Method for monitoring power supply device, program for monitoring power supply device, information processing apparatus, and power supply device monitoring system

Abstract

To provide a method for monitoring a power supply device and the like that can support detection of malfunction of the power supply device.SOLUTION: A method for monitoring a power supply device 30 is such that a computer executes processing of: acquiring, from a power supply device 30 comprising a power receiving terminal 311, an output terminal 315, a main circuit having a rectifier 32 connected to the power receiving terminal 311 and an inverter 51 connected to the rectifier 32, a bypass circuit, and a change-over switch 52 switching between a first state where it connects the inverter 51 to the output terminal 315 and a second state where it connects the bypass circuit to the output terminal 315, inverter information on the state of the inverter 51; acquiring switch information on the state of the change-over switch 52; and outputting a notification when determining that the inverter 51 operates normally on the basis of the inverter information and determining that the change-over switch 52 repeats the switching between the first state and the second state on the basis of the switch information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device monitoring method, a power supply device monitoring program, an information processing device, and a power supply device monitoring system. [Background technology]

[0002] A maintenance operation system has been proposed that allows maintenance personnel who maintain power supply devices to check management information about the power supply devices using a mobile information terminal (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-201331 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The maintenance operation system of Patent Document 1 cannot assist in detecting malfunctions of power supply devices.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention provides a power supply device monitoring method and the like that can assist in detecting malfunctions in the power supply device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A method for monitoring a power supply device includes a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal.The computer executes a process of acquiring inverter information regarding the state of the inverter from the power supply device, acquiring switch information regarding the state of the changeover switch, determining that the inverter is operating normally based on the inverter information, and outputting a notification if it determines based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above configuration, it is possible to assist in detecting malfunctions in the power supply device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a power supply device monitoring system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a state transition diagram illustrating the operation of the power supply device. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device in an inverter power supply mode. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device in a battery power supply mode. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the state of the power supply device in a bypass power supply mode. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device in a maintenance bypass power supply mode. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a program. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a program according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of a program according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a power supply device monitoring system according to a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Embodiment 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a power supply device monitoring system 10. The power supply device monitoring system 10 is a system that remotely monitors power supply devices 30 installed in a business establishment 83 that consumes power. The power supply device monitoring system 10 includes an information processing device 20.

[0010] Power supply device 30 is an AC uninterruptible power supply that supplies power received by first power receiving equipment 851 or second power receiving equipment 852 installed within business premises 83 from a power plant 89 via a power transmission network to various loads 86. Loads 86 are, for example, facilities or systems that would cause major damage if they were to stop operating, such as semiconductor production facilities, steelmaking facilities, or server machines for financial systems.

[0011] Although the power distribution network is not shown in FIG. 1, the first power receiving equipment 851 and the second power receiving equipment 852 can reduce the risk of power outages by receiving power from different substations in the power distribution network if possible.

[0012] At the business establishment 83, maintenance personnel working in the central monitoring room 84 are responsible for maintaining various facilities such as the first power receiving facility 851, the second power receiving facility 852, the power supply unit 30, and the wiring facilities. In the following explanation, the maintenance of facilities, statutory inspections, repairs, etc. will be collectively referred to as maintenance work.

[0013] The power supply device 30 normally operates in an inverter power supply mode in which it supplies power received from the first power receiving equipment 851 to the load 86. In the event of a power outage, the power supply device 30 operates in a battery power supply mode in which it supplies power to the load 86 from the built-in storage battery 33 (see FIG. 3).

[0014] In the event of an emergency, such as when an overload state occurs, the power supply device 30 operates in a bypass power supply mode in which it supplies power received from the second power receiving facility 852 to the load 86. The second power receiving facility 852 is an example of a bypass power supply that supplies power for the bypass power supply mode to the power supply device 30. The configuration of the power supply device 30 and the details of each mode will be described later.

[0015] Switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode may occur abnormally frequently due to a malfunction of a component constituting the power supply device 30. If this condition continues for a long time, there is a risk that the malfunction of the power supply device 30 may worsen and that the load 86 may be damaged.

[0016] This embodiment relates to a power supply monitoring system 10 that detects abnormally frequent repetition of switching between inverter power supply mode and bypass power supply mode at an early stage and notifies relevant parties such as maintenance personnel. Maintenance personnel and relevant parties are examples of users of the power supply monitoring system 10.

[0017] The information processing device 20 is located in a remote monitoring center 82 that remotely monitors power supply devices 30 installed in multiple business locations 83. The information processing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a main memory device 22, an auxiliary memory device 23, a communication unit 24, a display unit 25, an input unit 26, and a bus. The control unit 21 is an arithmetic and control device that executes the program of this embodiment. The control unit 21 uses one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), multi-core CPUs, or the like. The control unit 21 is connected to each hardware unit that constitutes the information processing device 20 via the bus.

