Direct current power pooling

• US 7,146,258 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2004
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nevermore Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PowerDsine Limited (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pincu, David, Lehr, Amir, Atias, Ilan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAPLAN, HAL IRA
• Application Number:
  US10/750,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/291, 700/297
• US Class Current: 700/297
• 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: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/20 The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators

Abstract

The present invention provides for a DC power pooling system comprising: a plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities, each of the plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities having at least a first operative mode in which it may provide more electrical power than it consumes and a second operative mode in which it may consume more electrical power than it provides; DC electrical power interconnections, interconnecting the plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities and permitting electrical power flow thereto and therefrom; and at least one pooling controller operative to vary at least one of voltage, output impedance and current of electrical power provided by at least one of the plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities.

Claims

1. A DC power pooling system, comprising:

a plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities, each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities having at least a first operative mode in which it may provide more electrical power than it consumes and a second operative mode in which it may consume more electrical power than it provides, wherein each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities comprises at least one DC electrical power source and at least one electrical power load;

DC electrical power interconnections, interconnecting said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities and permitting electrical power flow thereto and therefrom; and

at least one pooling controller operative to vary at least one of voltage, output impedance and current of electrical power provided by at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities.

2. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, wherein said DC electrical power source receives AC mains power and converts said AC mains power to DC electrical power.

3. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one power sharing circuit associated with said at least one DC electrical power source, said at least one power sharing circuit being responsive to an output of said at least one pooling controller to vary said at least one of voltage, output impedance and current of electrical power provided by said at least one DC electrical power source.

4. A DC power pooling system according to claim 3, wherein said at least one DC electrical power source comprises a power supply controller, and wherein said at least one power sharing circuit is operable to modify the operation of said power supply controller.

5. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, wherein said pooling controller receives for each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities information relating to DC electrical power needs and DC electrical power providing capabilities.

6. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, wherein said pooling controller receives at least one of power needs of said at least one electrical power load and power providing capabilities of said at least one DC electrical power source.

7. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a supply interface unit associated with at least one of said DC electrical power interconnections, said supply interface unit being responsive to an output of said at least one pooling controller to control said electrical power flow.

8. A DC power pooling system according to claim 7, wherein said supply interface unit comprises at least one adjustable current limiter responsive to an output of said at least one pooling controller, said at least one adjustable current limiter being operative for limiting at least one of said electrical power flow to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities and from at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities.

9. A DC power pooling system according to claim 7, wherein said supply interface unit comprises at least one current sensor, said at least one current sensor being operative for sensing at least one of said electrical power flow to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities and from at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities.

10. A DC power pooling system according to claim 9, wherein said supply interface unit comprises a telemetry output operable to communicate with said at least one pooling controller, said telemetry output comprising information regarding at least one of direction and extent of electrical power flow.

11. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities comprises a temperature sensor having a temperature indicating output, wherein said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities communicates information regarding said temperature indicating output to said at least one pooling controller.

12. A DC power pooling system according to claim 3, wherein power sharing circuit comprises a temperature sensor having a temperature indicating output, said at least one power sharing circuit being operable to communicate information regarding said temperature indicating output to said at least one pooling controller.

13. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities comprises at least one of a modem, a switch, a switch providing power over Ethernet, an Internet Protocol telephone, a computer, a server, a camera, an access controller, a smoke sensor and a wireless access point.

14. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, further comprising an overcurrent protection circuit associated with at least one of said DC electrical power interconnections.

15. A DC power pooling system according to claim 14, wherein said overcurrent protection circuit comprises at least one of a fuse and a circuit breaker operative to prevent excess power flow.

16. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply module interconnected with at least one of said DC electrical power interconnections, said power supply module being operative to supply power to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities when said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities is operative in said second mode.

17. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply module interconnected with at least one of said DC electrical power interconnections, and wherein said power supply module is operative in response to an output of said at least one pooling controller to supply power to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities when said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities is operative in said second mode.

18. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a battery pack module interconnected with at least one of said DC electrical power interconnections, and wherein said battery pack module supplies power to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities when said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities is operative in said second mode.

19. A DC power pooling system according to claim 1, wherein said DC electrical power interconnections are arranged in one of a hierarchical star topology and a hierarchical ring topology.

20. A method of DC power pooling comprising:

providing a plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities, each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities having at least a first operative mode in which it may provide more electrical power than it consumes and a second operative mode in which it may consume more electrical power than it provides, wherein each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities comprises at least one DC electrical power source and at least one electrical power load;

providing at least one pooling controller;

interconnecting said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities thereby permitting electrical power flow thereto and therefrom; and

varying at least one of voltage, output impedance and current of electrical power provided by at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities in response to an output of said at least one pooling controller thereby enabling DC power pooling.

21. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving AC mains power by said each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities;

converting said AC mains power to DC power; and

providing said DC power to said at least one electrical power load located in said each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities.

22. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

providing at least one power sharing circuit associated with said at least one DC electrical power source, and wherein said varying is accomplished by said at least one power sharing circuit.

23. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 22, wherein said at least one DC electrical power source comprises a power supply controller, and wherein said varying is accomplished by modifying the operation of said power supply controller.

24. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving for each of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities information relating to DC electrical power needs and DC electrical power providing capabilities,

wherein said varying is accomplished at least partially in response to said received information.

25. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving by said pooling controller at least one of power needs of said at least one electrical power load and power providing capabilities of said at least one DC electrical power source.

26. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

providing a supply interface unit associated with at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities; and

controlling said electrical power flow in response to an output of said at least one pooling controller.

27. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 26, wherein said controlling comprises:

limiting at least one of said electrical power flow to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities and from at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities.

28. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 26, further comprising:

sensing at least one of said electrical power flow to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power and consuming entities and from at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power and consuming entities.

29. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 28, further comprising:

communicating information relating to at least one of direction and amount of electrical power flow sensed by said sensing to said at least one pooling controller.

30. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

sensing a temperature of at least one said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities; and

communicating information relating to said sensed temperature to said at least one pooling controller.

31. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 22, further comprising:

sensing a temperature of said at least one DC electrical power source;

communicating information relating to said sensed temperature to said at least one pooling controller.

32. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities comprises at least one of a modem, a switch, a switch providing power over Ethernet, an Internet Protocol telephone, a computer, a server, a camera, an access controller, a smoke sensor and a wireless access point.

33. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

protecting at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities against excess electrical power flow.

34. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 33, wherein said protecting comprises:

providing at least one of a fuse and a circuit breaker operative to prevent excess electrical power flow.

35. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

providing a power supply module;

interconnecting said power supply module with said interconnected plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities; and

supplying power from said power supply module to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities when said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities is operative in said second mode.

36. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

providing a power supply module;

interconnecting said power supply module with said interconnected plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities; and

supplying power from said power supply module in response to an output of said at least one pooling controller to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities when said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities is operative in said second mode.

37. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, further comprising:

providing a battery pack module;

interconnecting said battery pack module with said interconnected plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities; and

supplying power from said battery pack module to at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities when said at least one of said plurality of DC electrical power consuming and providing entities is operative in said second mode.

38. A method of DC power pooling according to claim 20, wherein said interconnecting is done in one of a hierarchical star topology and a hierarchical ring topology.