Protection against abnormal overpower of electrical equipment

• US 9,735,564 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maresh, Mark E., Coq, Marc H., Swenson, Eric B., Fishbune, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comber, Kevin J
• Application Number:
  US15/337,839
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 361 62
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/38 responsive to both voltage and current; responsive to phase angle between voltage and current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/42 responsive to product of voltage and current

Abstract

A system protects electrical equipment. The system includes a backplane including electrically communicative inputs and outputs, input and output wiring, input and output detectors and a processor. Power sources respectively connect with corresponding inputs by way of the input wiring. The input detectors are respectively disposed on the input wiring to detect an amount of power provided from each of the power sources. Each of the outputs respectively connects with a corresponding load by way of the output wiring. The output detectors are respectively disposed on the output wiring to detect an amount of power provided from each of the outputs. The processor is configured to determine a relationship between the detected amounts of power and to take an action relative to at least one of the power sources based on the determined relationship.

Claims

1. A system to protect electrical equipment, comprising:

a backplane comprising conductive layers interleaved with dielectric layers, electrically communicative inputs and outputs and power distribution elements supportively disposed within multiple conductive layers by which each input is electrically communicative with at least one or more outputs;

input wiring by which power sources respectively connect with corresponding inputs;

input detectors respectively disposed on the input wiring to detect an amount of power provided from each of the power sources;

output wiring by which each of the outputs respectively connects with a corresponding load;

output detectors respectively disposed on the output wiring to detect an amount of power provided from each of the outputs; and

a processor configured to determine that a relationship between the detected amounts of power is indicative of a fault of the power distribution elements and to take an action relative to at least one of the power sources to mitigate the fault based on the determined relationship.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the power sources comprise a battery and an electric grid; and

current provided from the power sources and current provided to the loads is alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a housing disposed to house the backplane, wherein at least one of the sources is external to the housing.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the input wiring comprises an individual input wiring element, on which one of the input detectors is disposed, to respectively connect each of the power sources with the corresponding inputs, and

the output wiring comprises an individual wiring element, on which one of the output detectors is disposed, to respectively connect each of the outputs with the corresponding loads.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the input wiring comprises an individual input wiring element, on which one of the input detectors is disposed, to respectively connect each of the power sources with the corresponding inputs; and

the output wiring comprises an individual wiring element, on which one of the output detectors is disposed, to respectively connect each of the outputs with the corresponding loads.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor:

sums the detected amounts of power provided from each of the power sources to arrive at a first summation result;

sums the detected amounts of power provided from each of the outputs to arrive at a second summation result;

obtains a difference between the first and second summation results; and

effects the taking of the action relative to the at least one of the power sources based on the difference exceeding a predefined threshold, wherein the taking of the action comprises;

determining whether the power provided from each of the power sources is provided redundantly or from a non-redundant system;

if the power is provided from the non-redundant system, disabling the non-redundant system; and

if the power is provided redundantly, sequentially disabling redundant systems until the difference does not exceed the predefined threshold.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the predefined threshold is a 0% or greater differential and is updateable.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the fault comprises a short circuit passing between voltage planes of proximal power distribution elements, and

the action comprises disabling a non-redundant power source or, if the at least one of the power sources provide power redundantly, sequentially switching off of the at least one of the power sources and issuing an alert.

9. A system to protect electrical equipment, comprising:

power sources;

loads;

a backplane comprising conductive layers interleaved with dielectric layers, electrically communicative inputs and outputs and power distribution elements supportively disposed within multiple conductive layers by which each input is electrically communicative with at least one or more outputs;

input wiring by which each power source connects with a corresponding input;

input detectors respectively disposed on the input wiring to detect an amount of power provided from each power source to the corresponding input;

output wiring by which each output connects with a corresponding load;

output detectors respectively disposed on the output wiring to detect an amount of power provided from each output to the corresponding load; and

a processor coupled to the input and output detectors and configured to determine that a relationship between the detected amounts of power is indicative of a fault of the power distribution elements and to take an action relative to at least one of the power sources to mitigate the fault based on the determined relationship.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein:

the power sources comprise a battery and an electric grid, and

current provided from the power sources and current provided to the loads is alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).

11. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a housing disposed to house the backplane, wherein at least one of the sources is external to the housing.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein:

the input wiring comprises an individual input wiring element, on which one of the input detectors is disposed, to connect each power source with the corresponding input,

the output wiring comprises an individual wiring element, on which one of the output detectors is disposed, to connect each output with the corresponding load.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor:

sums the detected amounts of power provided from each power source to arrive at a first summation result,

sums the detected amounts of power provided from each output to arrive at a second summation result,

obtains a difference between the first and second summation results, and

effects the taking of the action relative to the at least one of the power sources based on the difference exceeding a predefined threshold, wherein the taking of the action comprises;

determining whether the power provided from each of the power sources is provided redundantly or from a non-redundant system;

if the power is provided from the non-redundant system, disabling the non-redundant system; and

if the power is provided redundantly, sequentially disabling redundant systems until the difference does not exceed the predefined threshold.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the predefined threshold is a 0% or greater differential and is updateable.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein:

the fault comprises a short circuit passing between voltage planes of proximal power distribution elements, and

the action comprises disabling a non-redundant power source or, if the at least one of the power sources provide power redundantly, sequentially switching off of the at least one of the power sources and issuing an alert.

16. A method of protecting electrical equipment in a system comprising power sources, loads and a backplane that comprises conductive layers interleaved with dielectric layers, electrically communicative inputs and outputs and power distribution elements supportively disposed within multiple conductive layers by which each input is electrically communicative with at least one or more outputs, the method comprising:

detecting, along input wiring, an amount of power provided from power sources to a corresponding input;

detecting, along output wiring, an amount of power provided from each output to a corresponding load;

determining that a relationship between the detected amounts of power is indicative of a short circuit passing between voltage planes of proximal power distribution elements; and

taking an action relative to at least one of the power sources to mitigate the short circuit based on the determined relationship.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

the determining comprises summing the detected amounts of power provided from each power source to arrive at a first summation result, summing the detected amounts of power provided from each output to arrive at a second summation result and obtaining a difference between the first and second summation results, and

the taking of the action relative to the at least one of the power sources is based on the difference exceeding a predefined threshold and comprises;

determining whether the power provided from each of the power sources is provided redundantly or from a non-redundant system;

if the power is provided from the non-redundant system, disabling the non-redundant system; and

if the power is provided redundantly, sequentially disabling redundant systems until the difference does not exceed the predefined threshold.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the predefined threshold is a 0% or greater differential and is updateable.