Selective Discharge of Rechargeable Battery Packs Across a System Load

Abstract

Selective discharging of secondary battery packs across a power system load is provided, including determining an occurrence of a condition in a power system, the power system including a power supply circuit and a backup energy source. The power supply circuit receives primary input power, and the backup energy source is operably coupled to the power supply circuit for providing backup power to the system load when primary input power to the power supply circuit is unavailable. Based on determining an occurrence of the condition in the power system, the controller actively discharges the secondary battery pack of the backup energy source. The actively discharging includes controlling the power supply circuit to force a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load by ceasing to supply primary input power in the system to the system load.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Many different types of batteries are available for use as energy sources, including as backup energy sources. A typical battery is formed by a number of electrical cells connected in series or parallel to form a battery pack. Many types of battery packs contain rechargeable cells that store energy when an energy source is applied to the cells. The cell cathodes and anodes come in a variety of different chemistries, including nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-Ion) compositions.

[0002] For example, a lithium-ion battery is a secondary battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and return during charging. In a lithium-ion battery, an intercalated lithium compound is used as one of the electrode materials. An electrolyte (which allows ions to move) and two electrodes are the components of a lithium-ion battery cell. A cell is a basic electrochemical unit that includes electrodes, a separator, and an electrolyte. As mentioned above, a battery or battery pack is a collection of cells or cell assemblies. These may be prepared for use as a battery pack, for example, by providing appropriate housing and electrical interconnections, depending on the implementation. [Prior art document] [Patent Document] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0266647 Summary of the Invention

[0003] Certain shortcomings of the prior art are overcome, and further advantages are provided, in one or more embodiments through the provision of a method that includes determining the occurrence of a condition in a power system, the power system including a power supply circuit and a backup energy source. The power supply circuit receives primary input power, and the backup energy source is operably coupled to the power supply circuit to provide backup power to a system load when the primary input power to the power supply circuit is unavailable. The method further includes, based on determining the occurrence of the condition in the power system, actively discharging, by a controller, a secondary battery pack of the backup energy source. The actively discharging includes controlling the power supply circuit to force a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load by ceasing delivery of primary input power in the power system to the system load.

[0004] Systems and computer program products relating to one or more aspects are also described and claimed herein. Additionally, services relating to one or more aspects may also be described and claimed herein.

[0005] Additional features and advantages are realized by the techniques described herein. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed aspects.

[0006] One or more aspects of the present invention are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as embodiments in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a power system for incorporating selective discharge of secondary battery packs across a load of the power system in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 2]2 illustrates one embodiment of a backup energy source comprising one or more secondary battery packs for use in a power supply system such as that depicted in FIG. 1, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 illustrates a further embodiment of a power system for incorporating selective discharge of secondary battery packs across a load of the power system in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a control process for selectively discharging secondary battery packs across a load of a power supply system in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 4B] 4B illustrates a particular embodiment of the control process of FIG. 4A shown in a power supply system such as depicted in FIG. 3, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4C] 4B illustrates a particular embodiment of the control process of FIG. 4A shown in a power supply system such as depicted in FIG. 3, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 4D] 4B illustrates a particular embodiment of the control process of FIG. 4A shown in a power supply system such as depicted in FIG. 3, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a graphical representation of discharge time of a secondary battery pack against different system power loads in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an embodiment of another control process for selectively discharging secondary battery packs across a load of a power system to assess the state of health of the secondary battery packs, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a further embodiment of a control process for selectively discharging a secondary battery pack across a power system load to facilitate correcting errors associated with a power front-end circuit, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a computing system for implementing or facilitating the implementation of one or more aspects of a battery pack discharge control process in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. [Figure 9]1 illustrates an embodiment of a cloud computing environment that may facilitate the implementation of, or be used in conjunction with, certain aspects of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates abstraction model layers according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the different views, and which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, further illustrate the present invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain aspects of the present invention. In this regard, it should be noted that descriptions of well-known systems, devices, processing techniques, and the like have been omitted so as not to obscure the details of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while illustrating aspects of the present invention, are given by way of illustration only and not limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions, or other arrangements, or combinations thereof, within the scope of the underlying inventive concept(s), will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be noted that numerous inventive aspects and features are disclosed herein and, unless inconsistent, each disclosed aspect or feature can be combined with any other disclosed aspect or feature as desired for one or more specific applications of the concepts disclosed herein.

