Ultra-capacitor based uninterruptible power supply

• US 8,035,356 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Mentelos
• Original Assignee: RAM Technologies
• Inventors: Mentelos, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vinh
• Application Number:
  US12/473,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 320/166
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

A backup power supply includes at least one ultra capacitor to store energy. The backup power supply includes a multiphase boost converter to provide a relatively constant voltage level from the energy stored on the at least one ultra capacitor. A charging and discharging controller is used to monitor the status of a power supply and control the charging and discharging of the ultra capacitors.

Claims

1. A backup power supply, for providing energy to a coupled electrical device, said backup power supply comprising:

one or more ultra capacitors, electrically coupled to a source of energy, and configured for storing said energy;

a charging and discharging controller, coupled to said source of energy and to said one or more ultra capacitors, for monitoring a status of said source of energy and for regulating the charging and discharging of the one or more ultra capacitors; and

a multiphase boost converter, electrically coupled to said one or more ultra capacitors and including at least one variable energy recovery time factor circuit, each said at least one variable energy recovery time factor circuit including one or more controllable electrical devices operable in one of an on condition and an off condition, wherein said on or off condition of said one or more controllable electrical devices establish a variable energy recovery time period for said at least one variable energy recovery time factor circuit, said multiphase boost converter responsive to an amount of energy presently stored by said one or more ultra capacitors in the form of a voltage level, for increasing said variable energy recovery time period as said voltage level of said energy stored by said one or more ultra capacitors decreases, for providing a relatively constant voltage from the stored energy of the one or more ultra capacitors.

2. The backup power supply of claim 1, further including a charging regulator, for regulating an energy current that is used to charge the one or more ultra capacitors.

3. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the multiphase boost converter is a buck boost converter.

4. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the backup power supply is configured for an ATX computer power supply.

5. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the one or more ultra capacitors are charging during normal operation of a coupled electrical device being supplied power.

6. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging controller signals the coupled electrical device being supplied power when the charging and discharging controller detects a switch between charging and discharging modes.

7. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging controller shuts off the voltage supplied by the one or more ultra capacitors when the voltage supplied by the one or more ultra capacitors drops below a predetermine voltage.

8. The backup power supply of claim 1, wherein said multiphase boost converter includes a two phase boost converter, and wherein whenever a first of said two phase boost converters is operative, the second of said two phase boost converters is inoperative.

9. A backup power supply, for providing energy to a coupled electrical device, said backup power supply comprising:

one or more ultra capacitors, electrically coupled to a source of energy, and configured for storing said energy;

a charging and discharging controller, coupled to said source of energy and to said one or more ultra capacitors, for monitoring a status of said source of energy and for regulating the charging and discharging of the one or more ultra capacitors; and

a two-phase buck type boost converter, electrically coupled to said one or more ultra capacitors and including at least one variable energy recovery time factor circuit each, said at least one variable energy recovery time factor circuit including one or more controllable electrical devices operable in one of an on condition and an off condition, wherein said on or off condition of said one or more controllable electrical devices establish a variable energy recovery time period for said at least one variable energy recovery time factor circuit, said two-phase buck type boost converter responsive to an amount of energy presently stored by said one or more ultra capacitors in the form of a voltage level, for increasing said variable energy recovery time period as said voltage level of said energy stored by said one or more ultra capacitors decreases, thereby boosting said voltage level of said energy stored by said one or more ultra capacitors, for providing a relatively constant voltage from the stored energy of the one or more ultra capacitors, and wherein whenever a first of said two phase buck type boost converters is operative, the second of said two phase buck type boost converters is inoperative.