FAULT DETECTION BASED ON AMOUNT OF PFC CORRECTION

• US 20200136372A1
• Filed: 10/30/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Walker, William James
• Granted Patent: US 10,720,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16528 using digital techniques or performing arithmetic operations using digital techniques to measure a voltage or a current, see G01R19/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16566 Circuits and arrangements for comparing voltage or current with one or several thresholds and for indicating the result not covered by subgroups G01R19/16504, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/1255 responsive to internal faults, e.g. by monitoring ripple in output voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4208 Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

An example power supply for supplying electrical power to an electronic device includes an AC to DC converter, power factor correction (PFC) circuitry, and a controller. The AC to DC converter is configured to convert an input AC power signal into a DC power signal. The PFC circuitry is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal. The controller is configured to monitor an amount of correction (φ) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry and to shut down supply of power to the electronic device in response to φ being within a first threshold of zero degrees for a second threshold amount of time.

Claims

1. A power supply for supplying electrical power to an electronic device, comprising:

an AC to DC converter that is configured to convert an input AC power signal into a DC power signal;

power factor correction (PFC) circuitry that is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal; and

a controller that is configured to monitor an amount of correction (φ

) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry and to shut down supply of power to the electronic device in response to φ

being within a first threshold of zero degrees for a second threshold amount of time.

2. The power supply of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to

continually determine a moving average of the current drawn by the power supply and compare the moving average to a present current being drawn by the power supply;

and

condition the shutting down of the supply of power on whether the present current being supplied to the electronic device exceeds the moving average by a third threshold amount.

3. The power supply of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to

continually determine a moving average of the current drawn by the power supply and compare the moving average to a present current being drawn by the power supply;

and

condition the shutting down of the supply of power on whether the present current being supplied to the electronic device exceeds the moving average by a third threshold amount;

for more than a fourth threshold amount of time, or

more than a fifth threshold number of times within a specified period.

4. The power supply of claim 1,

wherein the second threshold is less than or equal to 10 ms.

5. The power supply of claim 1,

wherein φ

corresponds to an amount that a phase of a current waveform has been shifted by the PFC circuitry.

6. The power supply of claim 5,

wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to 2°

.

7. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing processor executable instructions for fault detection in a power supply that converts an input AC power signal into a DC power signal for an electronic device and has power factor correction (PFC) circuitry that is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal, the instructions being to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

monitor an amount of correction (φ

) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry; and

shut down supply of power to the electronic device in response to φ

being within a first threshold of zero degrees for a second threshold amount of time.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7,

wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to:

continually determine a moving average of the current drawn by the power supply and compare the moving average to a present current being drawn by the power supply; and

condition the shutting down of the supply of power on whether the present current being supplied to the electronic device exceeds the moving average by a third threshold amount.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7,

wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to:

continually determine a moving average of the current drawn by the power supply and compare the moving average to a present current being drawn by the power supply;

condition the shutting down of the supply of power on whether the present current being supplied to the electronic device exceeds the moving average by a third threshold amount;

for more than a fourth threshold amount of time, or

more than a fifth threshold number of times within a specified period.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7,

wherein the second threshold is less than or equal to 10 ms.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7,

wherein φ

corresponds to an amount that a phase of a current waveform has been shifted by the PFC circuitry.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11,

wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to 2°

.

13. A method for fault detection in a power supply that converts an input AC power signal into a DC power signal for an electronic device and has power factor correction (PFC) circuitry that is configured to correct a power factor of the DC power signal, the method comprising:

causing a controller of the power supply to monitor an amount of correction (φ

) being applied to the DC power signal by the PFC circuitry; and

causing the controller to shut down supply of power to the electronic device in response to φ

being within a first threshold of zero degrees for a second threshold amount of time.

14. The method claim 13, comprising:

causing the controller to;

continually determine a moving average of the current drawn by the power supply and compare the moving average to a present current being drawn by the power supply; and

condition the shutting down of the supply of power on whether the present current being supplied to the electronic device exceeds the moving average by a third threshold amount.

15. The method claim 13,

causing the controller to:

continually determine a moving average of the current drawn by the power supply and compare the moving average to a present current being drawn by the power supply;

condition the shutting down of the supply of power on whether the present current being supplied to the electronic device exceeds the moving average by a third threshold amount;

for more than a fourth threshold amount of time, or

more than a fifth threshold number of times within a specified period.

16. The method claim 13,

wherein the second threshold is less than or equal to 10 ms.

17. The method claim 13,

wherein φ

corresponds to an amount that a phase of a current waveform has been shifted by the PFC circuitry.

18. The method claim 17,

wherein the first threshold is less than or equal to 2°

.