[0009] It should also be noted that the exemplary embodiments are described below using particular systems, circuits, designs, architectures, protocols, layouts, schematics, or tools as examples only, and not as limitations. Furthermore, the exemplary embodiments are described in particular instances using particular software, hardware, firmware, tools, or data processing environments as examples only for clarity of explanation. The exemplary embodiments may be used in combination with other systems, applications, or architectures of comparable or similar purpose. One or more aspects of the exemplary embodiments may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0010] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the controller or control system referenced in one or more embodiments described herein may include, for example, a control interface and a microcontroller configured to perform at least certain of the processes described. In one or more embodiments, the control process is integrated within the power system, such as integrated into the power circuit or the backup energy source (i.e., the power backup circuit), or both. In one or more other implementations, certain aspects of the control process can be implemented remotely from the power circuit or the backup energy source, or both. For example, in one or more embodiments, certain aspects of the control process described herein can be implemented in a central location within an electronics rack or information technology (IT) rack that includes a power system, or within a data center that includes one or more electronics racks or IT racks with one or more power systems as disclosed herein. In one or more further embodiments, certain control process aspects disclosed herein can be implemented in a cloud-based environment, where the power system is operably coupled to a remote control system via one or more networks.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the control process may be implemented via program code. Program code referred to herein may include software or hardware, or both. For example, program code in certain embodiments of the present invention may include fixed-function hardware, while other embodiments may utilize software-based implementations of the described functionality. Certain embodiments may combine both types of program code, for example, as firmware. One example of program code, also referred to as one or more programs, is depicted in FIG. 8 as program / utility 840 having a set (at least one) of program modules 842, which may be stored in memory 823 or as a separate battery pack discharge control processing module 801 in computing system 812, or both. As mentioned above, in one or more other implementations, the control process may be implemented in one or more microcontrollers associated with or provided as part of the power system. For example, in one implementation, the power circuitry of the power system may have a microcontroller associated therewith, and the backup energy source of the power system may have another microcontroller associated therewith, the microcontrollers operatively communicating with each other to facilitate execution of one or more aspects of the discharge control process disclosed herein.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, a computing (or information technology (IT)) rack may include various electronic components and a power supply system for providing desired power levels to the electronic components in the computing rack. In one or more implementations, the power supply system may be an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and may include one or more power circuits and one or more backup energy sources. The power circuits receive a main input power, such as AC utility power, and the backup energy source is operably coupled to the power circuits to provide backup power to a system load when the main input power to the power supply system is unavailable. In one particular implementation, the power supply circuit is a power conditioning circuit, or power regulator, and is configured to provide one or more desired DC voltage levels to components in a system load, such as one or more electronic components in a computing rack or server system.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the backup energy source includes one or more secondary battery packs. As mentioned above, there are a wide variety of batteries available for use as energy sources, including as backup energy sources. Lithium-ion batteries currently have certain advantages over other secondary battery technologies, such as higher power density, lower weight, lower self-discharge, and little or no "memory" effect. Lithium-ion batteries can be used in many backup energy applications, including computing systems such as computing racks, server systems, workstations, and desktop computers.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the backup energy source includes one or more secondary battery packs that provide standby power to the power supply circuitry to power the system load for at least a specified period upon loss of primary input power. In some implementations, a computing system may require multiple secondary battery packs as part of the backup energy source, with each pack potentially including multiple battery cells. As previously mentioned, the backup energy source may include one or more circuits or components associated with the secondary battery packs, where appropriate, for example, to facilitate charging or discharging the battery packs to provide backup power to the system load.

[0015] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a power supply system 100 for powering a power supply system load 130, such as one or more components of a computing system. In the illustrated embodiment, power supply system 100 includes one or more power supply circuits 110 that receive mains input power 101 to facilitate powering system load 130. In one embodiment, mains input power 101 may be, for example, AC utility power received by power supply system 100.

[0016] As shown, power supply system 100 also includes an integrated backup energy source 120 having one or more battery packs 125 operably coupled to power supply circuit 110 to provide backup power to system load 130 when main input power 101 to power supply circuit 110 is interrupted. As a specific example, system load 130 may be one or more components within a computing system, such as a computing rack, that require DC voltage, and power supply circuit 110 may be or include, by way of example only, one or more power conditioners that receive AC utility power and rectify and condition the power to provide the desired DC voltage to system load 130. Note that this is by way of example only.

[0017] Figure 2 shows one embodiment of a backup energy source 120 that may be used in a power supply system such as that depicted in Figure 1. As shown, the backup energy source 120 may include multiple secondary battery packs 125.

[0018] In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , the secondary battery pack 125 includes multiple battery cells 200, which may be grouped into one or more cell stacks. In one or more embodiments, the cell voltages are monitored or sensed by a monitoring component 202. The sensed cell voltages enable the monitoring component 202, and thereby the controller 204, to know when the cells are in a state of charge (SoC), for example, to shut off or adjust the charging of the cells. The monitoring component 202 is provided to monitor the voltage across the individual cells 200 in the battery pack, and a balancing circuit 201, such as one or more respective transistors and resistors, enables each cell to balance with other cells in the battery pack for network balancing purposes. In one embodiment, the battery cells are lithium-ion battery cells, and the monitoring component 202 is a multi-cell, lithium-ion battery manager, such as a multi-cell, lithium-ion battery manager available from various industry suppliers. The monitoring component 202 is operably coupled to a controller (or battery management system) 204, which performs (in part) processing according to one or more aspects disclosed herein. As shown, a controller 204 is coupled to a charge / discharge circuit 206 for charge and discharge control in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. Additionally, the controller 204 is in communication with one or more power system components, such as a controller associated with a power circuit of the power system, as described below in connection with the embodiment of FIG.

[0019] Power input 211 and power output 212 lines are also provided to couple backup energy source 120 to a power circuit, such as a bus of the power circuit, that supplies power to a system load, such as system load 130 in the embodiment of FIG.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the secondary battery pack is to be discharged when it is determined that the secondary battery pack needs to be serviced or replaced. For example, if the battery pack needs to be serviced, the battery pack is to be discharged to a desired discharge threshold to enable safe storage and shipping of the battery pack. For example, International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements prohibit the shipping of lithium-ion cells at a state of charge (SoC) of more than 30%.

[0021] Similarly, when a battery pack reaches end of life (EoL), it will generally retain a set percentage of its original charge capacity. End-of-life battery packs must still be discharged to a desired discharge level (e.g., 30% SoC) for safe storage and / or shipping.

