Uninterruptible power supply

• US 6,201,319 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Klikic, Damir, Colucci, David A., Ingemi, Michael J., Charlantini, Donald L., Simonelli, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US09/384,042
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 363/142, 307/26, 307/66
• US Class Current: 307/26
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications

Abstract

A power supply system has a power input to receive input power from a power source, a power output to provide output power to a load, at least one battery module having a battery output that provides battery power, at least one power module coupled to the power input to receive the input power, coupled to the battery output to receive the battery power and coupled to the power output to provide the output power, a controller, coupled to the at least one power module, constructed and arranged to monitor and control the output power from the at least one power module, and a redundant controller, coupled to the at least one power module and to the controller, constructed and arranged to provide redundant monitoring and controlling of the output power from the at least one power module.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising:

a power input to receive input power from a power source;

a power output to provide power to a load;

at least one battery;

a first power module coupled to the power input, the power output and the battery to provide power to the load;

a second power module coupled to the power input, the power output and the battery to provide power to the load;

a first controller electrically coupled to the first power module; and

a second controller electrically coupled to the second power module and the first controller;

wherein one of the first controller and the second controller functions as a primary controller to regulate the power to the load.

2. The power supply system of claim 1, wherein the second controller is configured as a redundant controller and provides regulation of the power to the load upon failure of the first controller.

3. The power supply system of claim 2, further comprising a display module, coupled to the first controller and the second controller, the display module being adapted to display status information to a user of the power supply system.

4. The power supply system of claim 3, wherein the first controller functions as a primary display controller and provides the status information to the display module, and the second controller functions as a redundant display controller and provides status information to the display module upon failure of the first controller.

5. The power supply system of claim 4, further comprising a communications port, coupled to the first controller and the second controller, for providing communications between the power supply system and external devices.

6. The power supply system of claim 5, wherein the first controller functions as a primary communications controller that monitors and controls communications through the communications port, and the second controller functions as a redundant communications controller that monitors and controls communications through the communications port upon failure of the first controller.

7. The power supply system of claim 6, further comprising a frame having a first opening to receive the first power module and a second opening to receive the second power module, and wherein the power supply system is configured such that either the first power module or the second power module may be removed from the frame while the power supply system is operating.

8. The supply system of claim 7, wherein the frame includes a third opening to receive the first controller and a fourth opening to receive the second controller and wherein the frame includes a backplane having a first connector that mates with a connector on the first controller and the backplane has a second connector that mates with a connector on the second controller.

9. The supply system of claim 8, wherein each of the power modules is constructed and arranged to select one of the battery power and the input power as a source for generating the output power.

10. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising a display module, coupled to the first controller and the second controller, the display module being adapted to display status information to a user of the power supply system.

11. The power supply system of claim 10, wherein the first controller functions as a primary display controller and provides the status information to the display module, and the second controller functions as a redundant display controller and provides status information to the display module upon failure of the first controller.

12. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising a communications port, coupled to the first controller and the second controller, for providing communications between the power supply system and external devices.

13. The power supply system of claim 12, wherein the first controller functions as a primary communications controller and provides control of communications through the communications port, and the second controller functions as a redundant communications controller that provides control of communications through the communications port upon failure of the first controller.

14. The power supply system of claim 1, further comprising a frame having a first opening to receive the first power module and a second opening to receive the second power module, and wherein the power supply system is configured such that either the first power module or the second power module may be removed from the frame while the power supply system is operating.

15. The supply system of claim 14, wherein the frame includes a third opening to receive the first controller and a fourth opening to receive the second controller and wherein the frame includes a backplane having a first connector that mates with a connector on the first controller and the backplane has a second connector that mates with a connector on the second controller.

16. A power supply system comprising:

a power input to receive input power from a power source;

a power output to provide power to a load;

a communications module having a communications port;

at least one battery that provides backup power;

a first power module coupled to the power input, the power output and the battery to provide power to the load;

a second power module coupled to the power input, the power output and the battery to provide power to the load;

a first controller electrically coupled to the first power module and to the communications module; and

a second controller electrically coupled to the second power module, the first controller, and the communications module;

wherein one of the first controller and the second controller functions as a primary communications controller to control and monitor the communications module.

17. The power supply system of claim 16, wherein the second controller is configured as a redundant controller that controls and monitors the communications module upon failure of the first controller.

18. The power supply system of claim 17 further comprising a display module coupled to the first controller and the second controller, wherein the display module is controlled by the primary controller, and wherein the display module is controlled by the redundant controller upon failure of the primary controller.

19. A power supply system comprising:

a power input to receive input power from a power source;

a power output to provide power to a load;

at least one battery that provides backup power;

a first power module coupled to the power input, the power output and the battery to provide power to the load;

a second power module coupled to the power input, the power output and the battery to provide power to the load;

a first controller electrically coupled to the first power module;

a second controller electrically coupled to the second power module and the first controller; and

means for distributing control of functions of the power supply system between the first controller and the second controller.

20. The power supply system of claim 19, wherein the second controller is configured as a redundant controller and the means for distributing includes means for detecting a fault in the first controller and changing control of the power supply system from the first controller to the second controller.