Modular method and apparatus for building an uninterruptible power system (UPS)

• US 6,310,783 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Powerware Corporation (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Layden, David, Edevold, Craig, Winch, Cary
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Thanh Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/538,053
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 361/797, 361/643, 361/724, 361/697, 361/752, 361/741, 361/727, 361/725, 361/726, 361/690, 361/695, 361/683-686, 361/694
• US Class Current: 361/797
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4221 with battery type recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/627 Stationary installations, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/647 Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/244 Secondary casings; Racks; Suspension devices; Carrying devices; Holders characterised by their mounting method
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/284 with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/50 Current conducting connections for cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An electrical cabinet or chassis for an uninterruptible power system (UPS system) includes universal bays or slots that can receive either power modules or battery backs. The back plane of the slot has separate connector terminals for battery packs and power modules. The slots may also receive battery chargers if so desired. All of the slots of a chassis can be utilized to full capacity before another cabinet needs to be employed. The cabinet is also readily adaptable and can be easily reconfigured as desired without particular concern as to the number of power modules or battery packs that are being used. Sensors are provided which indicate the capacity of the cabinet that has been used (e.g. the number of slots still open and not used by a power module or a battery pack). The sensors also indicate whether a battery pack, power module or other device is inserted into the slot, and whether it is properly inserted, thereby providing an indication of the specifications of the UPS system as presently configured to the user.

Claims

1. An electrical cabinet for configuring an uninterruptible power system with battery packs and power modules, comprising:

a support housing;

a plurality of universal bays defined in the support housing, the bays sized closely to receive either battery packs and power modules;

a first terminal connector for battery packs positioned at a first location in each universal bay adapted to electrically connect with the battery packs; and

a second terminal connector for power modules positioned at a second location in each universal bay adapted to electrically connect with the power modules, the first and second terminal connector locations being arranged at separate non-interfering locations.

2. The electrical cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a user interface adapted to indicate which one of the power module and the battery packs is inserted into the universal bay, and whether the universal bay is empty.

3. The electrical cabinet of claim 2, wherein each universal bay comprises at least one sensor indicating to the user interface the type of device positioned in the universal bay.

4. The electrical cabinet of claim 1, wherein the electrical cabinet is modular with the housing being divided into a plurality of sections, each section including at least one universal bay, the sections being stacked vertically one on top of another to provide a selected number of universal bays in the electrical cabinet.

5. The electrical cabinet of claim 1, wherein the power modules include fans, and wherein each universal bay further includes vents positioned to align in close proximity to the fans when the power module is positioned in the universal bay.

6. The electrical cabinet of claim 1, wherein the support housing includes:

a support base;

four support bars spaced apart in rectangular relationship extending vertically and parallel from the support base;

side panels extending vertically and generally parallel between different pairs of the four support posts; and

a plurality of shelves extending horizontally between the four support posts in spaced apart parallel relationship, universal bays being defined between adjacent shelves; and

a backplane extending generally perpendicular to the shelves and transversely between the side panels and two of the support bars, the backplane providing the first and second terminal connectors.

7. The electrical cabinet of claim 6, wherein the shelves, the side panels, and the backplane are manufactured from sheet metal material.

8. An electrical cabinet for configuring an uninterruptible power system with battery packs and modules, comprising:

a support housing;

a plurality of universal bays, each universal bay sized to receive, alternatively, both battery packs and power modules, and wherein insertion of the battery pack precludes insertion of the power module in that universal bay, and wherein insertion of the power module precludes insertion of the battery pack; and

an electrical circuit connecting the universal bays, each battery pack electrically connecting to the electrical circuit when positioned in any of the universal bays, each power module also electrically connecting to the electrical circuit when positioned in any of the universal bays.

9. The electrical cabinet of claim 8, further comprising separate terminal connectors for each universal bay adapted to separately connect to the battery packs and power modules.

10. The electrical cabinet of claim 9, wherein the terminal connectors for the battery packs consist of a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and wherein the terminal connectors for the power modules include a plurality of pin plug-in connectors including positive and negative pin plug-ins and control pin plug-ins.

11. The electrical cabinet of claim 8, further comprising a user interface adapted to indicate a status of each universal bay, the status indicating which one of the battery packs and the power module is inserted into the universal bay, and whether the universal bay is empty.

12. The electrical cabinet of claim 11, wherein each universal bay includes at least one sensor indicating to the user interface the type of device positioned in the universal bay.

13. The electrical cabinet of claim 11, wherein the electrical cabinet is modular with the housing being divided into a plurality of sections, each section including at least one universal bay, the sections being stacked vertically one on top of another to provide a selected number of universal bays in the electrical cabinet.

