Switchgear controller device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965013-B1
Application number	US-201414219976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A power distribution system that distributes power to electrical loads includes a switchgear apparatus that selectively routes power from one of two or more feeds to downstream portions of the system based upon commands received from a separate external switchgear controller device that receives data from various portions of the power distribution system. The switchgear controller device can operate in one or more separate operating modes, where commands to the switchgear apparatus are generated based upon user inputs or determinations made by an internal switchgear control module based at least in part upon the selected operating mode of the switchgear controller device. The operating mode can be set based upon user interaction with an operating mode interface. The switchgear control module may generate switchgear operation commands based at least in part upon data received from the switchgear apparatus and various portions of the power distribution system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for performing computing operations in a data center, the system comprising:
one or more computing systems configured to perform computing operations;
a utility power transformer configured to transform and supply a utility power feed received from a utility power source;
a back-up power source configured to supply a back-up power feed;
an external switchgear apparatus configured to, based upon one or more received operating commands, selectively route one of the utility power feed or the back-up power feed to the one or more computing systems, wherein the external switchgear apparatus includes at least a generator breaker associated with a generator of the back-up power feed, and a utility breaker associated with the utility power feed; and
a switchgear controller device that is separate from the external switchgear apparatus and is communicatively coupled to at least the external switchgear apparatus, wherein the switchgear controller device is configured to selectively switch between:
in a particular operating mode, transmitting operating commands to at least the external switchgear apparatus based at least in part upon a switchgear control module device and independent of any commands from a user, and,
in another separate operating mode, transmitting operating commands to at least the external switchgear apparatus based upon one or more commands received from a user via a user interface and independent of the switchgear control module device, wherein the operating commands include a particular operating command to route the utility power feed to the one or more computing systems by at least changing a state of the utility breaker, and a different operating command to route the back-up power feed to the one or more computing systems by at least changing a state of the generator breaker.

2. The system of claim 1 , the switchgear controller device comprising:
at least two redundant power supply units each configured to distribute power from separate redundant external power supplies to support at least the switchgear control module device; and
an internal uninterruptible power supply unit configured to at least supply power from an internal power source to at least the switchgear control module device in response to a loss of power from each of the at least two redundant power supply units.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the switchgear controller device is further communicatively coupled to at least one downstream portion of a power distribution system, wherein the downstream portion is downstream of the external switchgear apparatus and upstream of the one or more computer systems, and
the switchgear controller device is configured to receive, from the at least one downstream portion, data indicating a present configuration of the at least one downstream portion of the power distribution system.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein:
the at least one downstream portion of the power distribution system includes one or more uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units configured to supply power to the one or more computer systems and to receive, from the at least one downstream portion, data indicating a present configuration of the at least one downstream portion, and
the switchgear controller device is configured to receive signals indicating one of a plurality of operating modes including:
a normal operating mode wherein the one or more UPSs are routing power received from the external switchgear apparatus to the one or more computer systems;
a bypass operating mode wherein power from the external switchgear apparatus is routed to the one or more computer systems via a bypass of the one or more UPSs; and
a battery operating mode wherein the one or more computer systems receive operating power from one or more battery systems in the one or more UPSs and independently of power distributed from the external switchgear apparatus.

5. An apparatus, comprising:
a switchgear controller device that is communicatively coupled to at least an external switchgear apparatus that includes at least a generator breaker associated with a generator of a back-up power feed and a utility breaker associated with a utility power feed to a downstream electrical load, wherein the switchgear controller device is configured to transmit operating commands to the external switchgear apparatus to command the external switchgear apparatus to switch between routing one of at least two separate power feeds to the downstream electrical load, wherein the switchgear controller device comprises:
a user interface configured to receive user-initiated commands associated with at least the switchgear controller device;
a switchgear control module device configured to, based at least in part upon data received from at least the external switchgear apparatus, make one or more determinations regarding a state of at least two separate power feeds received at the external switchgear apparatus; and
an operating mode selection interface configured to, based at least in part upon a user-initiated command, selectively switch the switchgear controller device between the following operating modes:
in a particular operating mode, transmitting operating commands to at least the external switchgear apparatus based at least in part upon determinations by the switchgear control module device and independent of any user-initiated commands, and,
in another separate operating mode, transmitting operating commands to at least the external switchgear apparatus based upon one or more user-initiated commands received via a user interface and independent of the switchgear control module device, wherein the operating commands include a particular operating command to route the utility feed to the downstream electrical load by at least changing a state of the utility breaker, and another operating command to route the back-up feed to the downstream electrical load by at least changing a state of the generator breaker.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , the switchgear controller device comprising:
at least two redundant power supply units each configured to distribute power from separate redundant external power supplies to support at least the switchgear control module device; and
an internal uninterruptible power supply unit configured to at least supply power from an internal power source to at least the switchgear control module device in response to a loss of power from each of the at least two redundant power supply units.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the switchgear controller device is further communicatively coupled to at least one downstream portion of a power distribution system, wherein the downstream portion is downstream of the external switchgear apparatus and upstream of the downstream electrical load, and
the switchgear controller device is configured to receive, from the at least one downstream portion, data indicating a present configuration of the at least one downstream portion of the power distribution system.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least one downstream portion of the power distribution system includes one or more uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units configured to supply power to the one or more computer systems; and
to receive, from the at least one downstream portion, data indicating a present configuration of the at least one downstream portion, the switchgear controller device is configured to receive signals indicating one of a plurality of operating modes associated with the UPS including:
a normal operating mode where the one or more UPSs are routing power received from the external switchgear apparatus to the downstream electrical load;
a bypass operating mode where power from the external switchge

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mcgee Nigel Martin
• O'Grady Martin John
• Hughes Patrick

Classifications

• 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

• H02J9/061 Primary

  for DC powered loads · CPC title

• H02J9/00

  Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting · CPC title