Redundant Power Distribution Diagnostics for Seamless Load Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in maintaining high availability and reliability, particularly in petrochemical applications, where downtime is not acceptable, and concurrent testing of redundant power supplies is difficult due to seamless operation and potential for signal transient noises during switching.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of redundant power conditioners with power ORing circuitry that allows for concurrent operation, online validation testing, and diagnostic capabilities to ensure that each power conditioner can supply the load independently, reducing the likelihood of system downtime and improving fault detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant power supplies are implemented for high availability, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power distribution system is segmented into multiple independent power conditioners (first power conditioner with first converter, second power conditioner with second converter), each capable of independently supplying power to separate backplanes. This segmentation allows redundancy without requiring a completely centralized complex system, as each segment operates semi-independently while contributing to overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters by adjusting which power conditioner supplies which backplane based on diagnostic results and operational needs. The control system can switch between different power supply configurations (first converter to first backplane, second converter to second backplane, or vice versa) without fundamental system redesign, allowing flexibility in managing redundancy while maintaining simplicity.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If concurrent operation of power conditioners is allowed, then diagnostic capability is improved, but signal transient noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates the operation of multiple power conditioners and backplanes. It manages the switching and diagnostic operations by processing information about electrical properties and determining when to switch power supply assignments, thereby mediating between the need for diagnostic testing and the need to minimize transient noise that could affect signal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary diagnostic measurements of electrical properties (voltage, current, power) before making switching decisions. By measuring and comparing these parameters in advance, the control system can identify which power conditioner is functioning properly and switch assignments proactively, rather than reactively responding to failures, thus reducing the frequency and impact of transient noise events.
3Reliability
If switching between power supplies is performed, then redundancy is verified, but system downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous power supply to backplanes by having multiple power conditioners ready to take over. The first and second power conditioners can simultaneously or sequentially supply power to the same backplane without interruption, ensuring that the useful action of powering the backplane continues uninterrupted during redundancy verification and switching operations, thus minimizing downtime.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this present disclosure may include a system with a first power converter and a control system. The first power converter may supply a first current to a first backplane while a second power converter is concurrently supplying a second current to a second backplane. The first backplane and the second backplane may electrically couple to one or more load components and the control system. The control system may cause the first power converter to adjust the first current such that the first current and the second current are imbalanced with respect to each other in response to receiving a request to verify that the second power converter is capable of supplying the one or more load components with a target current value while the first current and the second current are imbalanced.