System and method of supplying an electrical system with direct current

• US 8,713,332 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Le Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
• Original Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Lecourtier, Georges
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/038,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 307/64, 307/80, 307/85, 320/167, 361/18, 361/83, 361/89, 361/94, 363/49, 363/101, 714/22
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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: 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 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/068 Electronic means for switching from one power supply to another power supply, e.g. to avoid parallel connection

Abstract

A system for supplying an electrical system with direct current, the system including at least two direct current power supply devices each having means of electrical connection to an alternating current power supply source and an AC/DC converter of alternating current into direct current, a module for managing the power supply of the electrical system which, after reception of an information of failure of a first active power supply device, transmits a command to start up a second inactive power supply device and a back up electrical energy storage device electrically by-pass connected between the power supply devices and the electrical system. The management module also receives the information of failure from the back up device and/or from the electrical system and transmits the command to start up the second power supply device during a discharge phase of the back up device.

Claims

1. A system for supplying an electrical system with direct current, comprising:

at least two direct current power supply devices each comprising means of electrical connection to an alternating current source and an AC/DC converter of alternating current into direct current;

a module for managing the power supply of the electrical system and configured, after reception of an information of failure of a first active power supply device among said at least two direct current power supply devices, to transmit a command to start up a second inactive power supply device of said at least two direct current power supply devices; and

a back up electrical energy storage device electrically by-pass connected between the at least two direct current power supply devices and the electrical system,

wherein the management module is configured to receive the information of failure from the back up device or from the electrical system, or both, and to transmit the command to start up the second power supply device during a discharge phase of the back up device.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the management module is connected, by means of a numerical data transmission bus, to the at least two direct current power supply devices, to the back up device, and to the electrical system so as to receive and transmit information or command data, or both, from and to said at least two direct current power supply devices, said back up device, and said electrical system.

3. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical system comprises an information processing system with at least one computer supplied with extra-low voltage.

4. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the back up device comprises:

electrical energy storage means;

means for charging electrical energy storage means from part of the direct current supplied by at least one of the at least two direct current power supply devices, and

means for discharging the energy stored in the electrical energy storage means to the power supply of the electrical system at a substantially constant predetermined voltage.

5. The power supply system according to claim 4, wherein the electrical energy storage means of the back up device comprises at least one electrochemical double layer supercapacitor.

6. The power supply system according to claim 5, wherein the electrical energy storage means of the back up device comprises at least one circuit of supercapacitors arranged in series.

7. A method for supplying an electrical system with direct current, comprising:

providing at least two direct current power supply devices each comprising means of electrical connection to an alternating current source and an AC/DC converter of alternating current into direct current;

receiving, by a module for managing the power supply of the electrical system, information of failure of a first active power supply device among said at least two direct current power supply devices;

transmitting, after aid receiving of information of failure, by said management module, a command to start up a second inactive power supply device of said at least two direct current power supply devices;

providing a back up electrical energy storage device—

electrically by-pass connected between the at least two direct current power supply devices and the electrical system;

receiving, by said management module, the information of failure from the back up device or from the electrical system, or both; and

transmitting, by the management module during a discharge phase of the back up device, the command to start up the second power supply device.

8. The supply method according to claim 7, further comprising the following steps:

following the reception by the management module of the failure information of the first active power supply device and the start up of the discharge phase of the back up device, waiting for a possible end of the failure, for a duration at the most equal to a maximum discharge duration of the back up device in order to supply the electrical system at a substantially constant predetermined voltage less a start up duration necessary for the second inactive power supply device; and

at the end of said waiting, if the failure lasts, sending, by the management module, a command to start up the second power supply device.

9. The supply method according to claim 8, wherein the start up duration necessary for the second inactive power supply device is determined to be the duration between the sending by the management module of a command to start up the second power supply device and an instant at which this second power supply device is ready to supply the electrical system at said substantially constant predetermined voltage.

10. The supply method according to claim 7, further comprising the following steps:

following the reception by the management module of the failure information of the first active power supply device and the start up of the discharge phase of the back up device, and if the second inactive power supply device is detected by the management module as not being available for replacing the first active power supply device, waiting for a possible end of the failure, for a duration at the most equal to a maximum discharge duration of the back up device in order to supply the electrical system at a substantially constant predetermined voltage less a duration necessary for shutting down the electrical system; and

at the end of said waiting, if the failure lasts, sending, by the management module, a command to shut down the electrical system.

11. The supply method according to claim 7, further comprising:

following the reception by the management module of the failure information of the first active power supply device, transmitting, by the management module to the electrical system, a command to switch to a reduced consumption mode of a computer comprising a mode of reduction of operating frequency and voltage of the computer when the electrical system comprises an information processing system with at least one computer supplied with extra-low voltage.