Digital Power Network Method and Apparatus

• US 20150207318A1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VoltServer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VoltServer, Inc.
• Inventors: Eaves, Stephen Spencer, Lowe, Harry Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,893,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/02 without intermediate conversion into ac
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/548 the power on the line being DC arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/50 Energy storage in industry with an added climate change mitigation effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources

Abstract

A digital power network comprises at least one digital electric power routing device that includes (a) at least one DC power bus; (b) at least two power control elements, each with at least two sets of power terminals, at least one of which accommodates electrical power in packet energy transfer format, and wherein each power control element has electrical connections that allow one set of power terminals to be connected to the DC power bus; and (c) at least one network controller operable to execute control functions within the power control elements to route electrical power from at least one power control element to at least one other power control element within the digital power network. The digital power network further includes at least one power source and at least one load.

Claims

1. A digital power network, comprising:

at least one digital electric power routing device configured to facilitate the routing of power among power control elements, wherein the digital electric power routing device comprises;

a) at least one DC power bus;

b) at least two power control elements, each with at least two sets of power terminals, wherein at least one of the sets of power terminals accommodates electrical power in packet energy transfer format, and wherein each power control element has electrical connections configured to allow one set of its power terminals to be connected to the DC power bus; and

c) at least one network controller operable to execute control functions within the power control elements to route electrical power from at least one power control element to at least one other power control element within a digital power network;

at least one power source coupled with at least one of the power control elements; and

at least one load coupled with at least one of the power control elements.

2. The digital power network of claim 1, wherein the network controller functionality resides in one of the power control elements.

3. The digital power network of claim 1, wherein the digital electric power routing device includes at least one digital power bus separate from the DC bus, where the digital power bus facilitates direct routing of power in packet energy transfer format from one power control element to at least one another power control element.

4. The digital power network of claim 3, wherein a first power control element connected to the digital power bus of a first digital power router provides power in packet energy transfer format to a second power control element connected to the same digital power bus in the same digital power router, and wherein the second power control element directs the digital power to a third power control element that is connected to a second digital power router.

5. The at least one network controller of claim 1, wherein the controller executes an algorithm that assigns a weighting value to each option for routing power from one power control element to another power control element allowing routing decisions to be optimized based on attributes of safety, resiliency and efficiency.

6. The digital power network of claim 1, wherein the network controller included in a first digital electric power routing device exchanges routing information with a second network controller residing in a second digital electric power routing device, allowing routing decisions among network power control elements connected to the first digital electric power routing device to be made by the network controller that resides in the second digital electric power routing device.

7. A method for routing digital electric power among power control elements, the method comprising:

using at least one digital electric power routing device to route digital electric power among a plurality of power control elements, each power control element having at least two sets of power terminals, and at least one set of power terminals transmitting electrical power in packet energy transfer format, wherein the digital electric power routing device comprises;

a) at least one DC power bus;

b) at least two power control elements, wherein at least one power terminal of each power control element is connected to the DC power bus; and

c) at least one network controller, wherein the network controller executes control functions within the power control elements to route electrical power from at least one power control element to at least one other power control element within a digital power network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the network controller functionality resides in one of the power control elements.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the digital electric power routing device includes at least one digital power bus separate from the DC bus, where the digital power bus directly routes power in packet energy transfer format from one power control element to at least one another power control element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a first power control element connected to the digital power bus of a first digital power router provides power in packet energy transfer format to a second power control element connected to the same digital power bus in the same digital power router, and wherein the second power control element directs the digital power to a third power control element that is connected to a second digital power router.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller executes an algorithm that assigns a weighting value to each option for routing power from one power control element to another power control element, optimizing routing decisions based on attributes of safety, resiliency and efficiency.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the network controller residing in a first digital electric power routing device exchanges routing information with a network controller residing in a second digital electric power routing device, allowing routing decisions among network power control elements connected to the first digital electric power routing device to be made by the network controller that resides in the second digital electric power routing device.