[0022] In one or more implementations, the controller 204 is configured to control the discharge of the secondary battery packs across associated balancing circuits 201. As described above, the balancing circuits 201 are configured to assist in measuring the operating values ​​of the battery cells for network balancing. In one implementation, the controller 204 can issue one or more commands across the respective balancing circuits 201 to selectively discharge one or more of the battery cells 200 of the battery packs 125. Depending on the implementation, this discharge procedure may require several hours to accomplish, for example, based on the condition and initial charge level of the battery packs.

[0023] Disclosed herein are alternative embodiments of battery pack discharge that can, for example, discharge a secondary battery pack so that it can be removed and shipped within minutes rather than hours as in the case of the above-described battery discharge across an associated balancing circuit.

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention include methods, systems, and computer program products, for example, in which program code executing in one or more controllers or control systems of a power supply system determines the occurrence of a condition within the power supply system. The power supply system includes a power supply circuit and a backup energy source, and the condition may be a service required condition, a test required condition, an end-of-life (EoL) condition, etc. The power supply circuit receives primary input power, and the backup energy source is operably coupled to the power supply circuit to provide backup power to a system load when the primary input power to the power supply circuit is unavailable. Based on determining the occurrence of the condition within the power supply system, the controller (or control system) actively discharges a secondary battery pack of the backup energy source. Actively discharging includes controlling the power supply circuit to force the discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load by stopping the primary input power within the power supply system from supplying power to the system load.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the determined condition is associated with a secondary battery pack, and the one or more controllers further monitor a state of charge of the secondary battery pack, and based on the state of charge dropping to a configured discharge threshold, the controller ceases control of the power supply circuit to force a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load. In one embodiment, the determined condition is that the secondary battery pack needs maintenance, for example, having experienced a fault condition, operating outside specifications, reaching end of life, etc. Additionally, actively discharging by the controller may include preventing a charging circuit of the backup energy source from recharging the discharged secondary battery pack.

[0026] In one or more implementations, the power supply circuit is or includes a power conditioning circuit. The power conditioning circuit includes a rectification and phase selection circuit and a power factor correction circuit. In this embodiment, stopping the delivery of main input power to the system load may include at least partially stopping the rectification and phase selection circuit, the power factor correction circuit, or both to stop the delivery of main input power to the system load in the power supply system. In one embodiment, stopping the delivery of main input power to the system load may include preventing the delivery of main input power to an intermediate power bus of the power conditioning circuit, where the preventing results in discharging power from the secondary battery pack to the intermediate power bus.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the determined state is that the secondary battery pack is undergoing a state of health (SoH) test. In such a case, the controller further monitors the state of charge of the secondary battery pack, and ceases control of the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load based on the state of charge decreasing to a set discharge threshold.

[0028] In one or more further embodiments, the determined condition is an error condition associated with one or more components of the power supply circuit. In such a case, the controller further temporarily stops the one or more components of the power supply circuit to clear the error condition from the power supply circuit, and ceases control of the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack based on clearing the error condition from the power supply circuit.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the power supply system includes redundant power supply circuits, each including a redundant secondary battery pack. For example, in one implementation, the power supply system can include two power supply circuits, each coupled to two or more respective secondary battery packs of the backup energy source. In such implementation, actively discharging can include determining an operating mode of the power supply system, and based on the operating mode being a reduced redundancy mode, the controller does not stop the primary input power in the power supply system from supplying power to the system load, but rather controls the backup energy source to discharge power from the secondary battery packs via balancing circuits associated with the secondary battery packs, and further, based on the state of charge of the secondary battery packs decreasing to a set discharge threshold, stops discharging the secondary battery packs via balancing circuits associated with the secondary battery packs.

[0030] 3 shows an embodiment of a power supply system including redundant power supply circuits implemented as power conditioning circuits 300 and redundant backup energy sources 125, each backup energy source including multiple secondary battery packs 200. In one embodiment, each power conditioning circuit 300 has an associated backup energy source 125 for providing backup power to a system load when primary input power to the power supply circuit is unavailable.

[0031] As shown, each power conditioning circuit 300 is connected to receive mains input power, such as, for example, connected to an AC utility power line to receive three-phase input power. In the illustrated embodiment, power conditioning circuit 300 includes power supply front-end circuitry 310, which may include, for example, rectification and phase selection circuitry and power factor correction circuitry. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, power supply front-end circuitry 310 provides power to an intermediate bus 312, which (in one embodiment) has a hold-up capacitor. Intermediate bus 312 feeds isolation and conditioning circuitry 320 (or power supply back-end circuitry), which provides power to system elements of a system load 330, for example, as high-voltage DC depending on system load requirements.

[0032] In the illustrated embodiment, controller 340 (e.g., regulation control) is part of or associated with power conditioning circuitry 300. In part, controller 340 obtains control parameters and state vectors from intermediate bus 312 and, in one embodiment, provides ON / OFF control parameters to power supply front-end circuitry 310, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a rectification and phase selection circuit and a power correction circuit.

[0033] 3, power to / from the backup energy source is supplied to / by intermediate bus 312 of power conditioning circuit 300. In the illustrated embodiment, backup energy source 125 comprises one or more secondary battery packs 200 having one or more respective cell stacks, as well as battery pack controller 204, discharge circuit 350, and charger circuit 351. In operation, controller 340 of power conditioning circuit 300 and controller 204 of backup energy source 125 are in operative communication via the exchange of appropriate control signals.

