UPS Device Battery Replacement Voltage Check
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional UPS devices for outdoor medium voltage electric installations suffer from unwanted battery discharge due to internal circuit power usage even when disconnected from loads, leading to deep discharge and inefficient maintenance with inadequate battery charge checks.
Innovation Solution
The UPS device incorporates a controller and interface stage with a feeding circuit to temporarily power the controller during battery replacement, allowing a check of the new battery charge level and preventing further discharge if insufficient, ensuring the back-up unit can provide adequate voltage for prolonged operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UPS device uses internal circuits to check the back-up unit voltage, then the device can monitor battery status, but the batteries continue to discharge even when disconnected from loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the voltage monitoring function from the main UPS device and relocates it to the back-up unit itself. The back-up unit includes an output stage with a checking circuit that monitors the back-up voltage independently, eliminating the need for continuous power consumption from the batteries through the main UPS device's internal circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a preliminary check of the back-up voltage before the UPS device operates. The checking circuit in the back-up unit verifies the battery voltage in advance, and only when the voltage is adequate does the system allow operation. This prevents the scenario where depleted batteries are connected to loads, avoiding harmful deep discharge conditions.
2Ease of repair
If the UPS device allows battery replacement, then maintenance can be performed, but there is no check on the charge level of replacement batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary check of the replacement battery's charge level immediately after installation. The checking circuit in the back-up unit automatically verifies the back-up voltage when new batteries are connected, before the UPS device is activated. This ensures that only adequately charged batteries are used, maintaining system reliability while preserving ease of maintenance.
3Productivity
If the UPS device operates with depleted batteries, then the device can remain functional, but the batteries enter deep discharge condition and cannot be recharged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary check of the back-up voltage before the UPS device operates. The checking circuit in the back-up unit verifies the battery voltage in advance, and only when the voltage is adequate does the system allow operation. This prevents the scenario where depleted batteries are connected to loads, avoiding harmful deep discharge conditions that would render batteries unrechargeable.
Data Source
AI summary
An UPS device for electric power distribution installations, the UPS device including: first electric terminals for electrical connection with an electric load to be fed by the UPS device; second electric terminals for electrical connection with a power supply source adapted to feed the UPS device; third electric terminals for electrical connection with a back-up unit adapted to feed the UPS device, when the power supply source is not available, the back-up unit having one or more replaceable batteries; a power conversion stage electrically connectable with the first, second and third electric terminals, the power conversion stage being adapted to receive a power supply voltage from the power supply source or a back-up voltage from the back-up unit, when the power supply source is not available, and being adapted to provide an adjustable load voltage to the electric load; and an interface stage to electrically couple or decouple the back-up unit with or from the power conversion stage. The interface stage includes a feeding circuit to temporary feed the controller during a transient time interval following a replacement of the batteries of the back-unit.