ORing FET control method for battery backup system

• US 10,594,158 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Ou Yang, Kuang-Hua, Lee, Wen-Kai, Chan, Chin-Hsiang, Ning, Shu-Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pandey, Keshab R
• Application Number:
  US15/660,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20190036377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 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 Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

Various examples of the present disclosure provide a high efficient battery backup (BBU) system and systems and methods for managing the BBU system through a microcontroller unit (MCU) and an ORing FET system of the BBU system. In some examples, a baseboard management controller (BMC) of a server system is used to control the MCU and the ORing FET system of the BBU system such that the BBU system can operate in multiple operating modes without a battery discharger. The operating modes of the BBU system includes, but are not limited to, a battery constant-current-charging mode, a battery constant-voltage-charging mode, a battery discharging mode, or a battery capacity calibration mode.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a high efficient battery backup (BBU) system that comprises a microcontroller unit (MCU), a battery pack, and an ORing FET system, comprising:

receiving, at a controller of a server system, status information of an AC power supply and a power supply unit (PSU) of the server system;

in an event that either the AC power supply or the PSU fails, generating a discharging-enable command to enable the high efficient battery system to discharge power to the server system;

causing the MCU to enable FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in a saturation region;

causing the battery pack to discharge power to a main DC bus of the server system;

in an event that both the PSU and the AC power supply are ok, determining that the battery system does not need capacity calibration;

generating a charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to be charged by a power supply unit (PSU) of the server system;

receiving status information of the battery system, including an output voltage of the battery pack;

in an event that the output voltage of the battery pack is below a predetermined low value, generating a constant-current-charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to enter into a constant-current-charging mode; and

causing the MCU to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in an ohmic region.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the high efficient battery system does not include either a battery charger or a discharging DC/DC converter.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the ORing FET system comprises two ORing FETs with a back-to-back ORing FET topology.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein gates of the two ORing FETs are connected together and further coupled to an output of an error amplifier of the BBU system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the MCU is connected to a reference voltage input of the error amplifier, and wherein the MCU is configured to adjust an output voltage of the error amplifier and hence control operation characteristics of the ORing FET system by setting gate voltages of the two ORing FETs.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

in an event that both the PSU and the AC power supply are ok, determining that the battery system needs capacity calibration; and

generating a calibration-enable command to enable calibration of the BBU system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing the MCU of the battery system to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in an ohmic region; and

causing the battery pack to discharge power to the main DC bus of the server system.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

in an event that the output voltage of the battery pack equal or above the predetermined low value, generating a constant-voltage-charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to enter into a constant-voltage-charging mode; and

causing the MCU to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in a saturation region.

9. A system for managing a high efficient battery backup (BBU) system that comprises a microcontroller unit (MCU), a battery pack, and an ORing FET system, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a controller of a server system, status information of an AC power supply and a power supply unit (PSU) of the server system;

in an event that either the AC power supply or the PSU fails, generating a discharging-enable command to enable the high efficient battery system to discharge power to the server system;

causing the MCU to enable FETs of the Oring FET system to operate in a saturation region;

causing the battery pack to discharge power to a main DC bus of the server system;

in an event that both the PSU and the AC power supply are ok, determining that the battery system does not need capacity calibration;

generating a charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to be charged by a power supply unit (PSU) of the server system;

receiving status information of the battery system, including an output voltage of the battery pack;

in an event that the output voltage of the battery pack is below a predetermined low value, generating a constant-current-charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to enter into a constant-current-charging mode; and

causing the MCU to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in an ohmic region.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the ORing FET system comprises two ORing FETs with a back-to-back ORing FET topology.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

in an event that both the PSU and the AC power supply are ok, determining that the battery system needs capacity calibration; and

generating a calibration-enable command to enable calibration of the BBU system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

causing the MCU of the battery system to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in an ohmic region; and

causing the battery pack to discharge power to the main DC bus of the server system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

in an event that the output voltage of the battery pack equal or above the predetermined low value, generating a constant-voltage-charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to enter into a constant-voltage-charging mode; and

causing the MCU to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in a saturation region.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a system, cause the system to perform operations managing a high efficient battery backup (BBU) system that comprises a microcontroller unit (MCU), a battery pack, and an ORing FET system, comprising:

receiving, at a controller of a server system, status information of an AC power supply and a power supply unit (PSU) of the server system;

in an event that either the AC power supply or the PSU fails, generating a discharging-enable command to enable the high efficient battery system to discharge power to the server system;

causing the MCU to enable FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in a saturation region;

causing the battery pack to discharge power to a main DC bus of the server system;

in an event that both the PSU and the AC power supply are ok, determining that the battery system does not need capacity calibration;

generating a charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to be charged by a power supply unit (PSU) of the server system;

receiving status information of the battery system, including an output voltage of the battery pack;

in an event that the output voltage of the battery pack is below a predetermined low value, generating a constant-current-charging-enable command to enable the BBU system to enter into a constant-current-charging mode; and

causing the MCU to enable the FETs of the ORing FET system to operate in an ohmic region.