[0018] The main memory device 22 is a storage device such as an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), a flash memory, etc. The main memory device 22 temporarily stores information required during processing performed by the control unit 21 and programs currently being executed by the control unit 21.

[0019] The auxiliary storage device 23 is a storage device such as an SRAM, a flash memory, a hard disk, or a magnetic tape. The auxiliary storage device 23 stores programs to be executed by the control unit 21 and various data required for executing the programs. The communication unit 24 is an interface for communication between the information processing device 20 and the network N.

[0020] Display unit 25 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (electro-luminescence) panel, etc. Input unit 26 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a pen tablet, etc. Display unit 25 and input unit 26 may be stacked to form a touch panel.

[0021] The information processing device 20 is a general-purpose personal computer, a tablet, a mainframe computer, a virtual machine running on a mainframe computer, or a quantum computer. The information processing device 20 may be configured with hardware such as multiple personal computers or mainframe computers that perform distributed processing. The information processing device 20 may be configured with a cloud computing system. The information processing device 20 may be configured with hardware such as multiple personal computers or mainframe computers that operate in cooperation with each other.

[0022] Figure 2 is a state transition diagram that explains the operation of the power supply device 30. The power supply device 30 operates in a total of four modes: the inverter power supply mode, battery power supply mode, and bypass power supply mode described above, plus a maintenance bypass power supply mode. The bypass power supply modes are divided into five modes, from bypass power supply A mode to bypass power supply E mode, based on differences in transition conditions. Solid lines indicate that the power supply device 30 automatically transitions between modes. Dashed lines indicate that the power supply device 30 transitions between modes based on a mode switching operation by maintenance personnel.

[0023] First, the inverter power supply mode will be described. The inverter power supply mode is the normal operating mode of the power supply device 30. The power supply device 30 receives power from the first power receiving equipment 851 and supplies AC power to the load 86 via the rectifier 32 (see FIG. 3) and the inverter 51 (see FIG. 3). In the inverter power supply mode, the inverter 51 absorbs fluctuations in the voltage, frequency, etc. of the commercial power supply, so that the load 86 can always be supplied with power at a constant voltage and frequency.

[0024] If a fault occurs in the power transmission path from the power plant 89 to the first power receiving equipment 851 or in the first power receiving equipment 851 itself, power will not be supplied to the power receiving terminal 311 (see FIG. 3). In the following explanation, the state in which power is not supplied to the power receiving terminal 311 will be referred to as a power outage.

[0025] In the event of a power outage, the power supply device 30 automatically transitions from the inverter power supply mode to the battery power supply mode. In the battery power supply mode, the power supply device 30 supplies AC power from the built-in battery 33 (see FIG. 4) to the load 86 via the inverter 51.

[0026] When power is restored during operation in the battery power supply mode, that is, when a power outage ends and power supply to the power receiving terminal 311 resumes, the power supply device 30 automatically returns to the inverter power supply mode (see FIG. 3). The power supply device 30 has a function to smoothly switch between the inverter power supply mode and the battery power supply mode without momentary power outages or phase shifts.

[0027] For example, the load current required by the load 86 may temporarily increase due to the need for startup power when starting the load 86. If the load current exceeds the rated current of the inverter 51, the inverter 51 may be damaged due to an overload.

[0028] If a load current greater than the rated current of inverter 51 needs to be supplied during operation in battery power supply mode, the circuit within power supply device 30 automatically switches to a bypass power supply mode in which power is supplied to load 86 from second power receiving equipment 852 without going through inverter 51. In the bypass power supply mode, the inverter 51 is not used, and therefore fluctuations in the voltage, frequency, and so on of the commercial power supply are supplied to load 86 as they are.

[0029] The bypass power supply mode switched from the battery power supply mode is referred to as the bypass power supply A mode. If the load 86 returns to a normal state from an overload state while operating in the bypass power supply A mode, the power supply device 30 automatically returns from the bypass power supply A mode to the battery power supply mode. The power supply device 30 has a function for switching between the bypass power supply mode and the battery power supply mode without a sudden change in phase.

[0030] If operation in battery power supply mode continues for a long period of time and the capacity of the storage battery 33 decreases, the power supply device 30 also automatically switches to bypass power supply mode. The bypass power supply mode to which the device switches due to a decrease in the capacity of the storage battery 33 is referred to as bypass power supply B mode. Even when power is restored, the power supply device 30 maintains bypass power supply B mode. When maintenance personnel confirm safety and perform a mode switching operation, the power supply device 30 returns to inverter power supply mode.

[0031] If a power supply level that would overload the inverter 51 becomes necessary while operating in the inverter power supply mode, the power supply device 30 automatically switches to the bypass power supply mode. The bypass power supply mode to which the inverter power supply mode switches upon detecting an overload is referred to as the bypass power supply C mode. When the load 86 returns from an overload state to a normal state, the power supply device 30 automatically switches back to the inverter power supply mode from the bypass power supply C mode. The power supply device 30 has a function for switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode without a sudden change in phase.

