Method and Apparatus for Providing Peak Optimized Power Supply Unit

• US 20200133365A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Muccini, Mark A., Zhu, Guangyong, Breen, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,990,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/266 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

Abstract

An information handling system includes first and second power supplies. The first power supply unit provides power to a power rail to power a load of the information handling system, and is configured to provide the power to the power rail at a first peak current level and at a first constant current level. The second power supply unit provides power to the power rail, and is configured to provide the power to the power rail at a second peak current level and at a second constant current level. The second peak current level is greater than the first peak current level, and the second constant current level is greater than the first constant current level.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a first power supply unit to provide power to a power rail to power a load of the information handling system, the first power supply unit configured to provide the power to the power rail at a first peak current level and at a first constant current level; and

a second power supply unit to provide power to the power rail, the second power supply unit configured to provide the power to the power rail at a second peak current level and at a second constant current level, wherein the second peak current level is greater than the first peak current level, and the second constant current level is greater than the first constant current level.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first power supply unit operates at a first switching frequency; and

the second power supply unit operates at a second switching frequency that is higher than the first switching frequency.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first power supply unit includes a first bulk capacitor with a first capacitance; and

the second power supply unit includes a second bulk capacitor with a second capacitance that is higher than the first capacitance.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first power supply unit operates over a first input voltage range; and

the second power supply unit operates over a second input voltage range that is wider than the first input voltage range.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein, at a particular time:

the first power supply unit provides a first current to the power rail to power the load; and

the second power supply unit provides a second current to the power rail to power the load, wherein the first current and the second current are imbalanced.

6. The information handling system of claim 5, wherein, when the particular time represents a first time when a power demand from the load is a transient peak demand, the second current is proportionally greater than the first current.

7. The information handling system of claim 6, wherein, when the particular time represents a second time when the power demand is a non-transient peak demand, the first current is proportionally greater than the second current.

8. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first power supply unit provides a first indication that indicates that the first power supply unit is of a first type; and

the second power supply unit provides a second indication that indicates that the second power supply unit is of a second type different from the first type.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the information handling system is configured to receive the first and second indications and to determine that the second power supply unit is a peak-optimized power supply unit relative to the first power supply unit based upon the first and second indications.

10. A method of providing power to a power rail to power a load of an information handling system, the method comprising:

configuring a first power supply unit to provide power to the power rail, the first power supply unit designed to provide the power to the power rail at a first peak current level and at a first constant current level; and

configuring a second power supply unit configured to provide power to the power rail, the second power supply unit designed to provide the power to the power rail at a second peak current level and at a second constant current level, wherein the second peak current level is greater than the first peak current level, and the second constant current level is greater than the first constant current level.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

configuring the first power supply unit to operate at a first switching frequency; and

configuring the second power supply unit to operate at a second switching frequency that is higher than the first switching frequency.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

configuring the first power supply unit with a first bulk capacitor with a first capacitance; and

configuring the second power supply unit with a second bulk capacitor with a second capacitance that is higher than the first capacitance.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

configuring the first power supply unit to operate over a first input voltage range; and

configuring the second power supply unit to operate over a second input voltage range that is wider than the first input voltage range.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein, at a particular time, the method further comprises:

configuring the first power supply unit to provide a first current to the power rail to power the load; and

configuring the second power supply unit to provide a second current to the power rail to power the load, wherein the first current and the second current are imbalanced.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, when the particular time represents a first time when a power demand from the load is a transient peak demand, the second current is proportionally greater than the first current.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, when the particular time represents a second time when the power demand is a non-transient peak demand, the first current is proportionally greater than the second current.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing, by the first power supply unit, a first indication that indicates that the first power supply unit is of a first type; and

providing, by the second power supply unit, a second indication that indicates that the second power supply unit is of a second type different from the first type.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising;

receiving, by the information handling system, the first and second indications.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining, by the information handling system, that the second power supply unit is a peak-optimized power supply unit relative to the first power supply unit based upon the first and second indications.

20. An information handling system, comprising:

a first power supply unit configured to provide power to a power rail to power a load of the information handling system, the first power supply unit designed to provide the power to the power rail at a first peak current level and at a first constant current level, wherein the first power supply unit operates at a first switching frequency, and wherein the first power supply unit includes a first bulk capacitor with a first capacitance; and

a second power supply unit configured to provide power to the power rail, the second power supply unit designed to provide the power to the power rail at a second peak current level and at a second constant current level, wherein the second peak current level is greater than the first peak current level, and the second constant current level is greater than the first constant current level, wherein the second power supply unit operates at a second switching frequency that is higher than the first switching frequency, and wherein the second power supply unit includes a second bulk capacitor with a second capacitance that is higher than the first capacitance.