Single phase redundant power supplies for reducing phase current imbalances

• US 9,189,040 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astec International Limited (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Astec International Limited (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Phadke, Vijay Gangadhar, Myers, Robert Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres-Rivera, Alex
• Application Number:
  US13/369,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 363/65, 363/67, 363/69, 363/70, 363/87, 363/129, 363/76, 363/77, 363/81, 363/84, 363/89, 363/92, 363/125, 363/127, 363/128, 307/14, 307/24, 307/53, 307/54, 307/58, 307/60, 307/82, 323/225, 323/268, 323/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/70 Regulating power factor; Regulating reactive current or power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/26 Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/50 Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks

Abstract

A single phase redundant power supply system may include a first power supply having an input coupled to a first phase voltage in a polyphase power distribution system and an output coupled to a load for supplying an amount of DC power to the load, and a second power supply having an input for coupling to a second phase voltage in the polyphase power distribution system and an output coupled to the load for supplying an amount of DC power to the load. At least the first power supply is configured to reduce phase current imbalances in the polyphase power distribution system by adjusting the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the first power supply and the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the second power supply.

Claims

1. A single phase AC/DC power supply having a first input for receiving a first AC phase voltage in a polyphase AC power distribution system, a first output for supplying an amount of DC power to a load, a power circuit coupled between the first input and the first output, and a control circuit for controlling the power circuit, the control circuit configured to substantially eliminate AC phase current imbalances in the polyphase AC power distribution system by adjusting the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output and an amount of DC power supplied to the load by at least one other power supply having a second input coupled to a second phase voltage in the polyphase AC power distribution system and a second output coupled in parallel with the first output so the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the single phase AC/DC power supply is different than the amount of DC power supplied to the load by said at least one other power supply when the single phase AC/DC power supply and said at least one other power supply are so coupled to each other and the load and when a number of power supplies per phase of the polyphase AC power distribution system is the same.

2. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output in response to a voltage level of the first AC phase voltage.

3. The power supply of claim 2 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output in response to a difference between the first AC phase voltage and a nominal AC phase voltage.

4. The power supply of claim 2 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output in response to one or more signals from an AC phase current controller monitoring a plurality of AC phase currents in the polyphase AC power distribution system.

5. The power supply of claim 4 wherein the control circuit is selectively configurable to adjust the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output in response to either the voltage level of the first AC phase voltage, or the one or more signals from the AC phase current controller.

6. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output in response to one or more signals from an AC phase current controller monitoring a plurality of AC phase currents in the polyphase AC power distribution system.

7. The power supply of claim 6 wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the one or more signals directly from the AC phase current controller via a wired or wireless communication link.

8. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to supply DC current to the load via the first output at a substantially constant output voltage.

9. The power supply of claim 8 wherein the control circuit includes an output current sharing function and is configured to adjust the amount of DC current supplied to the load via the first output by adjusting behavior of the output current sharing function.

10. The power supply of claim 9 wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a current sharing parameter according to the output current sharing function, and to adjust the generated current sharing parameter to substantially eliminate AC phase current imbalances in the polyphase AC power distribution system.

11. The power supply of claim 10 wherein the current sharing parameter is a droop voltage.

12. The power supply of claim 10 wherein the current sharing parameter is a communication signal representing the amount of DC current supplied to the load via the first output.

13. The power supply of claim 10 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the generated current sharing parameter based on a voltage level of the first AC phase voltage.

14. The power supply of claim 10 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the generated current sharing parameter in response to one or more signals from an AC phase current controller monitoring a plurality of AC phase currents in the polyphase AC power distribution system.

15. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to substantially eliminate imbalances between a first AC phase current provided to the first input and a second AC phase current provided to the second input.

16. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the first output and the amount of DC power supplied to the load via the second output without substantially changing an overall amount of DC power supplied to the load.

17. The power supply of claim 16 wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the DC power supplied to the load via the first output and the DC power supplied to the load via the second output in substantially equal but opposite amounts.

18. A computer device comprising the power supply of claim 1.

19. The computer device of claim 18 wherein the computer device is a computer server.

20. An AC phase current controller for a polyphase AC power distribution system having at least a first AC phase voltage and a second AC phase voltage, the first AC phase voltage and the second AC phase voltage coupled to inputs of a first power supply and a second power supply, the first power supply having an output coupled to a load for supplying an amount of DC power to the load, the second power supply having an output coupled to the load for supplying an amount of DC power to the load, the output of the first power supply coupled in parallel with the output of the second power supply, the controller configured to monitor a plurality of AC phase currents in the polyphase AC power distribution system and generate one or more control signals for adjusting the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the first power supply and the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the second power supply so the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the first power supply is different than the amount of DC power supplied to the load by the second power supply to substantially eliminate imbalances between the plurality of monitored AC phase currents when a number of power supplies per phase of the polyphase AC power distribution system is the same.