[0032] If an output abnormality occurs in the inverter 51 due to a failure or the like of the inverter 51 while the power supply device 30 is operating in the inverter power supply mode, the power supply device 30 automatically switches to the bypass power supply mode. The bypass power supply mode to which the power supply device 30 switches due to an inverter output abnormality is referred to as the bypass power supply D mode. When repairs or replacement of the inverter 51 are completed and maintenance personnel perform a mode switching operation, the power supply device 30 returns to the inverter power supply mode.

[0033] If there is anything suspicious about the operation of rectifier 32, inverter 51, or storage battery 33, maintenance personnel will perform a mode switching operation to switch power supply device 30 to bypass power supply mode. The bypass power supply mode switched to by the switching operation will be referred to as bypass power supply E mode. If maintenance personnel perform the mode switching operation again, power supply device 30 will return from bypass power supply E mode to inverter power supply mode.

[0034] When maintenance or inspection of the power supply device 30 is performed, the maintenance personnel performs a mode switching operation to switch the power supply device 30 to the maintenance bypass power supply mode. The maintenance bypass power supply mode will be described later. When the maintenance personnel performs the mode switching operation again, the power supply device 30 returns from the maintenance bypass power supply mode to the inverter power supply mode.

[0035] If switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode is performed abnormally frequently due to a failure of the mode switching mechanism in the power supply device 30 or a malfunction of the load 86, a sudden change in the phase of the AC power may occur during the switching. If a sudden change in phase occurs, the load 86 may stop or break down.

[0036] The power supply monitoring system 10 of this embodiment detects when the operating mode of the power supply 30 is repeatedly switched at an abnormal frequency, and notifies a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet carried by a relevant person such as a maintenance person. In the following explanation, the mobile device carried by the relevant person is a smartphone. The maintenance person or the like who confirms the notification received by the smartphone can quickly investigate the status of the power supply monitoring system 10 and take action, thereby preventing the impact of the malfunction from becoming greater.

[0037] Notifications can be sent by any means, such as SMS (Short Message Service), email, a call to a smartphone using an automated voice, or a pop-up notification on the smartphone screen. It is desirable that the smartphone be set to vibrate or sound when it receives a notification to alert maintenance personnel or the like.

[0038] The notification includes a message such as "The power supply unit for *** is repeatedly switching modes. Please check the status," along with a list of the times when the switching occurred. Maintenance personnel who receive the notification can check the list of times when the switching occurred and determine the urgency of the situation.

[0039] Although not shown in a state transition diagram, if power is not being supplied to the power supply device 30 from either the first power receiving equipment 851 or the second power receiving equipment 852, power will not be supplied to the load 86 even in the bypass power feeding mode. If such a situation occurs, the state of the power supply device 30 will remain in the bypass power feeding mode even when power is restored. When maintenance personnel confirm safety and perform a mode switching operation, the power supply device 30 will return to the inverter power feeding mode.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device 30 in the inverter power supply mode. The configuration of the power supply device monitoring system 10 will be described using Fig. 3. The power supply device 30 includes a rectifier 32, a storage battery 33, an inverter 51, a changeover switch 52, a power receiving terminal 311, a bypass power receiving terminal 312, an output terminal 315, a communication device 39, multiple breakers, and multiple sensors.

[0041] The changeover switch 52 has two input terminals and one output terminal, and is a switch that switches the input terminal to be connected to the output terminal without causing an instantaneous power outage or a large phase difference. The right side in Figure 3 is the input terminal side of the changeover switch 52, and the left side is the output terminal side of the changeover switch 52.

[0042] The changeover switch 52 includes a first contact 521 and a second contact 522. The first contact 521 and the second contact 522 are linked, and when one is in the ON state, the other is in the OFF state. When the first contact 521 is in the ON state, the lower input terminal connected to the power receiving terminal 311 is connected to the output terminal. When the second contact 522 is in the ON state, the upper input terminal connected to the bypass power receiving terminal 312 is connected to the output terminal.

[0043] The changeover switch 52 has a built-in magnetic switch (not shown) that switches the connection path by operating the magnetic switch. The magnetic switch is, for example, an electromagnet, and is controlled by a magnetic switch control circuit (not shown).

[0044] The communication device 39 is, for example, a network interface card. The communication device 39 is an interface for communication between the power supply device 30 and the network N.

[0045] The multiple sensors include an AC input sensor 341, a battery voltage sensor 343, an inverter output sensor 344, an AC output sensor 345, a battery current sensor 346, a bypass input sensor 371, a changeover switch input sensor 372, a power supply path detection sensor 373, and an inverter operation sensor 375.

[0046] Data measured by each sensor is transmitted to the information processing device 20 via the communication device 39 and the network N. Each sensor and the communication device 39 are connected by wire or short-range wireless communication.

