BACKUP POWER SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

• US 20100295513A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wade, Clay, McCollum, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for management of a backup power system are described herein. At least one illustrative embodiment includes a backup power system configured to couple to a power source including a plurality of batteries, each comprising one or more cells, used to provide power if the power source fails, and processing logic coupled to the batteries and configured to monitor the state of each of the plurality of batteries and control the charging and discharging of each of the plurality of batteries. If the power source has not failed, the processing logic repeatedly and sequentially causes each battery to discharge while at least one of the remaining batteries remains fully charged, and monitors the power provided by the discharging battery. The processing logic determines the available energy stored in each fully charged battery based upon the power provided by the discharging battery during the time it takes to discharge.

Claims

1. A backup power system configured to be coupled to a power source, comprising:

a plurality of batteries each comprising one or more cells and used to provide power if the power source fails; and

processing logic coupled to the plurality of batteries, configured to monitor the state of each of the plurality of batteries, and further configured to control the charging and discharging of each of the plurality of batteries;

wherein, if the power source has not failed, the processing logic repeatedly and sequentially causes each of the plurality of batteries to discharge while at least one of the remaining batteries remains fully charged, and further monitors the power provided by the discharging battery; and

wherein the processing logic determines the available energy stored in each discharging battery when fully charged based upon the power provided by the discharging battery during the time it takes for the discharging battery to discharge.

2. The backup power system of claim 1, further comprising a synthetic load, wherein the processing logic causes the discharging battery to couple to the synthetic load and to discharge through the synthetic load.

3. The backup power system of claim 1, wherein the discharge of each of the plurality of batteries is not performed if the at least one of the remaining batteries combined do not store enough combined energy to equal or exceed a minimum energy reserve threshold value.

4. The backup power system of claim 1, wherein a battery of the plurality of batteries is made unavailable to provide backup power if the energy available from the battery is determined to be below a minimum operating threshold value.

5. The backup power system of claim 4, wherein the processing logic generates a signal when the battery is made unavailable, the signal indicative of which of the plurality of batteries has an available energy level below the minimum operating threshold value.

6. The backup power system of claim 1, wherein at least one battery is coupled to a power-providing node of the system during normal operation of the backup power system.

7. The backup power system of claim 1, wherein the processing logic causes the plurality of batteries to be uncoupled from a power-providing node if the processing logic detects a voltage at the power-providing node above a maximum operating voltage, or below a minimum operating voltage.

8. The backup power system of claim 1,

wherein a first battery of the plurality of batteries is coupled to a power-providing node, and a second battery of the plurality of batteries is not coupled to the power-providing node;

and

wherein if the processing logic detects a failure of the power source, and further detects that the difference between the voltage of the first battery and the second battery is less than a minimum voltage difference threshold value, the processing logic causes the second battery to be coupled to the power-providing node.

9. A method, comprising:

repeatedly discharging at least one battery of a plurality of batteries while at least one of the remaining batteries of the plurality remains fully charged, if a primary power source, which provides power to a device external and coupled to the at least one battery, has not failed;

monitoring the power delivered by the at least one discharging battery over time; and

determining the energy stored within the at least one discharging battery based upon the power delivered over a discharge time of the at least one discharging battery.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein repeatedly discharging the at least one battery comprises coupling the at least one battery to a synthetic load.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising repeatedly discharging the at least one battery by providing power to a device external and coupled to the at least one battery, if the primary power source previously providing power to the device has failed.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein repeatedly discharging the at least one battery is not performed unless the total energy stored in the at least one of the remaining plurality of batteries combined equals or exceeds a minimum reserve threshold value.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying a battery of the plurality of batteries as failed if the energy stored within the battery is below a minimum operating threshold value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a signal indicating which of the plurality of batteries has failed.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising uncoupling the plurality of batteries from an external device if the voltage measured at a power input node of the external device is above a maximum operating voltage, or below a minimum operating voltage.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring a first voltage of a first battery of the plurality of batteries, the first battery coupled to, and discharging through, a device external to the plurality of batteries;

monitoring a second voltage of a second battery of the plurality of batteries, the second battery not coupled to the device; and

coupling the second battery to the device when the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is below a minimum voltage difference threshold value.

17. A computer-readable medium, comprising software that causes a processor to:

repeatedly cause the discharge of at least one battery of a plurality of batteries while at least one of the remaining batteries of the plurality remains fully charged, if a primary power source, which provides power to a device external and coupled to the at least one battery, has not failed;

monitor the power delivered by the at least one discharging battery over time; and

determine the energy stored within the at least one discharging battery based upon the power delivered over a discharge time of the at least one discharging battery.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein repeatedly causing the discharge of the at least one battery comprises causing the at least one battery to be coupled to a synthetic load.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the software further causing the processor to repeatedly cause the discharge of the at least one battery by causing the at least one battery to provide power to a device external and coupled to the at least one battery if the primary power source previously providing power to the device has failed.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the software does not cause the processor to repeatedly cause the discharge of the at least one battery unless the total energy stored in the at least one of the remaining plurality of batteries combined equals or exceeds a minimum reserve threshold value.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the software further causing the processor to identify a battery of the plurality of batteries as failed if the energy stored within the battery is below a minimum operating threshold value.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, the software further causing the processor to generate a signal indicating which of the plurality of batteries has failed.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the software further causing the processor to uncouple the plurality of batteries from an external device if the voltage measured at a power input node of the external device is above a maximum operating voltage, or below a minimum operating voltage.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the software further causing the processor to:

monitor a first voltage of a first battery of the plurality of batteries, the first battery coupled to, and discharging through, a device external to the plurality of batteries;

monitor a second voltage of a second battery of the plurality of batteries, the second battery not coupled to the device; and

couple the second battery to the device when the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is below a minimum voltage difference threshold value.