Power distribution apparatus with input and output power sensing and method of use

• US 9,898,026 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Server Technology Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Ewing, Carrel W., Maskaly, James P., Mcglumphy, Dennis W., Auclair, Brian P., Massey, David, Ewing, Brandon W., Cleveland, Andrew J., Nicholson, Calvin, Hunt, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US13/670,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/00 Non-retroactive systems for regulating electric variables by using an uncontrolled element, or an uncontrolled combination of elements, such element or such combination having self-regulating properties current generators specially designed for use in phase-locked loops H03L7/0891
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3089 Monitoring arrangements determined by the means or processing involved in sensing the monitored data, e.g. interfaces, connectors, sensors, probes, agents software debugging using additional hardware using a specific debug interface G06F11/3656; performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring G06F11/3466
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

Power distribution apparatus with input and output power sensing and a method of use. A power distribution unit includes a sensor that senses power parameters of power outputs and a power input, a processor, and a communication circuit. A power management system includes a power manager, a user interface, and a plurality of power distribution units that may be located in one or more equipment cabinets and data centers. The system may compute apparent power, RMS power, power factor, energy usage over time, power usage history, or environmental history for any or all of the power distribution units. The system may identify an under-utilized server connected to one of the power distribution units and initiate a shut-down of that server.

Claims

1. A power management system comprising:

a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs) each having;

a housing;

at least one power input;

a plurality of power outputs;

a plurality of sensors, comprising;

at least one input sensor connected to sense at least one input power parameter of the at least one power input; and

at least one output sensor connected to sense at least one output power parameter of an associated one of the plurality of power outputs;

a power manager agent configured to receive said at least one input power parameter and said at least one output parameter, wherein the power manager agent comprises at least one PDU processor and a PDU data storage unit to cause the at least one PDU processor to compute energy consumption over time for at least the associated one of said power outputs; and

a network power manager in communication with each power manager agent, said network power manager configured to receive information corresponding to the computed energy consumption, wherein the network power manager comprises at least one network processor and a network data storage unit, said network data storage unit comprising instructions operative to cause the at least one network processor to;

communicate, to a user, the computed energy consumption; and

in response to receiving a user-initiated command correlated to the computed energy consumption, convey said user-initiated command to the associated power manager agent.

2. A power management system as in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a browser-based visual display.

3. A power management system as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of:

a power line frequency sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor.

4. A power management system as in claim 1, wherein the network processor comprises at least one microprocessor.

5. A power management system as in claim 1, wherein the network processor comprises at least one computation unit remotely located from the power distribution units.

6. A power management system as in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power distribution units is configured to compute at least one of apparent power, RMS power, and power factor for one or more of its associated plurality of power outputs.

7. A power management system as in claim 1, further comprising instructions in the network data storage unit operative to cause the network processor to identify a load that comprises an under-utilized server.

8. A power management system as in claim 7, further comprising instructions in the network data storage unit operative to cause the network processor to initiate a shut-down of under-utilized servers.

9. A power management system as in claim 1, further comprising instructions in the network data storage unit operative to cause the network processor to compute over time at least one of a power usage history and an environmental history.

10. A power management system as in claim 1 wherein the communication circuit of each power distribution unit is assigned a unique communication address.

40. A power management system as in claim 1, wherein the energy consumption over time is computed for each of the plurality of power outputs.

41. A power management system as in claim 1, each power distribution unit comprising:

a plurality of power control switches, each in power-control communication with the power output in the plurality of power outputs; and

a communication circuit in communication with the plurality of sensors and the plurality of power-control switches.

42. A power management system as in claim 1, wherein computing the energy consumption over time includes:

accumulating, at the PDU data storage unit, the at least one input power parameter and the at least one output power parameter;

extracting timing information from the at least one input power parameter; and

computing energy consumption over time by multiplying the extracted timing information with the at least one output power parameter.

43. A power management system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface in communication with the network power manager to receive the user-initiated command.

11. A power distribution unit, comprising:

a housing;

at least one power input;

a plurality of power outputs;

at least one voltage sensor connected to sense at least one voltage parameter associated with a subset of the plurality of power outputs; and

at least one current sensor connected to sense at least one current parameter associated with at least one of the plurality of power outputs;

a power manager agent configured to receive at least one said voltage parameter and at least one said current parameter, wherein the power manager agent comprises at least one PDU processor and a PDU data storage unit to cause the at least one PDU processor to compute energy consumption over time for at least the associated one of said power outputs; and

a network power manager in communication with each power manager agent, said network power manager configured to receive information corresponding to the computed energy consumption, wherein the network power manager comprises at least one network processor and a network data storage unit, said network data storage unit comprising instructions operative to cause the at least one network processor to;

communicate, to a user, the computed energy consumption; and

in response to receiving a user-initiated command correlated to the computed energy consumption, convey said user-initiated command to the associated power manager agent.

12. A power distribution unit as in claim 11, wherein the energy consumption over time is computed for each of the plurality of power outputs.

13. A power distribution unit as in claim 11, wherein the subset of the plurality of power outputs is associated with a branch of power from the at least one power input.

14. A power distribution unit as in claim 13, wherein the at least one current sensor is connected to sense at least one current parameter associated with the branch of power from the at least one power input.

15. A power distribution unit as in claim 13, wherein the at least one current sensor comprises a plurality of current sensors connected to sense current parameters of associated ones of the plurality of power outputs.

16. A power distribution unit as in claim 11, wherein the at least one power input comprises two or more power phases, and wherein the subset of the plurality of power outputs are associated with a first power phase from the at least one power input.

17. A power distribution unit as in claim 16, wherein the at least one current sensor is connected to sense at least one current parameter associated with the first power phase from the at least one power input.