14. An uninterruptible power system, comprising:

at least one battery pack comprising at least one battery adapted to provide a power supply;

at least one power module adapted to condition the power supply;

an electrical cabinet, comprising;

a plurality of universal bays, each universal bay sized to receive both battery packs and power modules such that insertion of the battery pack precludes insertion of the power module and insertion of the power module precludes insertion of the battery pack; and

an electrical circuit operatively connecting the universal bays, wherein the battery packs electrically connect to the electrical circuit when positioned in any of the universal bays, and wherein the power module electrically connects to the electrical circuit when positioned in any of the universal bays.

15. The uninterruptible power system of claim 14, further comprising first and second terminal connectors in each universal bay adapted to separately connect to the battery packs and power modules.

16. The uninterruptible power system of claim 15, wherein the first terminal connectors are adapted to connect to the battery packs, the first terminal connectors including a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and wherein the second terminal connectors are adapted to connect to the power modules, the second terminal connectors including a plurality of pin plug-in connectors including positive and negative pin plug-ins and control pin plug-ins.

17. The uninterruptible power system of claim 14, further comprising a user interface adapted to indicate a status of each universal bay, the status indicating whether the battery packs or the power module is inserted into the universal bay, the status further indicating whether the universal bay is empty, and wherein each universal bay includes a sensor indicating to the user interface the type of device positioned in the universal bay.

18. The uninterruptible power system of claim 14, wherein the electrical cabinet is modular with the housing being divided into a plurality of sections, each section including at least one universal bay, the sections being stacked vertically one on top of another to provide a selected number of universal bays in the electrical cabinet.

19. The uninterruptible power system of claim 18, wherein the support housing includes:

a support base;

four support bars spaced apart in rectangular relationship extending vertically and parallel from the support base;

side panels extending vertically and generally parallel between different pairs of the four support posts;

a plurality of shelves extending horizontally between the four support posts in spaced apart parallel relationship, universal bays being defined between adjacent shelves; and

a backplane extending generally perpendicular to the shelves and transversely between the side panels and two of the support bars, the backplane providing the first and second terminal connectors.

20. An electrical cabinet for configuring an uninterruptible power system, the cabinet comprising a plurality of receiving locations each adapted to alternatively receive either one of a power module and battery packs, each receiving location including a first terminal connector and a separate second terminal connector arranged in non-interfering locations to one another.

21. The electrical cabinet of claim 20, further comprising a user interface adapted to provide a status of each receiving location that is indicative of the use of the receiving location.

22. The electrical cabinet of claim 21, wherein each receiving location comprises sensors indicating to the user interface the type of device positioned in the receiving location.

23. The electrical cabinet of claim 20, wherein each receiving location is adapted to receive at least two battery packs, and wherein each the receiving location includes a pair of the first terminal connectors, one first terminal connector for each different battery pack.

24. The electrical cabinet of claim 20, wherein each power module includes a fan, each receiving location including a vent arranged to be in close proximity to the fan of a power module positioned therein.

25. The electrical cabinet of claim 20, wherein the plurality of receiving locations are also adapted to receive a battery charger, and wherein the first terminal connector and the second terminal connector are adapted to electrically connect with the battery charger.

26. An electrical cabinet for configuring an uninterruptible power system with battery packs and modules, comprising:

a support housing;

a plurality of universal bays defined in the support housing, each universal bay sized to alternatively receive either of a battery pack and a power module; and

a first terminal connector and a separate second terminal connector arranged in noninterfering locations within each universal bay.

27. The electrical cabinet of claim 26, further comprising a user interface adapted to provide a status of each universal bay that is indicative of the use of the universal bay.

28. The electrical cabinet of claim 26, wherein each universal bay comprises a sensor indicating to the user interface the type of device positioned in the universal bay.

29. The electrical cabinet of claim 26, wherein each battery pack is dimensioned to be approximately one half the width of a power module, such that each universal bay is adapted to receive either of two battery packs side by side or a power module.

30. The electrical cabinet of claim 27, wherein each universal bay is sized to additionally receive a battery charger, and wherein at least one of the terminal connectors for each universal bay is adapted to electrically connect to the battery charger.

31. An uninterruptible power system (UPS), comprising:

an electrical cabinet having a plurality of universal receiving locations defined therein, the universal receiving locations being adapted to alternately receive battery packs and power modules;

a power module positioned within one of the universal receiving locations; and

a battery pack positioned within another one of the universal receiving locations.

32. The UPS of claim 31, wherein the universal receiving locations are further adapted to alternatively receive battery chargers, the UPS further comprising a battery charger positioned within a third of the universal receiving locations.