Power supply source blending and smoothing

• US 8,193,662 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Andrew B., Heath, Taliver Brooks
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/274,470
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 307/23, 307 64- 66, 307/86
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a power distribution system that includes a DC bus configured to deliver operating power to a DC load, a conversion circuit configured to receive AC power and convert the received AC power to DC power that is provided to the DC bus, and a battery system configured to provide DC power from a battery to the DC bus. A controller determines an amount of DC power to be provided to the DC bus by the conversion circuit, determines an amount of DC power to be provided to the DC bus by the battery system, and controls the conversion circuit and the battery system such that the conversion circuit provides the first amount of DC power to the DC bus and the battery system concurrently provides the second amount of DC power to the DC bus.

Claims

1. A power distribution system, the system comprising:

a DC bus configured to deliver operating power to a DC load;

a conversion circuit configured to receive AC power and convert the received AC power to DC power that is provided to the DC bus;

a battery system configured to provide DC power from a battery to the DC bus; and

,

a controller configured to determine a first amount of DC power to be provided to the DC bus by the conversion circuit, determine a second amount of DC power to be provided to the DC bus by the battery system while the first amount of DC power is provided to the DC bus by the conversion circuit, and control the conversion circuit and the battery system such that the conversion circuit provides the first amount of DC power to the DC bus and the battery system concurrently provides the second amount of DC power to the DC bus.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to determine the first amount, determine the second amount, and control the conversion circuit and battery system as part of transitioning between a first state in which the conversion circuit is not providing DC power to the DC bus to a second state in which the conversion circuit provides a third amount of DC power to the DC bus, the third amount being greater than the first amount.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to transition between the first state and the second state over a specified time period to prevent inrush currents from exceeding a predetermined level.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to determine the first amount, determine the second amount, and control the conversion circuit and battery system as part of transitioning between a first state in which the battery system is not providing DC power to the DC bus to a second state in which the battery system provides a third amount of DC power to the DC bus, the third amount being greater than the second amount.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the controller is configured to transition between the first state and the second state in response to an indication that a fault condition will occur in the received AC power.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to determine the first amount and the second amount such that the operating power delivered to the DC load is sufficient to maintain operation of the DC load while maintaining an amount of the AC power converted to DC power by the conversion circuit below a predetermined level.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the conversion circuit such that the conversion circuit provides the first amount of DC power to the DC bus by causing a power factor correction system in the conversion circuit to maintain current drawn from the received AC power below a predetermined level.

8. A method of controlling a power distribution system that includes a DC bus configured to deliver operating power to a DC load, a conversion circuit configured to receive AC power and convert the received AC power to DC power that is provided to the DC bus, and a battery system configured to provide DC power from a battery to the DC bus, the method comprising:

determining a first amount of DC power to be provided to the DC bus by the conversion circuit;

determining a second amount of DC power to be provided to the DC bus by the battery system while the first amount of DC power is provided to the DC bus by the conversion circuit; and

controlling the conversion circuit and the battery system such that the conversion circuit provides the first amount of DC power to the DC bus and the battery system concurrently provides the second amount of DC power to the DC bus.

9. The method of claim 8 the method further comprising:

controlling the conversion circuit such that the conversion circuit transitions from providing the first amount of DC power to providing a third amount of DC power to the DC bus, the third amount being greater than the first amount.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the conversion circuit transitions from providing the first amount of DC power to providing the third amount of DC power over a specified time period to prevent inrush currents from exceeding a predetermined level.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein, prior to determining the first amount of DC power and determining the second amount of DC power, the conversion circuit is not providing DC power to the DC bus.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

controlling the battery system such that the battery system transitions from providing the second amount of DC power to providing a third amount of DC power to the DC bus, the third amount being greater than the second amount.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the first amount of DC power and determining the second amount of DC power are performed in response to an indication that a fault condition will occur in the received AC power.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein, prior to determining the first amount of DC power and determining the second amount of DC power, the battery system is not providing DC power to the DC bus.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the first amount and the second amount are determined such that the operating power delivered to the DC load is sufficient to maintain operation of the DC load while maintaining an amount of the AC power converted to DC power by the conversion circuit below a predetermined level.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein controlling the conversion circuit such that the conversion circuit provides the first amount of DC power to the DC bus includes causing a power factor correction system in the conversion circuit to maintain current drawn from the received AC power below a predetermined level.

