Integrated uninterruptible power supply for personal computers

• US 4,860,185 A
• Filed: 08/21/1987
• Issued: 08/22/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Research Association Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Research Association Incorporated
• Inventors: Brewer, David C., Lindberg, Conrad P., Lindberg, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Application Number:
  US07/087,894
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 363/35, 363/37, 363/41, 307/22, 307/66, 307/83
• US Class Current: 363/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/067 using multi-primary transformers, e.g. transformer having one primary for each AC energy source and a secondary for the loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing uninterrupted DC and AC power for a desktop personal computer is described. The source of the uninterrrupted DC and AC power is derived from an integrated power supply that is sized to fit within the existing housings of most desktop personal computers as a plug-in replacement for existing power supplies. A high degree of efficiency is obtained using an integrated design with the main power conversion derived from a DC/DC dual primary resonant converter. The main primary of the resonant converter is driven from a high voltage DC bus which is supplied from AC mains when available. When the AC mains is unavailable, the second primary of the DC/DC dual primary resonant converter receives power from a low voltage battery source. Secondaries of the converter produce low voltage DC for driving the personal computer, high voltage DC for augmenting the high voltage DC bus, which in turn is used to drive a DC/AC inverter for supplying uninterrupted AC voltage for powering peripherals such as a monitor, printer, etc. A medium-voltage secondary is also sourced from the converter which drives a battery charger to recharge an internal battery pafck upon restoration of the AC mains.

Claims

1. An integrated uninterruptible power supply for computers and associated peripherals, comprising:

a bus capable of receiving and sourcing high DC voltages;

input means for converting AC line voltage into a first high DC voltage and for placing said first high DC voltage onto said bus;

inverter means connected to said bus for generating AC output voltage from said high DC voltages to supply the peripherals with said AC output voltage;

a dual primary resonant converter including a transformer, said converter having (1) high voltage primary means connected to a first winding of said transformer and further connected to said bus for receiving said high DC voltages, (2) medium voltage primary means connected to a second winding of said transformer and further connected to a battery pack for receiving battery voltage, (3) high voltage secondary means connected to a third winding of said transformer and further connected to said bus and operable for producing a second high DC voltage and for placing said second high DC voltage onto said bus, and (4) at least one low voltage secondary means connected to a fourth winding on said transformer operable for producing at least one regulated DC voltage for the computer;

said dual primary resonant converter further includes series resonant conversion means having inductance and capacitance in series with at least one of said windings for performing series resonant conversion; and

control means connected to said dual primary resonant converter for enabling said high voltage primary when said input means receives sufficient AC line voltage.

2. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said dual primary resonant converter further comprising medium voltage secondary means connected to a fifth winding of said transformer for producing DC power and battery charger means connected to said medium voltage secondary means for receiving said DC power and for charging said battery pack.

3. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said control means is further operable for disabling both primary means of said dual primary resonant converter when said battery pack discharges to a preselected level and when said input means does not receive sufficient AC line voltage.

4. The power supply according to claim 1 further including a control circuit power supply operable for providing a start-up bias current from said battery pack for powering said control means.

5. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said inductance consists entirely of transformer leakage inductance.

6. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said control means further includes

feedback means connected for sensing the voltage on at least one of said secondary means and for producing a feedback signal in proportion thereto;

and

a voltage-controlled oscillator attached to said high voltage primary means and said medium voltage primary means and operable for controlling said primaries to regulate the voltage on said secondary means in response to said feedback signal.

7. The power supply according to claim 1 being sized to contain said battery pack and to fit wihtin the existing housing of the computer as a replaceable substitute for an existing power supply.

8. The power supply according to claim 1 being sized to fit within existing housing of the computer as a replaceable substitute for an existing power supply with said battery pack consisting of an external line-isolated DC source.

9. The power supply according to claim 6 further including indicator means attached to said voltage controlled oscillator for indicating when said control means has enabled said medium voltage primary and for further indicating the state of charge of said battery pack.

10. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said series resonant conversion employs zero current switching such that a minimum radiated electrical interference is produced and high electrical conversion efficiency is maintained.

11. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said high voltage secondary means further includes second series resonant conversion means for performing series resonant conversion at a frequency which approximately matches the resonant frequency of at least one of said primary means such that the leakage inductance of said third winding of said high voltage secondary means does not appreciably affect the circulating currents in said windings of said primary means.