[0047] Each sensor may be a so-called IoT device having a communication function, and each may transmit data directly to the information processing device 20 via the network N. For example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) may be used as the communication protocol between the sensor 34 and the information processing device 20.

[0048] The multiple breakers include an AC input breaker 351, a load breaker 353, an AC output breaker 354, a battery breaker 355, a bypass breaker 356, and a maintenance bypass breaker 357. For convenience in illustrating the breaker states, the breakers are represented by the symbol of a single-pole, single-throw switch.

[0049] A breaker can be in three states: on, off, and tripped. The on state allows current to pass through. The off state blocks current. A breaker has a switch that the user uses to switch between the on and off states. The tripped state is a state in which a breaker automatically switches to block current when an excessive current flows through the on state breaker. In the following explanation, the automatic switching of a breaker to the tripped state may be referred to as tripping.

[0050] After tripping, the breaker switch is in a state halfway between the on and off states. A tripped breaker remains in the tripped state until a user manually switches it to the on or off state. A user cannot trip a breaker through normal operation. However, a user can manually trip a breaker by operating the trip button used to test the breaker.

[0051] Each breaker has a function of transmitting a contact signal when it trips. The contact signal is transmitted, for example, through a cable connecting each breaker to an alarm lamp located in the central monitoring room 84, and turns on the alarm lamp. The power supply device 30 may have a function of transmitting a signal indicating that the breaker has tripped to the information processing device 20 via the communication device 39 and the network N.

[0052] The power receiving terminal 311 is connected to a commercial power source via a first power receiving facility 851. AC power is applied from the first power receiving facility 851 to the power receiving terminal 311. The bypass power receiving terminal 312 is connected to a commercial power source via a second power receiving facility 852. AC power is applied from the second power receiving facility 852 to the bypass power receiving terminal 312.

[0053] Between the power receiving terminal 311 and the output terminal 315, an AC input breaker 351, a rectifier 32, an inverter 51, a first contact 521, an AC output breaker 354, and a load breaker 353 are arranged in this order from the power receiving terminal 311 side. Between the rectifier 32 and the inverter 51, a battery connection point 361 is arranged, which is connected to the positive electrode of the storage battery 33 via a storage battery breaker 355.

[0054] The bypass power receiving terminal 312 is connected between the inverter 51 and the AC output breaker 354 via the bypass breaker 356 and the second contact 522. A maintenance bypass starting point 362, which is located between the bypass power receiving terminal 312 and the bypass breaker 356, is connected via a maintenance bypass breaker 357 to a maintenance bypass ending point 363, which is located between the AC output breaker 354 and the load breaker 353.

[0055] The AC input sensor 341 detects whether AC power is being input from the power receiving terminal 311. The AC input sensor 341 may measure the AC current and AC voltage between the power receiving terminal 311 and the AC input breaker 351.

[0056] The battery voltage sensor 343 measures the DC voltage between the positive terminal of the battery 33 and the battery breaker 355. The battery current sensor 346 measures the DC current between the battery breaker 355 and the battery node 361.

[0057] The inverter output sensor 344 measures the AC voltage and frequency between the inverter 51 and the changeover switch 52. The AC output sensor 345 detects the AC current, AC voltage, and frequency between the maintenance bypass starting point 362 and the load breaker 353.

[0058] The bypass input sensor 371 detects whether AC power is being input from the bypass power receiving terminal 312. The bypass input sensor 371 may measure the AC current and AC voltage between the bypass power receiving terminal 312 and the maintenance bypass starting point 362.

[0059] The changeover switch input sensor 372 detects the AC voltage and frequency between the bypass breaker 356 and the changeover switch 52. The power supply path detection sensor 373 detects which of the first contact 521 and the second contact 522 is in the ON state, i.e., which of the two input terminals of the changeover switch 52 is connected to the output terminal. In the following description, information about the state of the changeover switch 52 detected by the power supply path detection sensor 373 may be referred to as switch information.

[0060] Based on the time-series change in the switch information, it is possible to determine the switching state of the changeover switch 52, i.e., whether or not switching of the changeover switch 52 has occurred and how often switching has occurred. In the following description, information based on the detection results of the power supply path detection sensor 373 may be referred to as switching information.

[0061] The power supply path detection sensor 373 may have a function of outputting switching information determined based on a time-series change in the switch information. The power supply path detection sensor 373 may have a function of outputting the switch information to a processor built into the power supply device 30 as needed, and the processor may have a function of generating the switching information. The power supply path detection sensor 373 may also transmit the switch information to the information processing device 20 via the communication device 39 and the network N as needed, and the control unit 21 may generate the switching information.

[0062] The inverter operation sensor 375 detects the state of the inverter 51. The state of the inverter 51 includes whether or not the inverter 51 is operating normally, i.e., whether or not it is outputting power within the rated current range, or whether or not the inverter 51 is in an overload state. In the following description, information based on the detection results by the inverter operation sensor 375 may be referred to as inverter information.

