Voltage sensor for high-current junction

• US 20110113262A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malik, Randhir S., Mazzeo, Thomas S., Dishman, Cecil C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications

Abstract

A system includes a high-current junction, a voltage sensor, and a controller. Power connectors of two components are electrically connected at the high-current junction, where a high current passes between the two components at the high-current junction. The voltage sensor detects a voltage at the high-current junction. The controller performs a predetermined action in response to the voltage sensor detecting the voltage at the high-current junction being greater than a predetermined threshold voltage. The system may be a data center rack. The high-current junction may be the junction at which an alternating current (AC) input receives AC power from AC mains. The high-current junction may alternatively be the junction at which a power supply receives the AC power from the AC input to generate direct current (DC) power to provide to data center rack components insertable within the data center rack.

Claims

1. A data center rack comprising:

an alternating current (AC) input to receive AC power from AC mains;

a power supply to receive the AC power from the AC input and to generate direct current (DC) power to provide to one or more data center rack components insertable within the data center rack;

a conductor connecting the AC input to the power supply;

a first high-current junction at which the AC input is removably connected to the conductor, where a high current passes from the AC input to the conductor;

a second high-current junction at which the power supply is removably connected to the conductor, where the high current passes from the conductor to the power supply;

a first voltage sensor to detect a first voltage at the first high-current junction;

a second voltage sensor to detect a second voltage at the second high-current junction; and

,

a controller to perform a predetermined action in response to one or more of the first voltage sensor detecting the first voltage being greater than a predetermined threshold voltage and the second voltage sensor detecting the second voltage being greater than the predetermined threshold voltage.

2. The data center rack of claim 1, wherein the first and the second high-current junctions are each susceptible to having increased resistance over time.

3. The data center rack of claim 1, wherein upon the AC input making a poor connection with the conductor at the first high-current junction, an electrical power dissipated by the first high-current junction increases, rendering the first high-current junction susceptible to having an increased temperature and causing a fire risk,

and wherein upon the power supply making a poor connector with the conductor at the second high-current junction, an electrical power dissipated by the second high-current junction increases, rendering the second high-current junction susceptible to having an increased temperature and causing a fire risk.

4. The data center rack of claim 1, wherein the predetermined action is one of:

sounding an audible warning;

displaying a visible warning; and

,

removing power from the high-current junction.

5. The data center rack of claim 1, wherein the predetermined action is a first predetermined action, the predetermined threshold voltage is a first predetermined threshold voltage, and the controller is to perform a second predetermined action different than the first predetermined action in response to one or more of the first voltage sensor detecting the first voltage being greater than a second predetermined threshold voltage and the second voltage sensor detecting the second voltage being greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage, the second predetermined threshold voltage greater than the first predetermined threshold voltage.

6. The data center rack of claim 5, wherein the controller is to perform a third predetermined action different than the first predetermined action and different than the second predetermined action in response to one or more of the first voltage sensor detecting the first voltage being greater than a third predetermined threshold voltage and the second voltage sensor detecting the third voltage being greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage, the third predetermined threshold voltage greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage.

7. The data center rack of claim 1, wherein the controller is a service processor having a memory having a first memory location corresponding to the first voltage sensor and a second memory location corresponding to the second voltage sensor,

and wherein the first voltage sensor is to store the first voltage within the first memory location, and the second voltage sensor is to store the second voltage within the second memory location.

8. A system comprising:

a high-current junction at which power connectors of two components are electrically connected, where a high current passes between the two components at the high-current junction;

a voltage sensor to detect a voltage at the high-current junction; and

,

a controller to perform a predetermined action in response to the voltage sensor detecting the voltage at the high-current junction being greater than a predetermined threshold voltage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the high-current junction is susceptible to having increased resistance over time.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein upon the power connectors of the two components making a poor connection at the high-current junction, an electrical power dissipated by the high-current junction increases, rendering the high-current junction susceptible to having an increased temperature and causing a fire risk.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined action is one of:

sounding an audible warning;

displaying a visible warning; and

,

removing power from the high-current junction.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined action is a first predetermined action, the predetermined threshold voltage is a first predetermined threshold voltage, and the controller is to perform a second predetermined action different than the first predetermined action in response to the voltage sensor detecting the voltage at the high-current junction being greater than a second predetermined threshold voltage, the second predetermined threshold voltage greater than the first predetermined threshold voltage.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is to perform a third predetermined action different than the first predetermined action and different than the second predetermined action in response to the voltage sensor detecting the voltage at the high-current junction being greater than a third predetermined threshold voltage, the third predetermined threshold voltage greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the high-current junction is a selected high-current junction, the voltage sensor is a selected voltage sensor, and the system further comprises:

a plurality of high-current junctions including the selected high-current junction, each high-current junction electrically connecting power connectors of two components such that a high current passes between the two components at the high-current junction; and

,

a plurality of voltage sensors including the selected voltage sensor, each voltage sensor to detect a voltage at a corresponding high-current junction of the plurality of high-current junctions,

wherein the controller comprises a memory having a plurality of memory locations corresponding to the plurality of voltage sensors, each voltage sensor to store the voltages detected at the corresponding high-current junction within a corresponding memory location of the plurality of memory locations.

15. A method comprising:

providing a first voltage sensor to detect a first voltage at a first high-current junction of a data center rack, the first high-current junction removably connecting an alternating current (AC) input of the data center rack to a conductor of the data center rack, where a high current passes from the AC input to the conductor, and where the AC input is to receive AC power from AC mains;

providing a second voltage sensor to detect a second voltage at a second high-current junction of a data center rack, the second high-current junction removably connecting the conductor to a power supply of the data center rack, where a high current passes from the conductor to the power supply, and where the power supply is to receive power from the AC input and to generate direct current (DC) power to provide to one or more data center rack components insertable within the data center rack; and

,

programming a controller of the data center rack to perform a predetermined action in response to one or more of the first voltage sensor detecting the first voltage being greater than a predetermined threshold voltage and the second voltage sensor detecting the second voltage being greater than the predetermined threshold voltage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and the second high-current junctions are each susceptible to having increased resistance over time,

wherein upon the AC input making a poor connection with the conductor at the first high-current junction, an electrical power dissipated by the first high-current junction increases, rendering the first high-current junction susceptible to having an increased temperature and causing a fire risk,

and wherein upon the power supply making a poor connector with the conductor at the second high-current junction, an electrical power dissipated by the second high-current junction increases, rendering the second high-current junction susceptible to having an increased temperature and causing a fire risk.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined action is one of:

sounding an audible warning;

displaying a visible warning; and

,

removing power from the high-current junction.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined action is a first predetermined action, the predetermined threshold voltage is a first predetermined threshold voltage, and the controller is further programmed to perform a second predetermined action different than the first predetermined action in response to one or more of the first voltage sensor detecting the first voltage being greater than a second predetermined threshold voltage and the second voltage sensor detecting the second voltage being greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage, the second predetermined threshold voltage greater than the first predetermined threshold voltage.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the controller is to perform a third predetermined action different than the first predetermined action and different than the second predetermined action in response to one or more of the first voltage sensor detecting the first voltage being greater than a third predetermined threshold voltage and the second voltage sensor detecting the third voltage being greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage, the third predetermined threshold voltage greater than the second predetermined threshold voltage.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the controller is a service processor having a memory having a first memory location corresponding to the first voltage sensor and a second memory location corresponding to the second voltage sensor,

and wherein the first voltage sensor is to store the first voltage within the first memory location, and the second voltage sensor is to store the second voltage within the second memory location.