Rack-Based Uninterruptible Power Supply

• US 20110304211A1
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Peterson, Eric C., Harris, Shaun L., Belady, Christian L., Shakib, Darren A., Olarig, Sompong Paul, Wirtz, Frank J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/48
• 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 1/30 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 9/08 requiring starting of a prime-mover
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1457 Power distribution arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications

Abstract

A rack power unit is configured to be inserted into a device rack of a data center. The rack power unit includes one or more power supplies and one or more battery packs. The one or more power supplies are each configured to receive power (e.g., AC power) when the apparatus is in the device rack, and convert the received power to a DC power. The one or more power supplies are further configured to output the DC power to a DC power bus of the device rack. The one or more battery packs are each configured to provide, in response to an interruption in the received power, DC power to the DC power bus of the device rack.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more power supplies each configured to receive power, when the apparatus is in a device rack, and convert the received power to DC power, and further configured to output the DC power to a DC power bus of the device rack; and

one or more battery packs each configured to provide, in response to an interruption in the received power, DC power to the DC power bus of the device rack.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a first battery pack of the one or more battery packs is included in a first chassis, a second battery pack of the one or more battery packs is included in a second chassis, and the first chassis and second chassis are both mounted in the device rack.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a number of the one or more battery packs included in the apparatus is determined based at least in part on a number of devices included in the device rack and without regard for a number of devices included in other device racks.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more power supplies are further configured to resume receiving power from a backup generator after AC power from an external source is interrupted, and resume outputting DC power to the DC power bus without synchronizing the power output by the backup generator to the power output by the one or more battery packs.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more battery packs are further configured to provide DC power to the DC power bus in the event of a peak in power usage by one or more devices in the device rack and in the absence of an interruption in the received power.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more power supplies is configured to determine when a current power usage of the device rack is below a critical power threshold amount, and to provide DC power to the one or more battery packs to recharge the one or more battery packs in response to determining that the current power usage of the device rack is below the critical power threshold amount.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more power supplies is further configured to, when the one or more battery packs have less than a critical threshold charge, throttle performance of one or more devices in the device rack while the one or more battery packs are recharged to have at least the critical threshold charge.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the one or more power supplies is further configured to provide DC power to the one or more battery packs concurrently with outputting the DC power to the DC power bus.

9. A data center comprising:

a first device rack including a first rack power unit and a first plurality of devices, the first rack power unit including;

a first one or more power supplies each configured to receive power, convert the received power to first DC power, and output the first DC power to a DC power bus of the first device rack, and

a first one or more battery packs each configured to provide, in response to an interruption in the received power, second DC power to the DC power bus of the first device rack;

a second device rack including a second rack power unit and a second plurality of devices, the second device rack power unit including;

a second one or more power supplies each configured to receive the power, convert the received power to third DC power, and output the third DC power to a DC power bus of the second device rack, and

a second one or more battery packs each configured to provide, in response to an interruption in the received power, fourth DC power to the DC power bus of the second device rack.

10. A data center as recited in claim 9, further comprising a third device rack including a third power unit and a third plurality of devices, the third device rack power including, in the absence of one or more battery packs configured to provide DC power to a DC power bus of the third device in response to an interruption of the received power:

a third one or more power supplies each configured to receive the power, convert the received power to fifth DC power, and output the fifth DC power to the DC power bus of the third device rack

11. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein the first one or more power supplies are configured to recharge the first one or more battery packs at a rate different than the second one or more power supplies are configured to recharge the second one or more battery packs.

12. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein the first one or more battery packs have sufficient power to provide a first hold-up time for the first plurality of devices, wherein the second one or more battery packs have sufficient power to provide a second hold-up time for the second plurality of devices, and wherein the first hold-up time is different than the second hold-up time.

13. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein a first battery pack of the first one or more battery packs is included in a first chassis, a second battery pack of the first one or more battery packs is included in a second chassis, and the first chassis and second chassis are both mounted in the first device rack.

14. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein a number of the first one or more battery packs is determined based at least in part on a number of devices included in the first plurality of devices and without regard for a number of devices included in the second plurality of devices, and wherein a number of the second one or more battery packs is determined based at least in part on the number of devices included in the second plurality of devices and without regard for the number of devices included in the first plurality of devices.

15. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein the first one or more power supplies and the second one or more power supplies are each further configured to resume receiving power from a backup generator after power from an external source is interrupted, and resume outputting the first DC power to the DC power bus of the first device rack or the third DC power to the DC power bus of the second device rack without synchronizing the power output by the backup generator to the power output by the first one or more battery packs or the second one or more battery packs.

16. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein the first one or more battery packs are further configured to provide the first DC power to the DC power bus of the first device rack in the event of a peak in power usage by the first plurality of devices and in the absence of the received power.

17. A data center as recited in claim 9, wherein the first one or more power supplies is configured to determine when a current power usage of the first device rack is below a critical power threshold amount, and to provide the first DC power to the first one or more battery packs to recharge the first one or more battery packs in response to determining that the current power usage of the first device rack is below the critical power threshold amount.

18. A data center as recited in claim 17, wherein the first one or more power supplies is each further configured to, when the first one or more battery packs have less than a critical threshold charge, throttle performance of one or more devices in the first device rack while the first one or more battery packs are recharged to have at least the critical threshold charge.

19. A data center as recited in claim 17, wherein the first one or more power supplies is each further configured to provide first DC power to the first one or more battery packs concurrently by outputting the first DC power to the DC power bus of the first device rack.

20. A method in a data center, the method comprising:

powering, with one or more power supplies in a rack power unit in a device rack, devices in the device rack of the data center with DC power that is converted from received power from an external source into DC power by the one or more power supplies, and wherein the DC power is output by the one or more power supplies to a DC power bus of the device rack;

in response to a power interruption,

powering the devices in the device rack with DC power from one or more battery packs in the rack power unit, the one or more battery packs outputting DC power to the DC power bus, and

powering, after a backup generator is online, the devices in the device rack with received power from the backup generator rather than from the one or more battery packs, the one or more power supplies converting received power from the backup generator to DC power and outputting the DC power on the DC power bus; and

providing, from the one or more battery packs in the power unit, DC power to the DC power bus in the event of a peak in power usage by one or more of the devices in the device rack.