System and method for rack mountable modular dc power unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016209901-A1
Application number	US-201414915493-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a modular DC power unit having a form factor enabling mounting in at least one of a plurality of component locations of an equipment rack. The modular DC power unit provides DC power to a DC bus of the equipment rack. The modular DC power unit may have a chassis defining a plurality of slots into which a plurality of DC power supplies may be inserted. An AC input module may be used for receiving AC power from an external AC power source. A plurality of independent, modular DC power supplies, each having a form factor enabling insertion and mounting in one of the slots of the chassis, may be mounted in the chassis. A controller may be in communication with the DC power supplies and housed within the chassis. A DC bus housed within the chassis communicates with the DC power supplies and supplies DC output power from the DC power supplies to the separate DC bus housed within the equipment rack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A modular power unit having a form factor enabling mounting in one of a plurality of component locations of an equipment rack, to provide direct current (DC) power to a DC bus of the equipment rack which is supplying DC power to one or more equipment components mounted in other ones of the component locations of the equipment rack, the modular power unit comprising:
a chassis defining a plurality of slots defining a common form factor into which a plurality of DC power supplies may be inserted; an alternating current (AC) module disposed within the chassis for receiving AC power from an external AC power source; a plurality of independent, modular DC power supplies each having the common form factor enabling insertion and mounting of each said DC power supply into any one of the slots of the chassis; a controller having dimensions in accordance with the common form factor, and inserted into one of the slots of the chassis, and being in communication with the plurality of DC power supplies; and a DC bus housed within the chassis and in communication with the DC power supplies for supplying DC output power from the DC power supplies to a separate DC bus housed within the equipment rack.

2 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the DC power supplies comprises a battery backup unit (BBU) module for providing DC output power.

3 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the DC power supplies comprises a rectifier module for supplying DC output power.

4 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of DC power supplies comprises at least one rectifier module and one battery backup unit (BBU) module.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the power supplies comprises a rectifier module; at least one of the power supplies comprises a battery backup unit (BBU) module; and wherein the BBU module is configured to provide DC power on the DC bus of the modular power unit during transient ride though instances to thus supplement the DC power being provided by the rectifier module.

7 . The modular power unit of claim 6 , wherein the DC output power from the BBU module is limited to an amount which is less than what the BBU module is capable of generating.

8 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the power supplies comprises a rectifier module; at least one of the power supplies comprises a battery backup unit (BBU) module; and wherein the BBU module is configured to provide DC power on the DC bus of the modular power unit when AC power to the modular power unit is lost.

9 . The modular power unit of claim 8 , wherein the BBU module is configured to provide a level of DC power equal to the DC power output of the rectifier module for a duration of up to about 90 seconds, when AC power to the modular power unit is lost.

10 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the power supplies comprises a rectifier module; at least one of the power supplies comprises a battery backup unit (BBU) module; and wherein the rectifier module and the BBU module each provide an output of about 3 KW.

11 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , wherein the modular power unit has a form factor that uses three component locations of the equipment rack when the modular power unit is mounted in the equipment rack.

12 . The modular power unit of claim 1 , further comprising a connector assembly having a first connector component associated with a given one of the power supply modules, and a second connector component mounted within the chassis, the first and second connector components being connectable when the given one of the power supplies is inserted into the chassis and operative to:
transmit the DC output from the given one of the power supplies to the DC bus mounted within the chassis; and enable a connection to be made between a control bus in communication with the controller and the given one of the power supplies.

13 . A modular power unit having a form factor enabling mounting in one or more of a plurality of component locations of an equipment rack, to provide direct current (DC) power to a DC bus of the equipment rack which is supplying DC power to one or more equipment components mounted in other ones of the component locations of the equipment rack, the modular power unit comprising:
a chassis defining a plurality of parallel arranged slots having a common form factor into which a plurality of independent DC power supplies may be inserted, an alternating current (AC) module disposed within the chassis for receiving AC power from an external AC power source; a plurality of independent, modular DC power supplies each having the common form factor and being insertable and mountable in any one of the slots of the chassis, the modular DC power supplies including at least one rectifier module; a controller having the common form factor in communication with the plurality of DC power supplies, and housed in one of the slots stet of the chassis; and a DC bus housed within the chassis and in communication with the DC power supplies for supplying DC output power from the DC power supplies to a separate DC bus housed within the equipment rack.

14 . The modular power unit of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of DC power supplies includes at least one battery backup unit (BBU) module for providing a DC power output to the DC bus within the chassis.

15 . The modular power unit of claim 14 , wherein the rectifier module and the BBU module provide the same level of DC power output.

16 . The modular power unit of claim 14 , wherein the BBU module is configured to supply DC power to the DC bus of the chassis when a transient ride through instance is experienced, to thus supplement the DC power being provided by the rectifier module.

17 . The modular power unit of claim 14 , wherein the BBU module provides its DC power output to the DC bus within the chassis when the AC power from the external AC power source is lost.

18 . The modular power unit of claim 17 , wherein the BBU module is configured to provide its DC power for up to about 90 seconds when the AC power from the external AC power source is lost.

19 . The modular power unit of claim 16 , wherein the DC power provided by the BBU module is limited to an amount which is less than what the BBU module is capable of generating.

20 . A method for providing direct current (DC) power to a DC bus of an equipment rack having a plurality of component locations therein, and wherein the equipment rack is designed to accommodate one or more equipment components mounted in ones of the component locations of the equipment rack, and to power the one or more equipment components using the DC power provided on the DC bus of the equipment rack, the method comprising:
using a chassis having a form factor enabling it to be inserted into one of the component locations of the equipment rack, and wherein the chassis includes a plurality of adjacent slots each having a first form factor; using a plurality of modular DC power supplies each having a second form factor the same as the first form factor, and which are each mounted in the slots of the chassis, to generate the DC power applied to the DC bus of the equipment rack; using a controller having a second form factor the same as the first form factor and configured to be mounted in one of the slots of the chassis to communicate with and control the DC p

Assignees

• Liebert Corp

Inventors

• Wilcox Eric
• Kippley Bob
• Schneider Matthew

Classifications

• H05K7/1492

  having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications · CPC title

• G06F1/188 Primary

  Mounting of power supply units · CPC title

• G06F1/263 Primary

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/30 Primary

  Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F1/24) · CPC title

• H02J1/10

  Parallel operation of DC sources · CPC title