Uninterruptible power distribution systems and methods using distributed power distribution units

• US 7,561,411 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Robert W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/689,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20070217125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 361/600, 361/602, 439/21, 307/46, 307/66
• US Class Current: 361/600
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1457 Power distribution arrangements

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of equipment racks and a plurality of PDUs mounted in respective ones of the plurality of equipment racks and configured to distribute power via plural branch circuit outputs. The system further includes a UPS rack, a plurality of UPSs mounted in the UPS rack and a plurality of power cables directly coupling outputs of respective ones of the UPSs to inputs of respective ones of the PDUs. Each UPS may include a first output connector directly connected to a PDU via a power cable, and a second output connector coupled to a second connector of another UPS to provide output paralleling. For example, a connectorized bus assembly may be mounted in the UPS rack and may include a UPS output bus and a plurality of connectors, respective ones of the connectors coupling the UPS output bus to the outputs of respective ones of the UPSs.

Claims

1. A power system, comprising:

a plurality of power distribution units (PDUs), respective ones of the PDUs configured to be mounted in respective ones of a plurality of equipment racks and each of the PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment mounted in the respective corresponding equipment rack in which the PDU is mounted via plural branch circuit outputs; and

a plurality of uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) configured to be mounted together in a single UPS rack and to be directly connected to inputs of respective ones of the PDUs via respective power cables.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the UPSs are configured to be output-paralleled at the UPS rack.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each UPS includes a first output connector configured to be directly connected to a PDU via a power cable, and a second output connector configured to be coupled to a second connector of another UPS to provide output paralleling.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a connectorized bus assembly configured be mounted in the UPS rack, the connectorized bus assembly comprising a UPS output bus and a plurality of connectors, respective ones of the connectors configured to couple the UPS output bus to the outputs of respective ones of the UPSs.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the UPSs are configured to be input-paralleled at the UPS rack, wherein the connectorized bus assembly further comprises a UPS input bus and wherein the respective ones of the plurality of connectors are further configured to couple the UPS input bus to inputs of respective ones of the UPSs.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the UPSs comprises a first output connector configured to mate with a connector of the connectorized bus assembly and a second output connector configured to mate with a connector of one of the power cables.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of outlet assemblies configured to be mounted in an equipment rack, respective ones of the outlet assemblies configured to be coupled to respective ones of the branch circuit outputs of a PDU in the equipment rack.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the PDUs comprises respective circuit interruption devices coupled between the input of the PDU and the branch circuit outputs thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein respective ones of the plurality of UPSs comprise respective batteries.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein respective ones of the plurality of UPSs comprise respective bypasses.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the UPSs comprises at least one removable module, and wherein the outputs of the UPSs are configured to be output paralleled in the UPS rack such that power supply to a PDU coupled to a UPS is maintained while the at least one removable module of the UPS is absent.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one removable module comprises a battery module and/or a power converter module.

13. A system, comprising:

a plurality of equipment racks;

a plurality of PDUs, respective ones of the PDUs mounted in respective ones of the plurality of equipment racks and each of the PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment mounted in the respective corresponding equipment rack in which the PDU is mounted via plural branch circuit outputs;

a UPS rack;

a plurality of UPSs mounted !together in the UPS rack; and

a plurality of power cables directly coupling outputs of respective ones of the UPSs to inputs of respective ones of the PDUs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the UPSs are output paralleled in the UPS rack.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a connectorized bus assembly mounted in the UPS rack, the connectorized bus assembly comprising a UPS output bus and a plurality of connectors, respective ones of the connectors coupling the UPS output bus to the outputs of respective ones of the UPSs.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the UPSs are input-paralleled at the UPS rack, wherein the connectorized bus assembly further comprises a UPS input bus and wherein the respective ones of the plurality of connectors couple the UPS input bus to inputs of respective ones of the UPSs.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the UPSs comprises a first output connector mated with a connector of the connectorized bus assembly and a second output connector mated with a connector of one of the power cables.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of outlet assemblies mounted in an equipment rack, respective ones of the outlet assemblies coupled to respective ones of the branch circuit outputs of a PDU in the equipment rack.

