High availability redundant power distribution systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899445-B2
Application number	US-202117485830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Sep 27, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of this present disclosure may include a system with a first power converter and a control system. The first power converter may supply a first output power to a first backplane at least sometimes concurrent to a second power converter supplying a second output power to a second backplane. The control system may be electrically coupled to the first backplane and the second backplane. The control system may balance a first electrical property and a second electrical property provided to each of one or more load components electrically coupled to the first backplane and the second backplane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first power converter configured to supply a first output power;
a second power converter configured to supply a second output power
a first backplane electrically coupled to the first power converter and the second power converter;
a second backplane electrically coupled to the first power converter and the second power converter;
one or more load components each comprising a first ORing circuit and a second ORing circuit electrically coupled to the first backplane and the second backplane, respectively, and configured to operate based on the first output power, the second output power, or both; and
a control system communicatively coupled to the first power converter, the second power converter, and one or more sensors, wherein the control system is configured to:
receive a first indication of the first output power from the one or more sensors;
receive a second indication of the second output power from the one or more sensors;
determine a difference between the first output power and the second output power;
determine that the difference is greater than or equal to a threshold amount of power; and
in response to the difference being greater than or equal to the threshold amount of power, send one or more control signals to the first power converter, the second power converter, or both to adjust the first output power, the second output power, or both based on the difference.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to detect the difference based on sensor data acquired by one or more sensors.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors are integrated within the first ORing circuit of a plurality of ORing circuits.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first ORing circuit comprises a semiconductor device configured to prevent backflow current from being received from the second ORing circuit of the plurality of ORing circuits.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first ORing circuit comprises a fuse configured to provide a redundant protection for the backflow current in addition to the semiconductor device.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises a diode or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of ORing circuits is configured to couple to the control system.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to balance the first output power and the second output power provided to each of the one or more load components.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more load components are configured to couple to a base, and wherein the first backplane and the second backplane are constructed within and extend through the base to electrically couple to each of the one or more load components.

10. A system, comprising:
a first power converter configured to supply a first power output;
a second power converter supplying a second power output;
a first backplane electrically coupled to the first power converter and the second power converter;
a second backplane electrically coupled to the first power converter and the second power converter; and
a control system electrically coupled to the first power converter and the second power converter, wherein the control system is configured to balance the first power output and the second power output provided to each of one or more load components, wherein the one or more load components each comprise a first ORing circuit and a second ORing circuit electrically coupled to the first backplane and the second backplane, respectively.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to balance the first power output and the second power output at least in part by:
receiving a first indication of the first output power;
receiving a second indication of the second output power;
determining a difference between the first output power and the second output power;
determining that the difference is greater than or equal to a threshold amount of power; and
in response to the difference being greater than or equal to the threshold amount of power, sending one or more control signals to the first power converter, the second power converter, or both to adjust the first output power, the second output power, or both based on the difference.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more load components are configured to couple to the first backplane using a first plurality of power ORing circuits comprising the first ORing circuit and to couple to the second backplane using a second plurality of power ORing circuits comprising the second ORing circuit.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more load components are coupled using a daisy chain connection.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control system is configured to receive status information from a first load component of the one or more load components after the status information is transmitted via at least a second load component of the one or more load components using the daisy chain connection.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control system is electrically coupled to the first backplane using a third power ORing circuit, and wherein the control system is electrically coupled to the second backplane using a fourth power ORing circuit.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving, via a power conditioner control system configured to electrically couple to a first backplane and a second backplane, a first indication of a first output power from one or more sensors, wherein a first power converter is configured to supply the first output power, and wherein each of one or more load components comprises a first ORing circuit and a second ORing circuit electrically coupled to the first backplane and the second backplane, respectively;
receiving, via the power conditioner control system, a second indication of a second output power from the one or more sensors, wherein a second power converter is configured to supply the second output power;
determining, via the power conditioner control system, a difference between the first output power and the second output power;
determining, via the power conditioner control system, that the difference is greater than or equal to a threshold amount of power; and
in response to the difference being greater than or equal to the threshold amount of power, sending, via the power conditioner control system, one or more control signals to the first power converter, the second power converter, or both to adjust the first output power, the second output power, or both based on the difference.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising detecting, via the power conditioner control system, the difference based on sensor data acquired by one or more sensors integrated within the first ORing circuit of a plurality of ORing circuits coupled to the first backplane.

18. The method of claim 16 , comprising:
receiving, via the power conditioner control system, an indication of a first output current of the first backplane;
receiving, via the power conditioner control system, an indication of a second output current of the second backplane;
comparing, via the power conditioner control system, the first output current and the second output current to an expected output current; and
transmitting, via the power conditioner control system, an alert based on the comparison.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein transmitting the alert compris

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Denning Stephen E
• Overberger Sean P
• Hissem James R

Classifications

• G05B9/03 Primary

  with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems · CPC title

• G05B13/024

  in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance · CPC title

• H02H3/081

  and depending on the direction · CPC title

• H02H7/10

  for converters; for rectifiers {(forming part of the control circuit of the converter, see the relevant group in H02M)} · CPC title

• H02J1/102 Primary

  being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) · CPC title