[0034] In normal operation, power flows from the main input power through the power conditioning circuitry 300 and then through the intermediate bus 312 to the system load 330. If the main input power is interrupted or otherwise unavailable, power is supplied to the intermediate bus 312 via one or more secondary battery packs 200 of the backup energy source 125 to replace the lost charge. In typical operation, this replacement is automatic and results in self-discharge of the secondary battery packs. For example, in one embodiment, with main input power provided, the intermediate bus voltage is at a first level; if the main input power becomes unavailable, the voltage of the intermediate bus 312 begins to drop to a voltage level at which the battery energy source 125 automatically begins supplying power from the secondary battery packs 200 to the intermediate bus 312.

[0035] In one embodiment, the power conditioning circuit 300 of the power supply system embodiment of Figure 3 is an example of a bulk power regulator (BPR) for a computing rack, providing one or more DC voltage levels to system elements within the rack. This is just one example of a power supply system that can utilize selective discharge of a backup secondary battery pack across a system load, as disclosed herein.

[0036] 4A illustrates one embodiment of a control process for selectively discharging secondary battery packs of a power system across a system load, in accordance with one or more aspects of the present invention. By way of example only, the control process is described herein with reference to the power system embodiment of FIG. 3, in which one or more secondary battery packs (or cell stacks) are selectively discharged across the power conditioning circuitry by forcing off the power conditioning circuitry from the secondary battery packs rather than the main input power.

[0037] 4A, the control process first determines whether there is an occurrence of a predetermined condition within the power system, such as a battery pack 400 requiring maintenance. If "YES," the controller determines (402) whether the power system is currently operating in a reduced-redundancy mode. As discussed above, power system implementations may include, for example, redundant power supply circuits, such as redundant power conditioning circuits, as well as redundant battery energy sources. If the supply system is currently operating in a reduced-redundancy mode, for example, if one of the power conditioning circuits is offline, the control process proceeds to discharge (404) the battery pack across the pack's associated cell balancing circuitry or network.

[0038] Assuming the power system is not currently in a reduced-redundancy mode (i.e., in a normal operating mode), the associated battery charger is disconnected or otherwise disabled from charging the secondary battery pack at issue 406. An example of this is depicted in FIG. 4B in the context of the power system embodiment of FIG. 3. As shown, the charger circuit 351 is turned OFF, or its connection to the intermediate bus 312 is opened via an appropriate switch or contact element in the line electrically connecting the intermediate bus 312 and the charger circuit 351, or both. In one embodiment, this disabling of the charging circuit may be performed by the controller 204 of the backup energy source 125.

[0039] Continuing with the control process of FIG. 4A, the controller forces a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack by interrupting the main input power in the power supply system from supplying the system load. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 3-4D, the controller 340 shuts down the power supply front-end circuit 310, causing a loss of main input power to the intermediate bus 312, as shown in FIG. 4C. (408) In one implementation, controller 340 utilizes existing power supply front-end circuitry to turn off one or more aspects of the circuitry and prevent main input power from supplying to intermediate bus 312. It should be noted that in one or more other implementations, a switch or other contact element may be provided alongside power supply front-end circuit 310 to enable controller 340 to interrupt main input power from supplying to intermediate bus 312. It should also be noted that a controller (or control system) implementing one or more aspects disclosed herein may be controller 204 of backup energy source 125 or controller 340 of power conditioning circuit 300, or both. For example, in one embodiment, certain control aspects described herein are distributed between controllers 204 and 340, which, as noted, are in operable communication.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4A, the intermediate bus automatically begins drawing power from the selected secondary battery pack via discharge circuit 350 (see FIG. 4C) (410). The control process monitors whether the secondary battery pack's state of charge falls below a discharge threshold (412). For example, in one embodiment, the controller monitors whether the battery pack's state of charge falls below 30% of full charge. If so, the power front-end circuitry is restarted, as shown in FIG. 4D. (414) Note that in one embodiment, restarting the front-end circuitry occurs based on the battery pack's state of charge dropping below 30% state of charge, before the battery voltage drops below the minimum state of charge for the power conditioning circuitry to operate, such as 20%. Thus, the desired battery pack discharge level for the power supply front-end circuitry to restart may be between 20% and 30% state of charge (in one embodiment). This allows time for the power supply front-end circuitry to restart and resume power conditioning before the battery pack drops below the minimum state of charge for the power conditioning circuitry to operate.

[0041] 4A, in one embodiment, the controller disconnects the battery pack and powers off the battery pack (418). In one implementation, once disconnected and powered off, the controller provides an indication that the battery pack is ready for servicing and / or removal (420).

[0042] From the above description, those skilled in the art will recognize that a method, system, and control process are provided herein for controlling the discharge of a secondary battery pack across a system load of a power supply system, such as a power conditioning circuit, by forcing the power conditioning circuit to run from an integrated backup energy source, more specifically, the secondary battery pack in question, rather than from the main input power. In one embodiment, when a controller determines the occurrence of a condition within the power supply system, such as a secondary battery pack requiring maintenance or replacement, the controller signals the condition and (in one embodiment) shuts down the front end of the power conditioning circuit, cutting off the main input power from the utility line from reaching the intermediate bus of the power conditioning circuit. In this case, the loss of front-end power forces the power conditioning circuit to operate from the power of the backup energy source supplied to the intermediate bus. The power conditioning circuit monitors the discharge from the secondary battery pack and restarts the front-end circuit of the power conditioning circuit when the secondary battery pack has discharged below a set discharge level, e.g., 30% or less state of charge (SoC), but before the battery voltage drops below the minimum SoC for the power conditioning circuit to operate, e.g., 20% or less. When the front-end circuitry is restarted, primary input power again flows to the intermediate bus, powering the system. As part of the control process, the backup energy source is electrically disconnected from the power conditioning circuitry, preventing it from automatically recharging. If the system is operating in reduced redundancy mode, for example, if one side of the power conditioning circuitry goes down, redundancy is reduced. In this case, the control process does not shut down the power front-end circuitry, but rather reverts to discharging the secondary battery packs across the associated balancing network. This advantageously protects the system against power outages. The controller can record the battery pack serial number, initial SoC, final SoC, error codes, and other relevant information for failure analysis to improve the system, if necessary.

[0043] 5 depicts one embodiment of the time required for consistent discharge of a fully charged 340 volt battery across different power system loads, with 1 KW, 3 KW, and 6 KW shown as examples only. As shown, for a 6 KW load, the secondary battery pack discharges in approximately 3 minutes, for a 3 KW system load, the pack discharges in approximately 6 minutes, and for a 1 KW system load, the pack discharges in approximately 15 minutes, all of which are significantly better discharge times than can be achieved by discharging power with a balancing network alone.

[0044] 6 shows another embodiment of a control process 600 for selectively discharging secondary battery packs across a power system load as disclosed herein. Control process 600 is an embodiment of a state-of-health (SoH) process for testing a battery pack to assess its state of health. To assess the state of health of a battery pack, the battery pack needs to be discharged to facilitate determining the remaining life and useful capacity of the pack's cell stack. SoH testing is another state that the controller can be configured (or programmed) to recognize and / or perform.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 6 , the control process first determines whether it is time to perform a State of Health (SoH) test (602). If “NO,” the process waits until it is time to perform the test. If it is time to perform the SoH test, the control process verifies that the power system is not in reduced redundancy mode (604). If the power system is in reduced redundancy mode, the control process waits until the power system returns to normal operating mode before proceeding with the SoH test. Upon verifying that the power system is not in reduced redundancy mode, the control process shuts down the power front-end circuitry, causing a loss of primary input power to the intermediate bus (606). Based on this action, the intermediate bus automatically begins drawing power from at least the selected secondary battery packs to be discharged (608). The control process determines whether the secondary battery packs have been discharged to the correct test voltage (610), and if so, restarts the power front-end circuitry (612). Additionally, the control process can report the battery State of Health (SoH) evaluation results to, for example, a test facility monitoring the battery pack backup (614).

[0046] 7 illustrates another embodiment of a control process 700 for selectively discharging secondary battery packs across a power supply system load according to one or more aspects disclosed herein. This control process can be used to resolve glitches and other soft errors in a power supply front end, such as the front end circuitry of a power conditioning circuit described herein, without necessarily requiring manual repair action.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the control process 700 determines (702) that a front-end error condition has been detected in the power conditioning circuitry, and based on determining the occurrence of this condition, shuts down the power supply front-end circuitry, causing a loss of primary input power in the power supply system to the system's intermediate bus (704). Based on this action, the intermediate bus automatically begins drawing power from at least selected secondary battery packs (706). The control process determines (708) whether the error has been cleared from the front-end circuitry, and if so, restarts (710) the power supply front-end circuitry. The battery packs may begin recharging (712), and the indicated error condition may be recorded in an error log (714).

[0048] Those skilled in the art will note from the above description that provided herein, in one or more implementations, are methods, systems, and program products that enable rapid discharge of a battery pack requiring servicing. In one implementation, the battery pack may be associated with a computing system, such as a computing rack or server system, and discharging may include (in one embodiment) selectively disabling a front end of a power supply circuit, such as a front end of a power conditioning circuit, to force discharge of the battery pack in question.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the control process stops discharging the battery pack when the state of charge reaches a set discharge threshold, such as 30%, a level above the minimum voltage threshold required for the power front-end circuitry to restart, thereby allowing the primary input power to be restored. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the control process automatically interrupts the electrical connection between the secondary battery pack and the power supply circuitry to prevent charging of the battery pack after discharge.

[0050] Further exemplary embodiments of computing environments for implementing one or more aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to FIGS.

[0051] 8 illustrates one embodiment of a computing environment 800 including a computing system 812. Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, or configurations, or combinations thereof, that may be suitable for use with computer system 812 include, but are not limited to, servers, desktop computers, workstations, wireless computers, handheld or laptop computers or devices, mobile phones, programmable consumer electronic devices, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc.

[0052] The computing system 812 may be described in the general context of computer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by the computer system. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.

[0053] 8, computing system 812 is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Components of computing system 812 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 816, a system memory 823, and a bus 818 that couples various system components including the system memory 823 to the processor 816.

[0054] In one embodiment, processor 816 may be based on the z / Architecture® offered by International Business Machines Corporation, or other architectures offered by International Business Machines Corporation or other companies.

[0055] Bus 818 represents any one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures, including, by way of example only, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0056] Computing system 812 includes a variety of computer system readable media. Such media can be any available media that can be accessed by computing system 812 and can include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0057] The system memory 823 may include computer-readable media such as volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 830 and / or cache memory 832. The computing system 812 may also include other removable / non-removable and volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. As an example, the storage system 834 may be provided for reading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic medium (not shown, commonly referred to as a "hard drive"). Also, although not shown, a magnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk) and an optical disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media) may be provided. In these examples, each may be connected to the bus 818 by one or more data medium interfaces. As further illustrated and described below, the memory 823 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules or code configured to perform the functions of embodiments of the present invention.

[0058] A program / utility 840 having a set (at least one) of program modules 842 can be stored in memory 823, as can an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, or some combination thereof, can include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules 842 generally perform the functions and / or methods of embodiments of the present invention described herein. Alternatively, the battery pack discharge control functions, modules, logic, etc. 801, as disclosed herein, can be provided within the computing environment 812.

[0059] The computing system 812 may communicate with one or more external devices 814, such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 824, one or more devices that allow a user to interact with the computer system 812, or any device (e.g., a network card, a modem, etc.) that allows the computer system 812 to communicate with one or more other computing devices, or a combination thereof. Such communication may occur via an input / output (I / O) interface 822. Additionally, the computer system 812 may communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), or a public network (e.g., the Internet), or a combination thereof) via a network adapter 820. As shown, the network adapter 820 may communicate with other components of the computer system 812 via a bus 818. Although not shown, other hardware and / or software components may be used with the computer system 812, such as microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, data archive storage systems, etc.

[0060] One or more aspects may relate to or use cloud computing.

[0061] Although this disclosure includes detailed descriptions of cloud computing, implementation of the teachings described herein is not limited to cloud computing environments. Rather, embodiments of the invention can be practiced in conjunction with any other type of computing environment now known or later developed.

[0062] Cloud computing is a service delivery model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or interaction with the service provider. This cloud model may include at least five characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four implementation models.

[0063] The characteristics are as follows:

[0064] On-Demand Self-Service: Cloud consumers can unilaterally provision computing capacity, such as server time or network storage, automatically as needed, without the need for human interaction with the service provider.

[0065] Broad network access: Computing power is available over the network and can be accessed through standard mechanisms, facilitating use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., cell phones, laptops, PDAs).

[0066] Resource Pooling: Computing resources from a provider are pooled and offered to multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model. Various physical and virtual resources are dynamically allocated and reallocated based on demand. Consumers generally have no control or knowledge of the exact location of the resources they are provided with, resulting in a sense of location independence. However, consumers may be able to determine location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state, data center).

[0067] Rapid Elasticity: Computing capacity can be provisioned quickly and elastically, sometimes automatically, to instantly scale out and quickly release to instantly scale in. To the consumer, the computing power available for provisioning often appears unlimited, and can be purchased at any time and in any quantity.

[0068] Metered Services: Cloud systems leverage measurement capabilities at a level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, active user accounts) to automatically control and optimize resource usage. Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported to provide transparency to both providers and consumers of utilized services.

[0069] The service model is as follows:

[0070] Software as a Service (SaaS): The functionality offered to the consumer is the availability of a provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure that can be accessed from a variety of client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., webmail). The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including the network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application functionality, except for limited user-specific application configuration settings.

[0071] Platform as a Service (PaaS): The capability offered to consumers is to deploy applications they create or acquire using programming languages ​​and tools supported by the provider onto a cloud infrastructure. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including the network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but does have control over the deployed applications and, in some cases, the configuration of their hosting environment.

[0072] Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The functionality offered to consumers is the provisioning of processors, storage, networking, and other basic computing resources on which they can deploy and run any software, which may include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, but has control over the operating system, storage, and deployed applications, and in some cases partial control over some network components (e.g., host firewalls).

[0073] The deployment model is as follows:

[0074] Private Cloud: This cloud infrastructure is dedicated to a specific organization and can be managed by that organization or a third party, and can exist on-premise or off-premise.

[0075] Community Cloud: This cloud infrastructure is shared by multiple organizations to support a specific community with common concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policies, and compliance). This cloud infrastructure can be managed by those organizations or a third party and can exist on-premises or off-premises.

[0076] Public cloud: This cloud infrastructure is available to the general public or large industry organizations and is owned by an organization that sells cloud services.

[0077] Hybrid cloud: This cloud infrastructure combines two or more cloud models (private, community, or public), each of which retains its inherent nuances but is bound by standards or specific technologies that enable data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load balancing between clouds).

[0078] A cloud computing environment is a service-oriented environment that emphasizes statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability. At the core of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes a network of interconnected nodes.

[0079] A cloud computing node may include a computer system / server such as that depicted in Figure 8. The computer system / server 812 of Figure 8 may be practiced in a distributed cloud computing environment where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer system storage media, including memory storage devices. The computer system / server 812 may implement and / or perform any of the functionality defined herein.

[0080] 9 illustrates an exemplary cloud computing environment 50. The cloud computing environment 50 comprises one or more cloud computing nodes. 52, to which a local computing device used by a cloud consumer (e.g., a personal digital assistant (PDA) or cell phone 54A, a desktop computer 54B, a laptop computer 54C, or an automobile computer system 54N, or any combination thereof) can communicate. 52 can communicate with each other. 52 The computing nodes 54A-N may be grouped together (not shown), either physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such as the private, community, public, or hybrid clouds described above, or a combination thereof. This allows the cloud computing environment 50 to provide infrastructure, platform, or software, or a combination thereof, as a service, for which the cloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computing device. Note that the types of computing devices 54A-N shown in FIG. 9 are merely examples, and the computing nodes 54A-N may be grouped together (not shown), either physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such as the private, community, public, or hybrid clouds described above, or a combination thereof. 52 It should be understood that the cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type of electronic device via any type of network and / or network addressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).

[0081] 10 illustrates a set of functional abstraction model layers provided by the cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 9). It should be understood in advance that the components, layers, and functions illustrated in FIG. 9 are merely examples, and embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. As illustrated, the following layers and corresponding functions are provided:

[0082] Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and software components. Examples of hardware components include mainframe 61, RISC (reduced instruction set computer) architecture-based server 62, server 63, blade server 64, storage device 65, and network and network components 66. In some embodiments, software components include network application server software 67 and database software 68.

[0083] The virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which the following virtual entities can be provided, for example: virtual servers 71, virtual storage 72, virtual networks including virtual private networks 73, virtual applications and operating systems 74, and virtual clients 75.

[0084] By way of example, the management layer 80 may provide the following functions: Resource provisioning 81 enables dynamic procurement of computing and other resources utilized to execute tasks within the cloud computing environment; Metering and pricing 82 enables cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computing environment and billing or invoicing for the consumption of these resources; By way of example, these resources may include application software licenses; Security enables identification and verification of cloud consumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources; User portal 83 provides consumers and system administrators with access to the cloud computing environment; Service level management 84 enables allocation and management of cloud computing resources so that requested service levels are met; Service level agreement (SLA) planning and fulfillment 85 enables advance arrangement and procurement of anticipated future cloud computing resources required in accordance with SLAs.

[0085] The workload layer 90 provides examples of functionality available to a cloud computing environment. Examples of workloads and functionality that can be provided from this layer include mapping and navigation 91, software development and lifecycle management 92, virtual classroom instruction delivery 93, data analytics processing 94, transaction processing 95, and battery pack discharge control processing 96.

[0086] The description of various embodiments of the present invention is presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terms used herein have been selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications or technical improvements to technology found in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments described herein.

[0087] The present invention may be a system, method, or computer program product, or combination thereof, integrated at any possible level of technical detail. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

[0088] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of retaining and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium may be, by way of example only, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or a suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include portable computer diskettes, hard disks, RAM, ROM, EPROM (or flash memory), SRAM, CD-ROMs, DVDs, memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanically encoded devices having instructions recorded thereon, such as punch cards or ridge-in-groove structures, and suitable combinations thereof. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium should not be construed as a transitory signal per se, such as an electric wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal transmitted over a wire.

[0089] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing / processing device or to an external computer or external storage device via a network (e.g., the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, or a combination thereof). The network may be comprised of copper transmission cables, optical fiber transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, edge servers, or a combination thereof. A network adapter card or network interface of each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage on a computer-readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0090] Computer-readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for integrated circuits, or object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk, C++, etc., and procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language and similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, or partially on the user's computer. Alternatively, the computer may be executed partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, a programmable logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA) can execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the computer-readable program instructions in order to carry out aspects of the present invention.

[0091] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0092] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to create a machine, such that the instructions, executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium connectable to a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, or other device, or combination thereof, that functions in a particular way, such that the computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored constitutes one of the products including instructions that implement aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0093] Computer-readable program instructions, such as instructions to perform the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams on a computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device, can also be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform a series of operational steps on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process.

[0094] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of executable implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which constitute one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative embodiments, the functions shown in the blocks may occur out of the order shown in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations or executes a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0095] In addition to the above, one or more aspects may be provided, offered, deployed, managed, serviced, etc. by a service provider that offers management of a customer environment. For example, the service provider may create, maintain, support, etc., computer code and / or computer infrastructure that implements one or more aspects for one or more customers. In return, the service provider may receive payments from the customer, by way of example, based on a subscription and / or fee agreement. Additionally or alternatively, the service provider may receive payments from the sale of advertising content to one or more third parties.

[0096] In one aspect, an application may be deployed to perform one or more embodiments. By way of example, deploying an application includes providing a computer infrastructure operable to perform one or more embodiments.

[0097] As a further aspect, a computing infrastructure may be deployed that includes computer-readable code integrated into a computing system, where the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing one or more embodiments.

[0098] As yet another aspect, a process for integrating a computing infrastructure may be provided, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computer system including a computer-readable medium, the computer medium including one or more embodiments, the code in combination with the computer system being capable of executing one or more embodiments.

[0099] Although various embodiments have been described above, they are merely examples. For example, computing environments of other architectures may be used to incorporate one or more embodiments. Furthermore, different instructions, instruction formats, instruction fields or instruction values, or combinations thereof, may be used. Many variations are possible.

[0100] Additionally, other types of computing environments may also be beneficial and may be used. As an example, a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code may be used that includes at least two processors coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements via a system bus. The memory elements may include, for example, local memory employed during the actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memory that provides temporary storage of at least some of the program code to reduce the number of times the code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution.

[0101] Input / output or I / O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, DASDs, tapes, CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, and other memory media, etc.) may be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening I / O controllers. Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to be coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the available types of network adapters.

[0102] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise" (and any form of comprise, such as "comprises" and "comprising"), "have" (and any form of have, such as "has" and "having"), "include" (and any form of include, such as "includes" and "including"), and "contain" (and any form of contain, such as "contains" and "containing") are open-ended linking verbs. Consequently, a method or apparatus that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more steps or elements may possess those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more steps or elements. Similarly, a method step or apparatus element that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more features includes, but is not limited to, those one or more features. Furthermore, an apparatus or structure that is configured in a certain way may be configured in at least that way, but in ways not recited.

[0103] Corresponding structure, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step-plus-functions in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the function in combination with the elements of other claims as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. The embodiments have been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applications of one or more aspects of the invention, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand one or more aspects of the invention in various embodiments with various modifications as suited to the particular uses contemplated.

Claims

1. determining the occurrence of a condition in a power supply system, the power supply system including a power supply circuit and a backup energy source, the power supply circuit receiving primary input power, the backup energy source operably coupled to the power supply circuit for providing backup power to a system load when primary input power to the power supply circuit is unavailable; and actively discharging, by a controller, a secondary battery pack of the backup energy source based on determining the occurrence of the condition in the power supply system; The actively discharging a power supply circuit configured to stop supplying the main input power to the system load in the power supply system; and a power supply circuit configured to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined state is associated with the secondary battery pack, and the method further includes monitoring a state of charge of the secondary battery pack, and ceasing to control the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load based on the state of charge decreasing to a set discharge threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determined condition is that the secondary battery pack requires servicing.

4. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the actively discharging further comprises preventing a charging circuit of the backup energy source from recharging the secondary battery pack.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a power conditioning circuit, the power conditioning circuit comprising a rectification and phase selection circuit and a power factor correction circuit, and wherein disconnecting the delivery of the main input power to the system load comprises at least partially disconnecting the rectification and phase selection circuit or the power factor correction circuit to disconnect the delivery of the main input power to the system load in the power supply system.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein stopping the supply of the main input power to the system load includes preventing the main input power from being supplied to an intermediate power bus of the power conditioning circuit, the preventing resulting in the discharge of the power from the secondary battery pack to the intermediate power bus.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined condition is that the secondary battery pack undergoes a State of Health (SoH) test.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: monitoring a state of charge of the secondary battery pack; and ceasing to control the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load based on the state of charge decreasing to a set discharge threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined condition is an error condition associated with one or more components of the power supply circuit.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: temporarily shutting down the one or more components of the power supply circuit to clear the error state from the power supply circuit; and ceasing to control the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack based on clearing the error state from the power supply circuit.

11. The power supply system includes redundant power supply circuits each having a redundant secondary battery pack, and the actively discharging includes: determining an operation mode of the power supply system, and based on the operation mode being a reduced redundancy mode, preventing the power supply system from disconnecting the main input power from supplying to the system load; controlling the backup energy source to discharge power from the secondary battery pack through a balancing circuit associated with the secondary battery pack; based on a state of charge of the secondary battery pack decreasing to a set discharge threshold, stopping discharging of the secondary battery pack via the balancing circuit associated with the secondary battery pack; The method of claim 1 , comprising:

12. a power supply circuit, the power supply circuit receiving mains input power, the power supply circuit powering a system load; a backup energy source, the backup energy source including a secondary battery pack, the backup energy source operably coupled to the power supply circuit to provide backup power to a power supply system load when primary input power to the system load is unavailable; a controller operatively coupled to stop supplying the main input power in the power supply system to the system load and to force a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load based on a determined condition in the power supply system; Including, the system.

13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determined condition is that the secondary battery pack requires servicing, and the controller is further configured to: prevent a charging circuit of the backup energy source from recharging the secondary battery pack; monitor a state of charge of the secondary battery pack; and, based on the state of charge dropping to a set discharge threshold, cease controlling the power supply circuit to force a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load.

14. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a power conditioning circuit, the power conditioning circuit comprising a rectification and phase selection circuit and a power factor correction circuit, and wherein removing the supply of main input power to the system load comprises at least partially removing the rectification and phase selection circuit or the power factor correction circuit to remove the supply of main input power to the system load in the power supply system.

15. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determined state is that the secondary battery pack is undergoing a State of Health (SoH) test, and the controller monitors the state of charge of the secondary battery pack and, based on the state of charge dropping to a set discharge threshold, ceases to control the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to a load of the power supply system.

16. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determined condition is an error condition associated with one or more components of the power supply circuit, and the controller temporarily stops the one or more components of the power supply circuit to clear the error condition from the power supply circuit, and ceases controlling the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load based on clearing the error condition for the power supply circuit.

17. A computer program comprising computer-readable code, the computer-readable code being executable by one or more processors, the one or more processors being determining the occurrence of a condition in a power supply system, the power supply system including a power supply circuit and a backup energy source, the power supply circuit receiving primary input power, the backup energy source operably coupled to the power supply circuit for providing backup power to a system load when primary input power to the power supply circuit is unavailable; actively discharging the secondary battery pack of the backup energy source based on determining the occurrence of the condition in the power supply system; The actively discharging controlling the power supply circuit to stop supply of the main input power in the power supply system to the system load and forcibly discharge power from the secondary battery pack to the system load; Computer program.

18. 18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the determined condition is that the secondary battery pack requires servicing, and the computer readable code is executable by the one or more processors to further cause the one or more processors to: prevent a charging circuit of the backup energy source from recharging the secondary battery pack; monitor a state of charge of the secondary battery pack; and, based on the state of charge dropping to a set discharge threshold, cease controlling the power supply circuit to force a discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load.

19. 20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a power conditioning circuit, the power conditioning circuit comprising a rectification and phase selection circuit and a power factor correction circuit, and the computer readable code is executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to stop delivering the main input power to the system load by at least partially shutting down the rectification and phase selection circuit or the power factor correction circuit to stop delivering the main input power to the system load in the power supply system.

20. 18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the determined state is that the secondary battery pack is undergoing a State of Health (SoH) test, and the computer readable code is executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to monitor a state of charge of the secondary battery pack and, based on the state of charge decreasing to a set discharge threshold, cease controlling the power supply circuit to force discharge of power from the secondary battery pack to the system load.

Images