Modular Data Center Power Distribution with Integrated UPS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large commercial data centers face high costs and inefficiencies due to the use of centralized uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for maintaining clean power, which are expensive to purchase and operate, and less than 100% efficient, leading to significant energy losses.
Innovation Solution
A modular power distribution architecture with integrated uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) at each rack-mountable processing unit, featuring a single AC-to-DC rectification step, reducing complexity and parts count, and enabling hot-swap capabilities, while improving power conversion efficiency and reducing material and labor costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized UPS system is used to condition power for the entire data center, then power conditioning and backup are provided, but the system becomes expensive to purchase and operate, and energy losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized UPS system into distributed modular units, with each rack-mounted processing unit having its own integrated UPS. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single large centralized system, reducing overall complexity and energy losses while maintaining power conditioning and backup capabilities at each module.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a vertical hierarchical architecture (centralized UPS at the top serving all units) to a horizontal distributed architecture (UPS units at the same level as processing units). This dimensional change in system architecture enables local power management, reducing transmission losses and improving efficiency.
2Reliability
If a centralized UPS system is used, then power backup is provided, but energy losses increase due to the system being less than 100% efficient
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the power conversion function into individual rack-mounted units, each with its own AC-to-DC rectifier, the system eliminates multiple stages of power conversion that occur in centralized systems. This reduces cumulative energy losses from repeated conversion stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the AC-to-DC rectification function from the centralized UPS and places it directly at each processing unit. This eliminates the intermediate DC-to-AC inversion step required in centralized systems, thereby reducing energy losses.
3Reliability
If a centralized UPS system is used, then power conditioning is provided, but the system complexity and parts count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power conditioning function into standardized modular units that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This modular approach reduces overall system complexity by breaking down a single complex centralized system into multiple simpler, identical modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Each rack-mounted processing unit with integrated UPS is designed as a universal module that can be deployed in any position within the data center. This universality reduces parts count and simplifies inventory management compared to a customized centralized system.
4Productivity
If modular rack-mounted processing units with integrated UPS are used, then system complexity is reduced and efficiency improved, but new architecture implementation is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data center into standardized rack-mounted modules, each with integrated processing units and UPS. This segmentation enables parallel manufacturing and deployment, improving productivity while the standardization reduces implementation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The UPS and processing units are pre-integrated into rack-mounted modules during manufacturing, allowing for preliminary testing and validation before deployment. This preliminary action reduces on-site implementation complexity and accelerates deployment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces complexity and costs, increases mean time between failures, and achieves substantial energy savings through improved power conversion efficiency, allowing for scalable and efficient deployment of power supplies in data centers.
Implementation Method 1
an AC-to-DC rectifier that converts an AC input voltage to a single output voltage on the DC bus
Implementation Method 2
a battery selectively connectable across a DC bus
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
Apparatus and associated method and computer program products involve a highly efficient uninterruptible power distribution architecture to support modular processing units. As an illustrative example, a modular processing unit includes an integrated uninterruptible power system in which a PFC-boost AC-to- DC conversion occurs between the utility AC grid and the processing circuit (e.g., microprocessor) loads. In an illustrative data center facility, a power distribution architecture includes a modular array of rack-mountable processing units, each of which has processing circuitry to handle network-related processing tasks. Associated with each modular processing unit is an integrated uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to supply operating power to the network processing circuitry. Each UPS includes a battery selectively connectable across a DC bus, and a AC-to-DC rectifier that converts an AC input voltage to a single output voltage on the DC bus. The regulated DC bus voltage may be close to the battery's fully charged voltage.