19. The system of claim 13:

wherein the plurality of PDUs comprises respective pairs of first and second PDUs mounted in respective ones of the equipment racks, the first and second PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment via respective first and second pluralities of branch circuit outputs;

wherein the UPS rack comprises first and second UPS racks;

wherein the plurality of UPSs comprises a first plurality of UPSs mounted in the first UPS rack and a second plurality of UPSs mounted in the second UPS rack; and

wherein the plurality of power cables comprises a first plurality of power cables coupling outputs of respective ones of the first plurality of UPSs to inputs of respective ones of the first PDUs and a second plurality of power cables coupling outputs of respective ones of the second plurality of UPSs to inputs of respective ones of the second PDUs.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of PDUs comprises a plurality of pairs of first PDUs and second PDUs, respective ones of the pairs of first and second PDUs mounted in respective ones of the equipment racks, wherein the plurality of UPSs comprises a first plurality of UPSs mounted in the UPS rack, and wherein the system further comprises a second plurality of UPSs, respective ones of which are mounted in respective ones of the equipment racks, wherein outputs of respective ones of the second plurality of UPSs are connected to inputs of respective ones of the second PDUs.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein respective ones of the plurality of UPSs comprise respective batteries.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein respective ones of the plurality of UPSs comprise respective bypasses.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the UPSs comprise at least one removable module, and wherein the outputs of the UPSs are output paralleled in the UPS rack such that power supply to a PDU coupled to a UPS is maintained while the at least one removable module of the UPS is absent.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one removable module comprises a battery module and/or a power converter module.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the UPSs has a load rating corresponding to a load of an individual one of the equipment racks.

26. A method of fabricating infrastructure for equipment, the method comprising:

mounting respective PDUs in respective ones of a plurality of equipment racks, each of the PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment mounted in the respective corresponding equipment rack in which the PDU is mounted via plural branch circuit outputs;

mounting a plurality of UPSs together in a UPS rack; and

connecting respective power cables between outputs of respective ones of the UPSs and inputs of respective ones of the PDUs.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising output paralleling the UPSs at the UPS rack.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

mounting a connectorized bus assembly in the UPS rack, the connectorized bus assembly comprising a UPS output bus and a plurality of connectors coupled to the UPS output bus; and

coupling respective ones of the connectors to the outputs of respective ones of the UPSs.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising mounting a plurality of outlet assemblies in an equipment rack and coupling respective ones of the outlet assemblies to respective ones of the branch circuit outputs of a PDU in the equipment rack.

30. The method of claim 26:

wherein mounting respective PDUs in respective ones of a plurality of equipment racks, each of the PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment mounted in the respective corresponding equipment rack in which the PDU is mounted via plural branch circuit outputs thereof comprises mounting respective pairs of first and second PDUs mounted in respective ones of the equipment racks, the first and second PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment via respective first and second pluralities of branch circuit outputs;

wherein mounting a plurality of UPSs together in a UPS rack comprises mounting a first plurality of UPSs together in a first UPS rack and mounting a second plurality of UPSs together in a second UPS rack; and

wherein connecting respective power cables between outputs of respective ones of the UPSs and inputs of respective ones of the PDUs comprises connecting respective power cables between outputs of respective ones of the first plurality of UPSs and inputs of respective ones of the first PDUs and connecting respective power cables between outputs of respective ones of the second plurality of UPSs and inputs of respective ones of the second PDUs.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein mounting respective PDUs in respective ones of a plurality of equipment racks, each of the PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment mounted in the respective corresponding equipment rack in which the PDU is mounted via plural branch circuit outputs thereof comprises mounting respective pairs of first and second PDUs mounted in respective ones of the equipment racks, the first and second PDUs configured to distribute power to equipment via respective first and second pluralities of branch circuit outputs and wherein connecting respective power cables between outputs of respective ones of the UPSs to inputs of respective ones of the PDUs comprises connecting respective power cables between outputs of respective ones of the UPSs to inputs of respective ones of the first PDUs, and wherein the method further comprises:

mounting respective UPSs in respective ones of the equipment racks; and

coupling outputs of respective ones of the UPSs mounted in the equipment racks to inputs of respective ones of the second PDUs.