[0063] The inverter information may include information regarding the output current output from the inverter 51, i.e., the load current flowing to the load 86 via the output terminal 315. The inverter information may include information regarding whether or not power is being output from the inverter 51.

[0064] 3, AC input breaker 351, AC output breaker 354, load breaker 353, and first contact 521 are in the ON state. AC power is applied from first power receiving equipment 851 to power receiving terminal 311. The AC power is rectified to DC power by rectifier 32, then converted to AC power by inverter 51, and applied to load 86 via output terminal 315.

[0065] 3, second contact 522 and maintenance bypass breaker 357 are in the OFF state, so no power is supplied from second power receiving equipment 852 to bypass power receiving terminal 312. As a result, current flows from power receiving terminal 311 to output terminal 315, as shown by the thick arrow in FIG.

[0066] A circuit connecting the power receiving terminal 311 and the output terminal 315 is referred to as a main circuit 41. The main circuit 41 includes a rectifier 32 connected to the power receiving terminal 311 and an inverter 51 connected to the rectifier 32. The inverter power supply mode shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a first state in which the inverter 51 is connected to the output terminal 315.

[0067] If the storage battery 33 is not fully charged, a charging current also flows to the storage battery 33 via the storage battery node 361. If the storage battery 33 is fully charged, no current flows between the storage battery 33 and the storage battery node 361.

[0068] In the inverter power supply mode shown in FIG. 3, the AC power output from output terminal 315 has almost the same voltage, frequency, and phase as the AC power input to power receiving terminal 311, but fluctuations in voltage and frequency caused by the commercial power supply are eliminated.

[0069] Although not shown, the power supply device 30 may have a plurality of output terminals 315, with different loads 86 connected to the respective output terminals 315. Each output terminal 315 is connected to the maintenance bypass end point 363 via a different load breaker 353. Therefore, a maintenance person can disconnect, for example, only the load 86 that has developed a malfunction from the maintenance bypass end point 363.

[0070] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device 30 in the battery power supply mode. As described above, during a power outage, power is not supplied to the power receiving terminal 311. During a power outage, DC power is automatically supplied from the storage battery 33 to the inverter 51 via the storage battery breaker 355 and the storage battery connection point 361. As a result, current flows from the storage battery 33 to the output terminal 315, as shown by the thick arrow in Figure 4.

[0071] Inverter 51 continues to output AC power without causing momentary power interruption or phase shift before or after a power outage occurs. Therefore, as described above, power supply device 30 has the function of smoothly switching between the inverter power supply mode and the battery power supply mode without causing momentary power interruption or phase shift.

[0072] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device 30 in the bypass power supply mode. As explained using Fig. 2, the power supply device 30 transitions to the bypass power supply mode for various reasons. When transitioning to the bypass power supply mode, the first contact 521 of the changeover switch 52 is in the OFF state, and the second contact 522 is in the ON state.

[0073] The AC power supplied from second power receiving equipment 852 to bypass power receiving terminal 312 is applied to load 86 via bypass breaker 356, changeover switch 52, AC output breaker 354, load breaker 353, and output terminal 315. That is, in the bypass power feeding mode, the power supplied from the commercial power source to bypass power receiving terminal 312 via the path indicated by the thick arrow in Fig. 5 is output directly from output terminal 315. The circuit connecting bypass power receiving terminal 312 and changeover switch 52 is referred to as bypass circuit 42.

[0074] In the bypass power supply mode, if a power outage occurs and power is no longer supplied to bypass power receiving terminal 312, power supply to output terminal 315 also stops. Because rectifier 32 and inverter 51 are not connected, fluctuations in the voltage, frequency, and so on of the commercial power supply are output as is to output terminal 315. The bypass power supply mode shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a second state in which bypass power receiving terminal 312, which is connected to second power receiving equipment 852, which is a bypass power supply, is connected to output terminal 315.

[0075] The changeover switch 52 has a function of switching between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the current flows through the main circuit 41. In the second state, the current flows through the bypass circuit .

[0076] 5, AC input breaker 351 and storage battery breaker 355 are in the ON state, but the operation of the bypass power supply mode does not change even if these breakers are in the OFF state. For example, when repairing or replacing rectifier 32, inverter 51, or storage battery 33, AC input breaker 351 and storage battery breaker 355 are set to the OFF state.

[0077] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the state of the power supply device 30 in the maintenance bypass power supply mode. As described using Fig. 2, when performing maintenance and inspection of the power supply device 30, a maintenance person switches the power supply device 30 to the maintenance bypass power supply mode.

[0078] Specifically, the maintenance personnel sets AC input breaker 351, AC output breaker 354, storage battery breaker 355, and bypass breaker 356 to the OFF state, and sets maintenance bypass breaker 357 to the ON state. Power supplied from the commercial power source to bypass power receiving terminal 312 is output directly from output terminal 315 via the path indicated by the thick arrow in Figure 6.

