Power Supply Failure Detection Using Capacitor Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supplies in remote network devices, such as Remote PHY nodes, lack effective methods to predict imminent failures, leading to potential service disruptions and costly rush repairs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing temperature sensors on critical components like electrolytic capacitors within the power supply, combined with internal computerized components, to monitor and analyze temperature and current/voltage data, allowing for early detection of impending failures by comparing ambient and component temperatures and ESR changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature sensors and monitoring systems are added to power supplies, then failure detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by monitoring temperature trends and ESR changes before actual failure occurs. The system detects gradual increases in capacitor temperature and ESR values, allowing predictive maintenance before the power supply completely fails, thus improving reliability without requiring complex real-time failure prediction algorithms
Solution Approach 2:
The power supply performs self-diagnosis by monitoring its own temperature and electrical characteristics. The built-in sensors and processing circuitry enable the system to detect its own degradation trends, eliminating the need for external monitoring equipment and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability
2Loss of time
If continuous monitoring of temperature and ESR is implemented, then maintenance timing is optimized, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system uses periodic measurements of temperature and ESR at scheduled intervals rather than continuous monitoring. This approach optimizes maintenance timing by detecting trends over time while minimizing energy consumption by keeping sensors and processing circuits dormant between measurement cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes monitoring parameters dynamically based on operating conditions. For example, measurement frequency and threshold values are adjusted according to ambient temperature, load conditions, and age of components, reducing energy consumption during normal operation while maintaining accurate maintenance timing prediction
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
Provides advance notice of several days before failure, enabling scheduled replacements and preventing service outages, thus reducing operational costs and ensuring continuous operation.
Implementation Method 1
Implementing temperature sensors on critical components like electrolytic capacitors within the power supply
Implementation Method 2
allowing for early detection of impending failures by comparing ambient and component temperatures and ESR changes
Data Source
AI summary
Detecting an imminent failure of a power supply. The power supply may supply power to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) node, an Ethernet switch, a Community Access television (CATV) plant, an optical node, a smart optical node, an outdoor Wi-Fi hot-spot, an 802.11n Wi-Fi Access Point, a wireless base station, and a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM). An internal computerized component periodically reads a set of measurements from one or more sensors affixed to a power supply. The internal computerized component and power supply may reside in a variety of different technical contexts. The internal computerized component analyzes the set of measurements using, at least in part, a weighted set of factors, to detect the imminent failure in the power supply. The weighted set of factors may be updated or revised over time and may be specifically tailored for use with specific types of power supplies.