Voltage Regulated Battery Backup Management for Blade Servers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Information handling systems face challenges in efficiently managing power consumption and battery backup, particularly in integrating different types and ages of battery cells, which leads to issues with cell balancing, maintenance costs, and compatibility, limiting flexibility and efficiency in battery systems.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop voltage regulated battery solution that uses multiple smaller battery subsystems or BBUs, each with its own battery management unit, allowing for independent control and communication across a communication path to manage output voltage and power, supporting different battery technologies and ages, and enabling flexible integration of various battery cell types and technologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple different types and ages of battery cells are integrated into a single BBU, then battery system flexibility and upgradeability are improved, but cell balancing difficulty and compatibility issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery system into multiple independent battery subsystems, each with its own battery management unit (BMU). Each subsystem manages a specific set of battery cells independently, allowing different cell types and ages to be integrated without creating complex balancing issues across the entire system. The segmentation isolates compatibility challenges to individual subsystems while maintaining overall system flexibility.
2Device complexity
If a single conventional multi-cell BBU is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but cell balancing becomes difficult and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into multiple smaller BBUs, each handling a subset of battery cells. This segmentation reduces the complexity of cell balancing within each individual BBU while enabling modular maintenance and replacement, thereby reducing overall maintenance costs despite the increased number of components.
Solution Approach 2:
Each battery management unit implements Gas Gauge logic that continuously monitors and reports the state of charge and health of its associated battery cells. This feedback mechanism enables precise tracking of cell conditions, facilitating automated balancing decisions and predictive maintenance, which reduces maintenance costs while maintaining system simplicity.
3Reliability
If multiple smaller battery subsystems are used instead of a single large BBU, then cell balancing and compatibility are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the battery management function into multiple independent BMUs, each responsible for a specific battery subsystem. This segmentation improves cell balancing performance within each subsystem while managing overall system complexity through standardized communication protocols and modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal communication interface and standardized protocols that allow multiple diverse battery subsystems to be managed through a common framework. This universality enables the system to handle different cell types and configurations without requiring complex custom management logic for each subsystem, thereby improving reliability while controlling complexity.
4Measurement precision
If battery cells are managed independently with separate processing devices, then voltage control precision is improved, but communication and coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each battery management unit continuously monitors its subsystem's voltage and state of charge, providing real-time feedback to the overall battery management system. This feedback enables precise voltage control at the subsystem level while the standardized communication protocol efficiently coordinates between multiple BMUs, managing communication complexity through structured data exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operating parameters such as voltage thresholds and charge/discharge rates based on real-time battery conditions. Each BMU independently controls its subsystem's parameters with high precision, while the communication bus coordinates parameter changes across subsystems using standardized commands, achieving precise voltage control without excessive communication complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided that employ voltage regulated management of battery backup for information handling systems, such as blade server systems. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented for an information handling system using multiple battery subsystems in a single battery backup unit (BBU) or using multiple battery backup units, and the multiple battery subsystems or BBUs may be individually controlled and managed using defined protocols and architectures.