[0079] Rectifier 32, storage battery 33, inverter 51, and changeover switch 52 are all disconnected from power receiving terminal 311, bypass power receiving terminal 312, and output terminal 315. Therefore, maintenance and inspection of power supply device 30 can be performed safely while continuing to supply power to load 86.

[0080] This section explains a situation in which switching between the inverter power supply mode described using Figure 3 and the bypass power supply mode described using Figure 5 is repeated with abnormal frequency. There are several possible causes for this phenomenon.

[0081] First, a malfunction may occur in the control circuit of the magnetic switch built into changeover switch 52. If the malfunction causes first contact 521 and second contact 522 to repeatedly switch between the ON state and the OFF state, switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode will be repeated with abnormal frequency.

[0082] Second, an output current within the normal range may be erroneously detected as an overload due to a failure of a control IC (Integrated Circuit) built into inverter 51. In this case, power supply device 30 switches to bypass power supply D mode described with reference to FIG.

[0083] By disconnecting from load 86, the erroneous overload detection state is resolved, and power supply device 30 returns to the inverter power supply mode. By repeating the above operations, switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode is repeated at an abnormally high frequency.

[0084] Third, the state of load 86 may be unstable, and may alternate between an overload state and a normal state. This may result in repeated switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply C mode described with reference to Figure 2. In such cases, there is no malfunction in power supply device 30 itself.

[0085] However, if the operation of the selector switch 52 is repeated at an abnormal frequency, the phase may not be synchronized in time. When the mode is switched, the current and voltage waveforms may be disturbed, which may cause damage to the load 86. If the operation of the selector switch 52 is repeated, the magnetic switch may fail and the first contact 521 and the second contact 522 may be damaged.

[0086] In this way, switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode may be repeated at an abnormal frequency due to the state of the load 86, which may cause the power supply device 30 to malfunction.

[0087] In this embodiment, a power supply device monitoring system 10 is provided in which a control unit 21 detects repeated switching between inverter power supply mode and bypass power supply mode and notifies relevant parties such as maintenance personnel via a smartphone.

[0088] 7 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of program processing. Control unit 21 determines whether or not selector switch 52 has operated (step S501) based on data output from power supply path detection sensor 373. If it is determined that selector switch 52 has not operated (NO in step S501), control unit 21 repeats the processing of step S501.

[0089] If it is determined that the inverter 51 has operated (YES in step S501), the control unit 21 determines whether or not the inverter 51 is in an overload state (step S502) based on the data output from the inverter operation sensor 375. If it is determined that the inverter 51 is not in an overload state (NO in step S502), the control unit 21 determines whether or not the inverter 51 is operating normally, i.e., whether or not the inverter 51 is outputting power, based on the data output from the inverter operation sensor 375 (step S503).

[0090] If it is determined that the inverter 51 is operating normally (YES in step S503), the control unit 21 determines whether or not both the power receiving terminal 311 side and the bypass power receiving terminal 312 side are experiencing a power outage based on the data transmitted from the AC input sensor 341 and the bypass input sensor 371 (step S504).

[0091] If it is determined that there is no power outage, that is, that power is being supplied from a commercial power source to either or both of the power receiving terminal 311 side and the bypass power receiving terminal 312 side (NO in step S504), the control unit 21 determines whether the changeover switch 52 is repeatedly operating based on the chronological record of the data output from the power supply path detection sensor 373 (step S505).

[0092] For example, if the number of times that the changeover switch 52 has operated within a unit time is greater than the determination threshold, the control unit 21 determines in step S505 that the changeover switch 52 has repeatedly operated.

[0093] To give a specific example, if the number of times that the changeover switch 52 has operated within a predetermined unit time, such as 5 minutes, is greater than a predetermined determination threshold, such as 10 times, the control unit 21 determines that the changeover switch 52 is repeatedly operating. The determination threshold is determined based on, for example, the capacity of the inverter 51 and the characteristics of the load 86.

[0094] The control unit 21 may determine that the changeover switch 52 is operating repeatedly if the interval between operations of the changeover switch 52 falls below a predetermined judgment threshold time, such as one minute, more than five times, which is the predetermined judgment threshold number of times.

[0095] If it is determined that the operation is repeated (YES in step S505), the control unit 21 notifies relevant parties such as maintenance personnel via a smartphone that switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode is occurring repeatedly (step S506). The notification performed in step S506 is an example of a notification that the information processing device 20 outputs to the user.

[0096] If it is determined that the inverter 51 is in an overload state (YES in step S502), if it is determined that the inverter 51 is not operating (NO in step S503), if it is determined that a power outage is occurring (YES in step S504), if it is determined that the changeover switch 52 is not repeatedly operating (NO in step S505), or after step S506 is completed, the control unit 21 terminates the processing.

[0097] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a power supply device monitoring system 10 that monitors the status of the power supply device 30 via a network N and promptly notifies relevant parties if a malfunction occurs in which the power supply device 30 unnecessarily frequently switches between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode.

