HIGH EFFICIENCY ALTERNATIVE/RENEWABLE POWERED UPS SYSTEM

• US 20080278003A1
• Filed: 05/09/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Liebert Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Liebert Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Panfil, Peter A., Powell, Jeffrey M., Pouchet, Jack H.
• Application Number:
  US11/746,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278003A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/20 using renewable energy

Abstract

The disclosure provides an efficient alternative energy uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system having a main first source of power coupled to an electrical load, comprising: a second source of power from stored energy coupled to the electrical load, the second source being adapted to supplement the first source and condition the power from the stored energy to predetermined conditions for the electrical load; an automatic transfer switch (ATS) coupled between the first source and the second source and adapted to control the first source coupling to the electrical load when the first source power is noncompliant with predetermined conditions for the electrical load; and a source of alternative energy coupled downstream of the ATS to the second source, the electrical load, or a combination thereof, wherein the source of alternative energy comprises a source of direct current (DC) power.

Claims

1. An efficient alternative energy uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system having a main first source of power coupled to an electrical load, comprising:

an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) having a rectifier, an inverter downstream of the rectifier and adapted to change a direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC), and a battery coupled between the rectifier and the inverter, the UPS being coupled to the electrical load, to supplement the first source and condition the power from the battery to predetermined conditions for the electrical load;

an automatic transfer switch (ATS) coupled between the first source and the UPS and adapted to control the first source coupling to the electrical load when the first source power is noncompliant with predetermined conditions comprising under or over voltage and out of phase frequency conditions for the electrical load; and

a source of alternative energy coupled to an input to the inverter of the UPS, wherein the source of alternative energy comprises a source of direct current (DC) power and comprises solar energy, thermal energy, geo-thermal energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, fuel cell energy, biomass energy, tidal energy, or a combination thereof

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the source source of alternative energy comprises solar energy and further comprising a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) adapted to control the output of the solar energy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein an output of the first source is coupled to the ATS and an output of the ATS is coupled to an input of the UPS, wherein the ATS is adapted to allow the UPS to provide power to the electrical load independent of the first source.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a generator coupled to the electrical load and adapted to provide power to the electrical load when activated.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a controller adapted to control an output of power from the generator depending on a sensed electrical load, an amount of power from alternative energy source, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller delays startup of the generator until predetermined conditions regarding the electrical load are not satisfied by available power from the alternative energy source.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller adapted to sense an amount of power from the first source, the UPS, the alternative energy source, and control power input to the electrical load.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bypass circuit coupled between the output of the ATS and the electrical load and adapted to provide the power from first source to the electrical load independent of the UPS.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller adapted to conform an output of the alternative energy source to an input waveform of the inverter of the UPS.

10. An efficient alternative energy uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system having a main first source of power coupled to an electrical load, comprising:

an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) having a rectifier, an inverter downstream of the rectifier and adapted to change a direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC), and a battery coupled between the rectifier and the inverter, the UPS being coupled to the electrical load to supplement the first source and condition the power from the battery to predetermined conditions for the electrical load;

an automatic transfer switch (ATS) coupled between the first source and the UPS and adapted to control the first source coupling to the electrical load when the first source power is noncompliant with predetermined conditions comprising under or over voltage and out of phase frequency conditions for the electrical load; and

a source of alternative energy coupled downstream of the ATS to the UPS, the electrical load, or a combination thereof, wherein the source of alternative energy comprises a source of direct current (DC) power.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the source of alternative energy comprises solar energy, thermal energy, geo-thermal energy, wind energy, hydroelectric energy, fuel cell energy, biomass energy, tidal energy, or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein an output of the first source is coupled to the ATS and an output of the ATS is coupled to an input of the UPS, wherein the ATS is adapted to allow the UPS to provide power to the electrical load independent of the first source.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a standby electrical generator wherein an output of a standby electrical generator is coupled to an input of the ATS.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the source of alternative energy comprises a solar energy source and further comprising a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) adapted to control the output of the solar energy source.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein an output of the alternative energy source is coupled between the rectifier and the inverter of the UPS.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the alternative energy source is coupled to an input of the rectifier of the UPS.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the alternative energy source is coupled to an input of the UPS.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein an output of the alternative energy source is coupled to the electrical load, independent of the UPS.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising a bypass circuit coupled between the output of the ATS and the electrical load and adapted to provide the power from first source to the electrical load independent of the UPS.

20. The system of claim 10, further comprising a controller adapted to conform an output of the alternative energy source to an input waveform of the inverter of the UPS.