18. A power distribution unit as in claim 16, wherein the at least one current sensor comprises a plurality of current sensors connected to sense current parameters of associated ones of the plurality of power outputs.

19. A power distribution unit as in claim 11, wherein the at least one PDU processor is configured to receive one or more of the at least one voltage parameter and the at least one current parameter to compute at least one power value.

20. A power distribution unit as in claim 19, further comprising:

a communication circuit in communication with the at least one PDU processor.

21. A power distribution unit as in claim 20, wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit the at least one power value to the network power manager, wherein the network power manager is external to the power distribution unit.

22. A power distribution unit as in claim 21, wherein the communication circuit comprises:

a network interface card (NIC) configured to transmit the at least one power value to the network power manager.

23. A power distribution unit as in claim 19, further comprising:

an intelligent power module (IPM) associated with the plurality of power outputs, wherein one or more of the at least one PDU processor, the at least one voltage sensor, and the at least one current sensor are components of the IPM.

24. A power distribution unit (PDU), comprising:

a housing;

at least one power input;

a first set of power outputs associated with a first power branch from the at least one power input;

a second set of power outputs associated with a second power branch from the at least one power input;

at least one voltage sensor connected to sense at least one voltage parameter of the at least one power input;

one or more first current sensors connected to sense one or more first current parameters associated with the first power branch;

one or more second current sensors connected to sense one or more second current parameters associated with the second power branch;

a power manager agent configured to receive at least one said voltage parameter, at least one of said first current parameters, and at least one of said second current parameters, wherein the power manager agent comprises at least one PDU processor and a PDU data storage unit to cause the at least one PDU processor to compute energy consumption over time for at least an associated one of said first set of power outputs or said second set of power outputs; and

a network power manager in communication with each power manager agent, said network power manager configured to receive information corresponding to the energy consumption, wherein the network power manager comprises at least one network processor and a network data storage unit, said network data storage unit comprising instructions operative to cause the at least one network processor to;

communicate, to a user, the computed energy consumption; and

in response to receiving a user-initiated command correlated to the computed energy consumption, convey said user-initiated command to the associated power manager agent.

25. A power distribution unit as in claim 24, wherein the energy consumption over time is computed for each power output in the first set of power outputs and each power output in the second set of power outputs.

26. A power distribution unit as in claim 24,

wherein the one or more first current sensors are connected to sense current parameters of associated ones of the first set of power outputs, and

wherein the one or more second current sensors are connected to sense current parameters of associated ones of the second set of power outputs.

27. A power distribution unit as in claim 24, wherein the at least one PDU processor is configured to receive one or more of the at least one voltage parameter, the one or more first current parameters, and the one or more second current parameters to compute at least one power value.

28. A power distribution unit as in claim 27, further comprising:

a communication circuit in communication with the at least one PDU processor.

29. A power distribution unit as in claim 28, wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit the at least one power value to the network power manager, wherein the network power manager is external to the power distribution unit.

30. A power distribution unit as in claim 29, wherein the communication circuit comprises:

a network interface card (NIC) configured to transmit the at least one power value to the network power manager.

31. A power distribution unit as in claim 27, further comprising:

a first intelligent power module (IPM) associated with the first set of power outputs, wherein the one or more first current sensors are components of the first IPM;

a second intelligent power module (IPM) associated with the second set of power outputs, wherein the one or more second current sensors are components of the second IPM.

32. A power distribution unit (PDU), comprising:

a housing;

at least one power input comprising two or more power phases;

a first set of power outputs associated with a first power phase from the at least one power input;

a second set of power outputs associated with a second power phase from the at least one power input;

at least one voltage sensor connected to sense at least one voltage parameter of the at least one power input;

one or more first current sensors connected to sense one or more first current parameters associated with the first set of power outputs; and

one or more second current sensors connected to sense one or more second current parameters associated with the second set of power outputs;

a power manager agent configured to receive at least one said voltage parameter, at least one of said first current parameters, and at least one of said second current parameters, wherein the power manager agent comprises at least one PDU processor and a PDU data storage unit to cause the at least one PDU processor to compute energy consumption over time for at least an associated one of said first set of power outputs or said second set of power outputs; and

a network power manager in communication with each power manager agent, said power network manager configured to receive information corresponding to the computed energy consumption, wherein the network power manager comprises at least one network processor and a network data storage unit, said network data storage unit comprising instructions operative to cause the at least one network processor to;

communicate, to a user, the computed energy consumption; and

in response to receiving a user-initiated command correlated to the computed energy consumption, convey said user-initiated command to the associated power manager agent.

33. A power distribution unit as in claim 32, wherein the energy consumption over time is computed for each power output in the first set of power outputs and each power output in the second set of power outputs.

34. A power distribution unit as in claim 32,

wherein the one or more first current sensors are connected to sense current parameters of each of the first set of power outputs, and

wherein the one or more second current sensors are connected to sense current parameters of each of the second set of power outputs.

35. A power distribution unit as in claim 32, wherein the at least one PDU processor is configured to receive one or more of the at least one voltage parameter, the one or more first current parameters, and the one or more second current parameters to compute at least one power value.

36. A power distribution unit as in claim 35, further comprising:

a communication circuit in communication with the at least one PDU processor.

37. A power distribution unit as in claim 36, wherein the communication circuit is configured to transmit the at least one power value to the network power manager, wherein the network power manager is external to the power distribution unit.

38. A power distribution unit as in claim 37, wherein the communication circuit comprises:

a network interface card (NIC) configured to transmit the at least one power value to the network power manager.

39. A power distribution unit as in claim 35, further comprising:

a first intelligent power module (IPM) associated with the first set of power outputs, wherein the one or more first current sensors are components of the first IPM;

a second intelligent power module (IPM) associated with the second set of power outputs, wherein the one or more second current sensors are components of the second IPM.