[0098] By having maintenance personnel quickly check the situation and take action, it is possible to prevent the problem from spreading, and therefore to prevent accidents such as a sudden cutoff in the power supply to the load 86, causing damage to the load 86.

[0099] According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent notifications to related parties from being sent too frequently by using the program described using Fig. 7. Before step S506, a step may be provided in which it is determined whether a notification has been sent in the past, and whether a predetermined time has passed since the previous notification, and if the predetermined time has not passed, step S506 is skipped.

[0100] [Embodiment 2] This embodiment relates to a power supply device monitoring system 10 in which the process of determining whether or not a notification is necessary is simplified. Explanation of parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0101] 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of the program according to the second embodiment. The control unit 21 determines whether the changeover switch 52 has operated (step S501) based on data output from the power supply path detection sensor 373. If it is determined that the changeover switch 52 has not operated (NO in step S501), the control unit 21 repeats the processing of step S501.

[0102] If it is determined that the switch 52 has operated (YES in step S501), the control unit 21 determines whether the switch 52 has repeatedly operated based on the time-series record of data output from the power supply path detection sensor 373 (step S511).

[0103] For example, if the changeover switch 52 is operated more than a predetermined number of times, for example, five times, within a predetermined time period, such as five minutes, the control unit 21 determines that the changeover switch 52 is repeatedly operated. If it is determined that the changeover switch 52 is not repeatedly operated (NO in step S511), the control unit 21 returns to step S501.

[0104] If it is determined that the operation is repeated (YES in step S511), the control unit 21 notifies relevant parties such as maintenance personnel via a smartphone that switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode is occurring repeatedly (step S512). Thereafter, the control unit 21 ends the process.

[0105] Control unit 21 may change the criteria for determination in step S511 based on the time elapsed since the previous execution of step S511. For example, when step S511 is executed for the first time in six months, control unit 21 determines that selector switch 52 is repeatedly operating if the number of times selector switch 52 has operated is more than 10 times within five minutes, as exemplified in step S505 of the first embodiment.

[0106] On the other hand, if step S511 is executed for the first time in an hour, the control unit 21 changes the judgment threshold and determines that the changeover switch 52 is operating repeatedly if the number of times the changeover switch 52 has operated is more than five times in five minutes.

[0107] By tightening the judgment threshold when the time elapsed since the previous execution is short, it is possible to provide a power supply device monitoring system 10 that notifies relevant parties early if the condition of the power supply device 30 gradually deteriorates.

[0108] [Embodiment 3] This embodiment relates to a power supply device monitoring system 10 that issues a notification to relevant personnel when a changeover switch 52 repeatedly operates even though an inverter 51 is operating normally. Explanation of parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0109] 9 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing of the program according to the third embodiment. The control unit 21 acquires inverter information relating to the state of the inverter 51 based on data output from the inverter operation sensor 375 (step S521). The control unit 21 acquires switch information relating to the state of the selector switch 52 (step S522). The control unit 21 temporarily stores the acquired switch information in the main storage device 22 or the auxiliary storage device 23.

[0110] Based on the acquired inverter information, the control unit 21 determines whether the inverter 51 is operating normally (step S523). If it is determined that the inverter 51 is not operating normally (NO in step S523), the control unit 21 returns to step S521.

[0111] If it is determined that the inverter 51 is operating normally (YES in step S523), the control unit 21 determines whether the changeover switch 52 is operating repeatedly based on the chronological record of the acquired switch information (step S524).If it is determined that the changeover switch 52 is not operating repeatedly (NO in step S524), the control unit 21 returns to step S521.

[0112] If it is determined that the changeover switch 52 is repeatedly operating (YES in step S524), the control unit 21 notifies relevant parties such as maintenance personnel via a smartphone that switching between the inverter power supply mode and the bypass power supply mode is occurring repeatedly (step S525). Thereafter, the control unit 21 ends the process.

[0113] If the control unit 21 determines that the inverter 51 is not operating normally (NO in step S523), it may notify relevant parties, such as maintenance personnel, that the inverter 51 is not operating normally via a smartphone.

[0114] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a power supply device monitoring system 10 that issues a notice to relevant personnel when the changeover switch 52 is repeatedly operating even though the inverter 51 is operating normally.

[0115] [Embodiment 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a power supply device monitoring system 10 according to a fourth embodiment. This embodiment relates to a form in which the power supply device monitoring system 10 is realized by combining and operating a general-purpose computer 90 and a program 97. Explanations of parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0116] The computer 90 includes a reading unit 29 in addition to the control unit 21, main memory unit 22, auxiliary memory unit 23, communication unit 24, display unit 25, input unit 26 and bus.