12. The power supply according to claim 1 wherein said control means determines when a sufficient AC line voltage is available on said input means for enabling said primary means based upon voltage level of said high DC voltages on said bus.

13. The power supply according to claim 1 further including a plurality of said low voltage secondary means each connected to separate windings on said transformer and each operable for producing at least one regulated DC voltage and each of said windings of said low voltage secondary means constructed using cofiler wound copper strips such that relatively close voltage tracking is achieved between said regulated DC voltages.

14. A DC-to-AC voltage inverter comprising:

a sine wave reference oscillator operable for producing a sine wave signal from a digitally stored facsimile;

switching means for switching a DC voltage into an AC voltage and placing said AC voltage on an output;

control means connected for controlling said switching means in response to said signal received from said sine wave reference oscillator such that said AC voltage is regulated in response thereto; and

said switching means includes dual buck converters arranged in an H-bridge configuration.

15. A DC-to-AC voltage inverter comprising:

a sine wave reference oscillator operable for producing a sine wave signal from a digitally stored facsimile;

switching means for switching a DC voltage into an AC voltage and placing said AC voltage on an output;

control means connected for controlling said switching means in response to said signal received from said sine wave reference oscillator such that said AC voltage is regulated in response thereto; and

said sine wave reference oscillator is constructed using a clocking means for driving a memory means at a fixed frequency, said memory means programmed for storing said digitally stored facsimile and a digital-to-analog converter for producing said sine wave signal from said digitally stored facsimile.

16. The inverter according to claim 15 wherein said control means includes a pulse width modulator operable for varying the switching of said switching means in proportion to the summed magnitude of said AC voltage on said output and the magnitude of said signal.

17. The inverter according to claim 15 wherein said control means is further connected for controlling said switching means in response to said signal received from said sine wave reference oscillator such that said AC voltage is regulated both in magnitude and frequency in response thereto.

18. A method of providing uninterruptible power to a computer and associated peripherals, comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing AC line voltage for sufficient magnitude;

(b) converting said AC line voltage to a first DC high voltage;

(c) series resonant converting said first DC high voltage into low DC voltage for use by the computer if said AC line voltage is sufficient in magnitude;

(d) series resonant converting battery voltage into said low DC voltage for use by the computer if said AC line voltage is insufficient in magnitude;

(e) series resonant converting said battery voltage into a second DC high voltage if said AC line voltage is insufficient in magnitude;

(f) inverting said first DC high voltage into an uninterrupted AC voltage for use by the peripherals if said AC line voltage is sufficient in magnitude; and

(g) inverting said second DC high voltage into an uninterrupted AC voltage for use by the peripherals if said AC line voltage is insufficient in magnitude.

19. An integrated uninterruptible power supply for computers and associated peripherals, comprising:

input means for conditioning AC line voltage, for converting said conditioned AC line voltage into a first DC high voltage and for placing said first DC high voltage onto a bus;

high voltage switch means connected to said bus for producing switched DC high voltage from at least one of said first Dc high voltage and a second DC high voltage;

low voltage switch means for producing switched DC low voltage from battery voltage received from a battery pack;

a power transformer haivng a high voltage primary winding connected to said high voltage switch means for receiving said switched DC high voltage and having a low voltage primary winding connected to said low voltage switch means for receiving said switched DC low voltage;

said power transformer operable in response to receiving one of said switched DC high voltage and said switched DC low voltage for producing on a low voltage secondary winding at least one low voltage output for supplying the computer and for producing on a high voltage secondary winding said second DC high voltage connected for driving said bus;

said power transformer further including resonant conversion means connected to at least one of said primary windings for performing series resonant conversion;

inverter means connected to said bus for generating AC output voltage from at least one of said first and said second high DC voltages to supply the peripherals with said AC output voltage; and

control means connected to said high voltage switch means, said low voltage switch means, said bus, and at least one of said secondary windings for enabling said high voltage switch means when said first DC high voltage on said bus is above a first preselected level, for enabling said low voltage switch means when said first DC high voltage on said bus is below a second preselected level, and for controlling said high voltage switch means and said low voltage switch means in response to the voltage on at least one of said secondary windings such that the voltages produced on said secondary windings are regulated.

20. The power supply according to claim 19 wherein said first and second preselected levels are preselected to be the same level.

21. The power supply according to claim I9 wherein said power transformer further includes a medium voltage secondary winding connected to a battery charger for recharging said battery pack when said control means enables said high voltage switch means.