More compact and higher reliability power source system

• US 7,498,695 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diversified Technologies Incorporated (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Diversified Technologies Incorporated (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: Dandridge, Peter Andrew, Casey, Jeffrey Allen, Gaudreau, Marcel Pierre Joseph, Kempkes, Michael Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/595,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20070052296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 307/82, 307/45, 307/58, 307/43, 307/116, 363/65
• US Class Current: 307/82
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources

Abstract

This invention features a more compact and higher reliability power source system for computing loads, the system including a high voltage DC bus connected to a number of DC sources each connected to the high voltage DC bus by a switch configured to deliver to the high voltage DC bus the DC source with the highest DC voltage, a low voltage DC bus connected to the computing loads, and a power supply including a number of DC/DC converters connected in parallel between the high voltage DC bus and the low voltage DC bus, a controller configured to modulate each DC/DC converter to convert the high voltage on the high voltage DC bus to a low voltage output on the low voltage DC bus, and a plurality of power supply modules each including a plurality of DC/DC converters and a controller; and wherein the power supply is housed in a cabinet.

Claims

1. A higher reliability power source system for computing loads, the system comprising:

a high voltage DC bus connected to a number of high voltage DC sources each connected to the high voltage DC bus by a switch configured to deliver to the high voltage DC bus the DC source with the highest DC voltage;

a low voltage DC bus connected to the computing loads; and

a power supply housed in a cabinet including a plurality of power supply modules, each power supply module including;

a number of DC/DC converters connected in parallel between the high voltage DC bus and the low voltage DC bus, and

a controller configured to modulate each DC/DC converter to convert the high voltage on the high voltage DC bus to a low voltage output on the low voltage DC bus utilizing pseudo-impedance to provide load sharing with other power supply modules without direct communication with other power supply modules and without feedback from a point of common reference.

2. The power source system of claim 1 in which each of the plurality of power supply modules are configured as a removable drawer.

3. The power source system of claim 2 in which the removable drawers are disposed in the cabinet.

4. The power source system of claim 3 in which each removable drawer includes a plurality of different length connectors that electrically connect the number of DC/DC converters of the power supply module to the high voltage DC bus at different times to reduce electrical discharge.

5. The power source system of claim 4 in which each of the connectors includes a resistive material therein for reducing electrical discharge when connecting the power supply module to the high voltage DC bus.

6. The power source system of claim 4 in which each removable drawer includes an auxiliary contact connected by a separate auxiliary resistor or spark-suppressing impedance network for further reducing electrical discharge.

7. The power source system of claim 3 in which the removable drawers can be removed, replaced, or added while the system is running.

8. The power source system of claim 2 in which each drawer includes a number of cooling fans and exhaust ports for cooling the power supply modules.

9. The power source system of claim 2 in which the components of each of the plurality of power supply modules are arranged to maximize cooling efficiency.