[0117] The program 97 is recorded on a portable recording medium 96. The control unit 21 reads the program 97 via the reading unit 29 and stores it in the auxiliary storage device 23. The control unit 21 may also read the program 97 stored in a semiconductor memory 98, such as a flash memory, implemented in the computer 90. Furthermore, the control unit 21 may download the program 97 from another computer (not shown) connected via the communication unit 24 and a network (not shown) and store it in the auxiliary storage device 23. The program 97 is installed as a control program for the computer 90, and is loaded into the main storage device 22 and executed.

[0118] The power supply monitoring system 10 described in the first embodiment is realized in this manner. The program 97 in this embodiment is an example of a program product. The computer program can be deployed to run on a single computer, or on multiple computers located at one site, or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0119] A computer program can be deployed to be executed on a single computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0120] The above-described embodiment is summarized below. (1) A method for monitoring a power supply device includes: acquiring inverter information relating to a state of the inverter from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; The processing is performed by a computer. (2) the inverter information includes a load current flowing from the inverter to a load via the output terminal; If the rated current of the inverter is greater than the load current, it is determined that the inverter is operating normally. The power supply device monitoring method according to (1) above. (3) the inverter information includes information regarding whether or not power is being output from the inverter; If it is determined that power is being output from the inverter, it is determined that the inverter is operating normally. A method for monitoring a power supply device according to (1) or (2) above. (4) acquiring switch information from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; and When it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state, a notification is output. A method for monitoring a power supply in which a computer executes a process. (5) acquiring inverter information relating to a state of the inverter from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; A power supply monitoring program that causes a computer to execute a process. (6) An information processing device including a control unit, The control unit acquires inverter information relating to a state of the inverter via a network from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch via a network; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; Information processing device. (7) A power supply device monitoring system including an information processing device and a power supply device connected to the information processing device via a network, The power supply device A power receiving terminal; An output terminal; a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier; A bypass circuit; a changeover switch for switching between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal, the information processing device includes a control unit, The control unit acquiring inverter information relating to the state of the inverter from the power supply device; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; Power supply monitoring system.

[0121] The technical features (constituent elements) described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and by combining them, new technical features can be formed. The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0122] Independent and dependent claims may be combined with each other in any combination, regardless of the reference format. Furthermore, while the claims may be written in a format in which a claim references two or more other claims (multiple claim format), this is not a limitation. Multiple claims that reference at least one other claim (multiple multiple claim format) may also be written. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 10 Power Supply Monitoring System 20 Information processing equipment 30 Power supply 311 Power receiving terminal 312 Bypass power receiving terminal 315 output terminal 32 Rectifier 33 Storage battery 341 AC Input Sensor 343 Battery Voltage Sensor 344 Inverter output sensor 345 AC Output Sensor 346 Battery Current Sensor 351 AC input breaker 353 Load Breaker 354 AC output breaker 355 Battery Breaker 356 Bypass Breaker 357 Maintenance Bypass Breaker 361 Battery connection point 362 Maintenance Bypass Starting Point 363 Maintenance Bypass End Point 371 Bypass Input Sensor 372 Changeover switch input sensor 373 Power supply path detection sensor 375 Inverter Operation Sensor 39 Communication Devices 41 Main circuit 42 Bypass circuit 51 Inverter 52 Selector switch 521 First Contact 522 Second Contact

Claims

1. acquire inverter information relating to a state of the inverter from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; A method for monitoring a power supply in which a computer executes a process.

2. the inverter information includes a load current flowing from the inverter to a load via the output terminal; If the rated current of the inverter is greater than the load current, it is determined that the inverter is operating normally. The method for monitoring a power supply device according to claim 1 .

3. the inverter information includes information regarding whether or not power is being output from the inverter; If it is determined that power is being output from the inverter, it is determined that the inverter is operating normally.

3. The power supply device monitoring method according to claim 1.

4. acquiring switch information relating to a state of a changeover switch from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; When it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state, a notification is output. A method for monitoring a power supply in which a computer executes a process.

5. acquire inverter information relating to a state of the inverter from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; A power supply monitoring program that causes a computer to execute a process.

6. An information processing device including a control unit, The control unit acquires inverter information relating to a state of the inverter via a network from a power supply device including a power receiving terminal, an output terminal, a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier, a bypass circuit, and a changeover switch that switches between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch via a network; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; Information processing device.

7. A power supply device monitoring system including an information processing device and a power supply device connected to the information processing device via a network, The power supply device A power receiving terminal; An output terminal; a main circuit having a rectifier connected to the power receiving terminal and an inverter connected to the rectifier; A bypass circuit; a changeover switch for switching between a first state in which the inverter is connected to the output terminal and a second state in which the bypass circuit is connected to the output terminal, the information processing device includes a control unit, The control unit acquiring inverter information relating to the state of the inverter from the power supply device; acquiring switch information relating to the state of the changeover switch; outputting a notification when it is determined based on the inverter information that the inverter is operating normally and when it is determined based on the switch information that the changeover switch is repeatedly switching between the first state and the second state; Power supply monitoring system.

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