Bus holdup circuit for a distributed power system and method of operation thereof

• US 6,201,721 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lineage Power Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Suranyi, Gabriel G., Thottuvelil, Vijayan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, YOUNGHUIE JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US09/558,939
• Time in Patent Office: 321 Days
• Field of Search: 363/141, 363/144, 363/147, 323/908, 307/147
• US Class Current: 363/144
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/004 in connection with live-insertion of plug-in units involving communication with a central processing unit G06F13/40
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/908 Inrush current limiters

Abstract

A bus holdup circuit for a module of a distributed power system, a method of bolstering bus voltage and a distributed power system employing the circuit or the method. In one embodiment, wherein the module has a backplane interface adapted to be removably coupled to a DC backplane of the distributed power system, the bus holdup circuit includes: (1) an energy storage circuit, coupled across the backplane interface, adapted to store and dissipate energy to bolster a voltage across the DC backplane and (2) an inrush limiting circuit, series-coupled to the energy storage circuit, adapted to limit an inrush current to the module.

Claims

1. For use with a module of a distributed power system having a backplane interface adapted to be removably coupled to a DC backplane of said distributed power system, a bus holdup circuit, comprising:

an energy storage circuit, coupled across said backplane interface, adapted to store and dissipate energy to bolster a voltage across said DC backplane; and

an inrush limiting circuit, series-coupled to said energy storage circuit, adapted to limit an inrush current to said module.

2. The bus holdup circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said energy storage circuit comprises a capacitor.

3. The bus holdup circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said inrush limiting circuit comprises a resistor.

4. The bus holdup circuit as recited in claim 1 further comprising a switch, coupled across said inrush limiting circuit, that allows said energy storage circuit to bolster said voltage.

5. The bus holdup circuit as recited in claim 4 wherein said switch is a diode.

6. The bus holdup circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said DC backplane is free of a central bus holdup circuit.

7. The bus holdup circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said bus holdup circuit enables said module to be hot-pluggable to said DC backplane.

8. A method of bolstering a bus voltage associated with a distributed power system, comprising:

coupling a backplane interface of a module to a DC backplane of said distributed power system;

storing energy in an energy storage circuit coupled across said backplane interface and dissipating said energy to bolster a voltage across said DC backplane; and

limiting an inrush current to said module with an inrush limiting circuit series-coupled to said energy storage circuit.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said energy storage circuit comprises a capacitor.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said inrush limiting circuit comprises a resistor.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising employing a switch, coupled across said inrush limiting circuit, to allow said energy storage circuit to bolster said voltage.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said switch is a diode.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said DC backplane is free of a central bus holdup circuit.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising hot-plugging said module to said DC backplane.

15. A distributed power system, comprising:

a DC backplane; and

at least one module removably coupled to said DC backplane and including;

a circuit board,

a backplane interface mounted on said circuit board, and

a module-based bus holdup circuit mounted on said circuit board, including;

an energy storage circuit, coupled across said backplane interface, adapted to store and dissipate energy to bolster a voltage across said DC backplane; and

an inrush limiting circuit, series-coupled to said energy storage circuit, adapted to limit an inrush current to said module.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said energy storage circuit comprises a capacitor.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said inrush limiting circuit comprises a resistor.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said module-based bus holdup circuit further comprises a switch, coupled across said inrush limiting circuit, that allows said energy storage circuit to bolster said voltage.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein said switch is a diode.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said module-based bus holdup circuit enables said module to be hot-pluggable to said DC backplane.