Switchless power source redundancy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762086-B1
Application number	US-97997310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2010
Priority date	Dec 28, 2010
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments of switchless power source redundancy in a power source transfer device providing power to one or more computing device(s). The power source transfer device includes a plurality of AC power converters configured to receive power from corresponding power sources. A first AC power converter provides DC power to a common DC bus of the power source transfer device. A second AC power converter provides DC power to the common DC bus in response to a change in a monitored level provided by the first AC power converter.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A power source transfer apparatus, comprising:
a common DC bus;
a primary AC power converter configured to receive AC power from a first AC power source and to provide DC power to the common DC bus at a first voltage level;
a backup AC power converter configured to receive AC power from a second AC power source, the backup AC power converter configured to provide a baseline amount of DC power while the backup AC power converter is idle when the DC power supplied by the primary AC power converter is above a second voltage level, where the baseline amount of DC power mitigates transient heating effects that occur during load transfer to the backup AC power converter, the backup AC power converter further configured to provide additional DC power to the common DC bus at the second voltage level when the DC power supplied by the primary AC power converter drops below the second voltage level;
a DC power converter configured to receive DC power from the common DC bus and to provide AC power to at least one of a plurality of computing devices; and
a DC power interface configured to provide DC power from the common DC bus to at least another one of the plurality of computing devices.

2. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power source transfer apparatus further comprises a diode coupled between an output of the primary AC power converter and the common DC bus.

3. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the DC power converter provides AC power to the at least one computing device through an AC distribution network comprising a first network of rails or buses and the DC power interface provides DC power to the at least another computing device of the plurality of computing devices through a DC distribution network comprising a second network of rails or buses.

4. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the primary AC power converter and the backup AC power converter are configured to correct a power factor seen by the first and second AC power source.

5. A power source transfer apparatus, comprising:
a common DC bus;
a primary AC power converter configured to receive AC power from a first AC power source and to provide DC power to the common DC bus; and
a backup AC power converter configured to receive AC power from a second AC power source, the backup AC power converter further configured to provide DC power to the common DC bus; and
a power transfer monitoring (PTM) application that, when executed by processor circuitry in the power source transfer apparatus, controls the provision of power to the common DC bus by the backup AC power converter in response to a change in a monitored level provided by the primary AC power converter, where a baseline amount of DC power is provided by the backup AC power converter when the backup AC power converter is idle while the monitored level provided by the primary AC converter is above a predefined threshold and additional DC power is provided by the backup AC power converter when the monitored level provided by the primary AC converter drops below the predefined threshold, where the baseline amount of DC power prevents transient heating effects that occur during load transfer to the backup AC power converter.

6. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 5 , wherein an isolation device is configured to physically disconnect and isolate the primary AC power converter in response to the change in the monitored level provided by the primary AC power converter.

7. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor circuitry comprises:
memory storing the PTM application; and
a processor configured to execute the PTM application.

8. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a DC converter configured to receive DC power from the common DC bus and to provide AC power to a computing device.

9. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a DC interface configured to provide DC power from the common DC bus to a computing device.

10. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the monitored level is a monitored voltage level provided by the primary AC power converter to the common DC bus.

11. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the backup AC power converter provides additional DC power to the common DC bus when a rate of change of the monitored voltage level provided by the primary AC power converter exceeds a predefined voltage rate threshold.

12. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the monitored level is a monitored level of DC power supplied by the primary AC power converter to the common DC bus.

13. The power source transfer apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the backup AC power converter provides additional DC power to the common DC bus when a rate of change in the monitored level of DC power provided by the primary AC power converter breaches a predefined power rate threshold.

14. A power source transfer system, comprising:
a plurality of AC power sources;
a plurality of computing devices; and
a power source transfer (PST) device configured to supply power to the plurality of computing devices, the PST device comprising:
a common DC bus;
a first AC power converter configured to receive power from a first one of the plurality of AC power sources and to provide DC power to the common DC bus; and
a second AC power converter configured to receive power from a second one of the plurality of AC power sources, the second AC power converter further configured to provide DC power to the common DC bus in response to a change in a monitored level provided by the first AC power converter, where a baseline amount of DC power is provided by the second AC power converter when the second AC power converter is idle while the monitored level provided by the first AC power converter is above a predefined threshold and additional DC power is provided by the second AC power converter when the monitored level provided by the first AC power converter drops below the predefined threshold, where the baseline amount of DC power mitigates transient heating effects that occur during load transfer to the backup AC power converter.

15. The power source transfer system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a DC converter configured to receive DC power from the common DC bus and to provide AC power to at least one of the plurality of computing devices.

16. The power source transfer system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a DC interface configured to provide DC power from the common DC bus to at least one of the plurality of computing devices.

17. The power source transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the PST device supplies power to the plurality of computing devices through a distribution network.

18. The power source transfer system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of computing devices are mounted in a mounting rack including at least a portion of the distribution network.

19. The power source transfer system of claim 14 , wherein the PST device further comprises a power transfer monitoring (PTM) application that, when executed by processor circuitry in the PST device, controls the provision of power to the common DC bus by the second AC power converter in response to the change in the monitored level provided by the first AC power converter.

20. The power source transfer system of claim 19 , wherein the monitored level is a monitored level of DC power provided by the first AC power co

Assignees

• Ross Peter G
• Stevens Richard A
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ross Peter G
• Stevens Richard A

Classifications

• H02J1/102 Primary

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

• H02J9/06 Primary

  with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems} · CPC title

• H02J1/108

  having arrangements for blocking reverse current flow, e.g. using diodes (H02J1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T307/707

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic