LED Lighting Power Redundancy With Automatic Supply Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed lighting systems, particularly those using LED light fixtures, face disruptions when a power supply fails due to factors like power surges, equipment age, or manufacturing flaws, leading to inoperability of connected lights.
Innovation Solution
A Digital Power Module (DPM) with a spare power supply and electronic power transfer switches is implemented, allowing automatic disconnection of a failed primary power supply and seamless switching to a spare supply, ensuring continuous operation of LED light fixtures without significant interruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single power supply is used to convert AC voltage to DC voltage for LED light fixtures, then the system structure is simple and cost-effective, but the system reliability deteriorates because the entire lighting channel becomes inoperable when the power supply fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a backup power supply that is pre-configured and ready to take over immediately when the primary power supply fails. The backup power supply is connected in parallel with the primary power supply through a switch, allowing it to be activated preemptively without requiring complex real-time decision-making or system reconfiguration when failure occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides a cushioning mechanism against power supply failure by incorporating a backup power supply unit. This backup unit acts as a protective measure that absorbs the impact of primary power supply failure, ensuring continuous operation of LED light fixtures and preventing system downtime.
2Productivity
If manual intervention is required to replace a failed power supply, then the system complexity is reduced, but the loss of time increases due to manual detection and replacement procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a controller that continuously monitors the operational status of the primary power supply and automatically activates the backup power supply when failure is detected. This feedback mechanism eliminates the need for manual detection and intervention, reducing downtime and ensuring seamless power transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-repair by automatically detecting power supply failure and switching to the backup power supply without requiring human intervention. The controller manages the entire process, including monitoring, decision-making, and activation of the backup unit, enabling the system to service itself.
3Reliability
If a backup power supply is added to the system, then the system reliability improves, but the device complexity and cost increase due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power supply system into distinct modular units: a primary power supply and a backup power supply. Each unit operates independently, and the backup unit is activated only when needed. This segmentation allows for simplified design of individual components while achieving high system reliability through redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup power supply is designed to be universally compatible with the primary power supply, using the same voltage conversion functionality (AC to DC). This multi-functionality allows the backup unit to seamlessly replace the primary unit, reducing the need for specialized components and simplifying the overall system architecture despite the added redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
A low voltage power distribution system that provides low voltage DC power to LED light fixtures and provides for backup or redundant power in the event of a failure of the one of the primary power supplies feeding the output channels to the respective LED light fixtures. The system allows for the automatic switching out of a failed power supply and the switching in of a spare power supply to minimize any down time for a output channel in the event of a primary power supply failure.