one of the devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the outputted power is based on an available amount of power of the DC pool.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the AC comprises:
receiving a first AC power feed from a first AC source and a second AC power feed from a second AC source;
converting the first AC power feed to a first DC power pool;
converting the second AC power feed to a second DC power pool; and
outputting, by the PDU, the first DC power pool and the second DC power pool to one of the devices.

7. A device comprising:
a rack-mountable power distribution unit (PDU) comprising a processor, the processor to:
receive an alternating current (AC) power feed;
convert the AC power feed to a first current (DC) power pool;
determine an amount of available amount of power of the DC power pool to be delivered to devices electronically coupled to the PDU;
determine an amount of DC power consumed by the electrical devices coupled to the PDU;
output the DC power pool to the devices coupled to the PDU based on the amount of available power;
determine that an amount of consumed power of the DC pool has changed; and
adjust the DC power pool outputted to the electronically coupled devices based on the changed consumed DC power;
wherein to determine that amount of consumed power of the DC pool has changed, the PDU to: determine whether one of the devices has failed and to adjust the DC power pool outputted comprises increasing the amount of the available power of the DC pool outputted to each of the devices still operating.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the PDU is rack-mountable, and
wherein the PDU is coupled to a bus bar,
wherein the bus bar comprises a plurality of connectors, wherein each of the plurality of connectors are coupled to each of the electrically coupled devices.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of connectors protrude from the PDU and couple to the bus bar.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of connectors of the bus bar are disposed to couple to a corresponding plurality of electrical connectors of the electrical devices.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein to receive the AC power feed, the PDU to:
receive a first AC power feed from a first AC source and a second AC power feed from a second AC source;
convert the first AC power feed to a first DC power pool;
convert the second AC power feed to a second DC power pool; and
output the first DC power pool and the second DC power pool to one of the electronically coupled devices.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a processor of a power distribution unit (PDU) to:
receive an alternating current (AC) power feed;
convert the AC power feed to a direct current (DC) power pool;
determine an amount of available power of the DC power pool available to be delivered to devices electronically coupled to the PDU;
output the DC power pool to the devices coupled to the PDU based on the determined amount of available power;
determine an amount of power of the DC power pool consumed by the electrical devices coupled to the PDU;
determine that one of the coupled devices has failed;
determine that the amount of the consumed DC power pool has changed; and
adjust the power outputted to the electrically coupled devices based on the changed amount of the consumed DC power pool, wherein adjust the power outputted comprises increasing the amount of the available power of the DC pool outputted to each of the devices still operating.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions that cause the processor to receive the AC power feed comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive a first AC power feed from a first AC source and a second AC power feed from a second AC source;
convert the first AC power feed to a first DC power pool;
convert the second AC power feed to a second DC power pool.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions that cause the processor to output the DC power pool comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
output the first DC power pool and the second DC power pool to one of the coupled devices.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions that cause the processor to receive the AC power feed comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
output the first DC power pool to a first one of the electronically coupled devices; and
output the second DC power pool to a second, different one of the electrically coupled devices.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Banerjee Abhishek
• Stevens Matthew E

Classifications

• G06F1/266 Primary

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• H02B1/20

  Bus-bar or other wiring layouts, e.g. in cubicles, in switchyards (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• H02B1/34

  Racks · CPC title