17. A power distribution system, the system comprising:

a plurality of DC buses configured to deliver operating power to a plurality of DC loads;

a plurality of conversion circuits, each conversion circuit configured to receive AC power and convert the received AC power to DC power that is provided to a corresponding ones of the DC buses;

a plurality of battery systems, each battery system including a respective battery and configured to provide DC power from the respective battery to a corresponding one of the DC buses; and

,

a power coordinator configured to determine a total amount of DC power to be provided to the DC buses by the plurality of conversion circuits, determine a plurality of amounts of DC power to be provided to the DC buses by the battery systems while the total amount of DC power is provided to the DC buses by the conversion circuits, and control the conversion circuits and the battery systems such that the conversion circuits provide the total amount of DC power to the DC buses and the battery systems concurrently provide the plurality of amounts of DC power to the DC buses.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the power coordinator is configured to determine the total amount of DC power and the plurality of amounts of DC power such that the operating power delivered to the DC loads is sufficient to maintain operation of the DC loads while maintaining an amount of the AC power converted to DC power by the conversion circuits below a predetermined level.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the power coordinator is configured to control the conversion circuits such that the conversion circuits provide the total amount of DC power to the DC buses by causing a plurality of power factor correction systems in the conversion circuits to maintain total current drawn from the received AC power below a predetermined level.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the power coordinator is configured to determine, for each of the plurality of conversion circuits, a respective first amount of operating power that is to be provided to the conversion circuits such that the operating power delivered to the DC loads is sufficient to maintain operation of the DC loads while maintaining an amount of the AC power converted to DC power by the conversion circuits below a predetermined level.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the power coordinator is configured to, in response to an increased operating power requirement for a first group of one or more of the conversion circuits, determine a magnitude of the increased power requirement, identify a second group of one or more other conversion circuits that are using less than their respective first amounts of operating power, and reallocate power from the second group to the first group such that the operating power delivered to the DC loads is sufficient to maintain operation of the DC loads while maintaining an amount of the AC power converted to DC power by the conversion circuits below a predetermined level.

22. A method of controlling a power distribution system that includes a plurality of DC buses configured to deliver operating power to a plurality of DC loads, a plurality of conversion circuits configured to receive AC power and convert the received AC power to DC power that is provided to the DC buses, and a plurality of battery systems, each battery system including a respective battery and configured to provide DC power from the respective battery to a corresponding one of the DC buses, the method comprising:

determining, by a power coordinator, a first total amount of DC power to be provided to the DC buses by the plurality of conversion circuits;

determining a plurality of amounts of DC power to be provided to the DC buses by the battery systems while the first total amount of DC power is provided to the DC buses by the conversion circuits; and

controlling the conversion circuits and the battery systems such that the conversion circuits provide the first total amount of DC power to the DC buses and the battery systems concurrently provide the plurality of amounts of DC power to the DC buses.

23. The method of claim 22 the method further comprising:

controlling the conversion circuits such that the conversion circuits transition from providing the first total amount of DC power to providing a second total amount of DC power to the DC buses, the second total amount being greater than the first total amount.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the conversion circuits transition from providing the first total amount of DC power to providing the second total amount of DC power over a specified time period to prevent inrush currents from exceeding a predetermined level.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein, prior to determining the first total amount of DC power and determining the plurality of amounts of DC power, the conversion circuits are not providing DC power to the DC buses.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

controlling the battery systems such that the battery systems transition from providing the plurality of amounts of DC power to providing a second total amount of DC power to the DC buses, the second total amount being greater than the plurality of amounts.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein determining the first total amount of DC power and determining the plurality of amounts of DC power are performed in response to an indication that a fault condition will occur in the received AC power.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein, prior to determining the first total amount of DC power and determining the plurality of amounts of DC power, the battery systems are not providing DC power to the DC buses.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the first total amount and the plurality of amounts are determined such that the operating power delivered to the DC loads is sufficient to maintain operation of the DC loads while maintaining an amount of the AC power converted to DC power by the conversion circuits below a predetermined level.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein controlling the conversion circuits such that the conversion circuits provide the first total amount of DC power to the DC buses includes causing a plurality of power factor correction systems in the conversion circuits to maintain current drawn from the received AC power below a predetermined level.