Apparatus, system, and method for a low cost self-healing power supply

• US 7,602,623 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malik, Randhir S., Dishman, Cecil C., Chung, Chu T.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/966,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20090168472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 363/50, 363/55, 363 5601- 5605, 363 5609- 5611, 361/18, 361/86, 361/88, 361/92, 361/103, 361/104
• US Class Current: 363/56.01
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a low cost self-healing power supply. The invention includes a power supply that regulates a direct current (“DC”) regulated bus to maintain a regulated bus voltage under varying load conditions. The power supply includes at least one pulse-width modulated stage, wherein each pulse-width modulated stage includes at least two switches connected in parallel. Each switch includes a fuse connected in series with the switch that disconnects the switch in response to an over current condition sufficient to open the fuse.

The power supply also includes a pulse-width modulator for each stage of the power supply that regulates a bus voltage controlled by the stage by sensing the controlled bus voltage and adjusting a switching duty cycle to regulate the controlled bus voltage to a target value. The pulse-width modulator for a stage provides a substantially identical switching duty cycle to each switch of the stage. The switching duty cycle includes a signal to control a switch on and then off for a portion of a switching period.

Claims

1. A apparatus to regulate voltage, the apparatus comprising:

a power supply that regulates a direct current (“

DC”

) regulated bus to maintain a regulated bus voltage under varying load conditions, the power supply comprising

at least one pulse-width modulated stage, each pulse-width modulated stage comprising at least two switches connected in parallel, each switch comprising a fuse connected in series with the switch that disconnects the switch in response to an over current condition sufficient to open the fuse; and

a pulse-width modulator for each stage of the power supply that regulates a bus voltage controlled by the stage by sensing the controlled bus voltage and adjusting a switching duty cycle to regulate the controlled bus voltage to a target value, wherein the pulse-width modulator for a stage provides a substantially identical switching duty cycle to each switch of the stage, the switching duty cycle comprising a signal to control a switch on and then off for a portion of a switching period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the over current condition sufficient to open a fuse comprises a failure of the switch connected in series with the fuse that results in the switch failing in a low impedance (“

shorted”

) state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a failure sensing module configured to detect a failed switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the failure sensing module detects a failed switch by detecting a voltage across the switch at a low value when a high value is expected.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the failure sensing module detects a failed switch by detecting a temperature increase on a die that includes the failed switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein detecting a temperature increase further comprises detecting a fan speed increase, wherein the fan speed is increased in response to detecting a temperature increase on the die that includes the failed switch.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a failure warning module configured to send an alert in response to the failure sensing module detecting a failed switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein sending an alert comprises one or more of turning on an indicator on the power supply and sending a message to a system in communication with the power supply.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein power supply comprises a primary stage and a regulator stage in series, the primary stage regulating a voltage on an internal bus that serves as input for the regulator stage, the regulator stage regulating the regulated bus voltage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the primary stage comprises an active harmonic filter that provides approximately unity power factor correction and harmonic filtering.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the primary stage comprises a boost converter that regulates the internal bus to a voltage greater than an input voltage provided to the boost-type stage and the regulator stage comprises a buck-type converter that regulates the regulated bus to a value lower than the internal bus.

12. A system to regulate voltage, the system comprising:

one or more power supplies that regulate a direct current (“

DC”

) regulated bus to maintain a regulated bus voltage under varying load conditions, at least one power supply comprising

at least one pulse-width modulated stage, each pulse-width modulated stage comprising at least two switches connected in parallel, each switch comprising a fuse connected in series with the switch that disconnects the switch in response to an over current condition sufficient to open the fuse; and

a pulse-width modulator for each stage of the power supply that regulates the bus voltage controlled by the stage by sensing the controlled bus voltage and adjusting a switching duty cycle to regulate the controlled bus voltage to a target value, wherein the pulse-width modulator for a stage provides a substantially identical switching duty cycle to each switch of the stage, the switching duty cycle comprising a signal to control a switch on and then off for a portion of a switching period;

an electronic device comprising the varying load; and

the regulated bus being connected between the electronic device and the one or more power supplies, wherein the regulated bus delivers power from the one or more power supplies to the electronic device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the at least one power supplies further comprises a failure sensing module configured to detect a failed switch.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the at least one power supplies further comprises a failure warning module configured to send an alert in response to the failure sensing module detecting a failed switch.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a communication bus that communicates an alert sent by the failure warning module to a system in communication with the power supply.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, and a server.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for regulating voltage in a power supply, the operations of the computer program product comprising:

sensing a controlled bus voltage of a stage within a power supply, the power supply comprising

at least one pulse-width modulated stage, each pulse-width modulated stage comprising at least two switches connected in parallel, each switch comprising a fuse connected in series with the switch that disconnects the switch in response to an over current condition sufficient to open the fuse; and

a pulse-width modulator for each stage of the power supply that regulates the sensed controlled bus voltage that is controlled by the stage;

wherein one of the one or more controlled buses comprises a direct current (“

DC”

) regulated bus regulated under varying load conditions of a load connected to the regulated bus; and

adjusting a switching duty cycle by the pulse-width modulator of the stage to regulate the controlled bus voltage of the stage to a target value, wherein the pulse-width modulator for the stage provides a substantially identical switching duty cycle to each switch of the stages, the switching duty cycle comprising a signal to control a switch on and then off for a portion of a switching period.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising sensing a failed switch within the power supply.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising sending an alert in response to the failure sensing module detecting a failed switch.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein sensing a failed switch further comprises one of detecting a voltage across the switch at a low value when a high value is expected and detecting a temperature increase on a die that includes the failed switch.