JP7654972B2 - Uninterruptible Power Supply - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Published on the GS Yuasa Corporation website on April 1, 2020 (https://ps.gs-yuasa.com/products/ups/tha2.php)

The present invention relates to an uninterruptible power supply.

In recent years, information processing systems and communication network systems, which form the infrastructure of our information society, have continued to develop at a remarkable rate. Power outages and voltage drops caused by natural disasters such as lightning strikes can lead to power supply problems in these systems, potentially causing these systems to malfunction or stop working. As a countermeasure, demand for uninterruptible power supplies is expected to grow.

Patent document 1 discloses an uninterruptible power supply that includes a control circuit that controls an AC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter, and a power supply circuit that supplies power to the control circuit.

International Publication No. 2000/08735

In the uninterruptible power supply of Patent Document 1, for example, if the power supply circuit fails, the control circuit may become inoperable, causing the uninterruptible power supply to stop supplying power to the load.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an uninterruptible power supply that can suppress operational shutdowns.

The uninterruptible power supply device includes an input terminal, an output terminal, a power conversion unit connected to a power storage device to convert power, a bypass unit that bypasses the power input to the input terminal to the output terminal, a switching unit that switches between the power converted by the power conversion unit or the power that has passed through the bypass unit and outputs it from the output terminal, a main power supply unit, a secondary power supply unit that supplies operating power to the switching unit, and a determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit, and when the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit, the switching unit outputs the power that has passed through the bypass unit from the output terminal using the power supply from the secondary power supply unit.

When input power (e.g., AC power from a commercial power source) is input to the input terminal of an uninterruptible power supply, the uninterruptible power supply outputs output power (AC power) from an output terminal. The power conversion unit includes, for example, an AC/DC converter and a DC/AC inverter, and converts the input power into DC power using the AC/DC converter, and converts the DC power (or DC power supplied from a power storage device) into AC power using the DC/AC inverter. Alternatively, the power conversion unit may include a bidirectional converter.

The bypass section is composed of an electrical circuit that connects the input terminal and the output terminal, and can bypass the input power input to the input terminal to the output terminal.

The switching unit can switch the output power output from the output terminal to either the power converted by the power conversion unit or the power that has passed through the bypass unit. Specifically, the switching unit may include a switch-like opening/closing unit provided in the electric path between the output side of the power conversion unit and the output terminal, and in the electric path between the output side of the bypass unit and the output terminal, and a switching circuit that controls the opening and closing of the opening/closing unit.

The main power supply unit supplies power for operating the uninterruptible power supply (power conversion unit). For example, when the control circuit operates the power conversion unit, the main power supply unit supplies operating power (e.g., DC 5V) to the control circuit (CPU).

The sub-power supply unit supplies power for operating the switching unit. For example, when the switching circuit performs the operation of the opening and closing unit, the sub-power supply unit supplies operating power to the switching circuit.

The determination unit determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit. The determination unit may be implemented by a control circuit. The determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit can be made based on, for example, whether or not the main power supply unit is outputting a normal voltage or current, whether or not an abnormal signal has been detected in the main power supply unit, etc.

When the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit, the switching unit outputs power from the output terminal via the bypass unit using power supplied from the secondary power supply unit. For example, the switching unit opens an opening/closing unit provided in the electrical path between the output side of the power conversion unit and the output terminal, and closes an opening/closing unit provided in the electrical path between the output side of the bypass unit and the output terminal.

With the above-mentioned configuration, even if the main power supply unit stops functioning for some reason, causing the control circuit to become inoperable and the power conversion unit to stop operating, the bypass unit bypasses the input power and outputs it from the output terminal, preventing unexpected operational shutdowns of the uninterruptible power supply and improving reliability.

The uninterruptible power supply may include a display unit that displays the operating status, and the main power supply unit and the auxiliary power supply unit may each supply power for operating the display unit.

The display unit can display the operating status of the uninterruptible power supply (e.g., operating mode, normal, abnormal, etc.). By supplying operating power to this display unit from both the main power supply unit and the secondary power supply unit, even if the main power supply unit stops functioning, the display unit can continue to be driven by the power supply from the secondary power supply unit. This prevents a situation in which it is unclear what is happening to the uninterruptible power supply due to a loss of power supply and the display unit stopping operation. If the main power supply unit stops functioning, the display unit can be caused to display that an abnormality has occurred in the main power supply unit by the power supply from the secondary power supply unit.

The uninterruptible power supply may include an opening/closing unit that opens and closes an electric circuit near the input terminal, the secondary power supply unit is powered from the input side of the opening/closing unit and supplies power for operating the opening/closing unit, and the main power supply unit may be powered from both the output side of the opening/closing unit and the output side of the power conversion unit when the opening/closing unit closes the electric circuit.

The opening/closing unit may be provided in an electric path between the input terminal and the input side of each of the power conversion unit and the bypass unit, and opens and closes the electric path. The secondary power supply unit is powered from the input side of the opening/closing unit, and supplies operating power for the opening/closing unit. For example, when the operation of the opening/closing unit is performed by a switching circuit, the secondary power supply unit supplies operating power to the switching circuit. When the secondary power supply unit is started up with input power input to the input terminal being supplied to the secondary power supply unit, the secondary power supply unit supplies power to the switching circuit, and the switching circuit closes the opening/closing unit. As a result, the input power is supplied to the power conversion unit, and the power conversion unit can operate.

When the switching unit closes the electrical circuit, the main power supply unit is powered from both the output side of the switching unit and the output side of the power conversion unit. Since the main power supply unit is supplied with power from two systems, even if the power supply from one system is stopped, it can continue to receive power from the other system, allowing the main power supply unit to continue operating.

In an uninterruptible power supply, the main power supply unit may supply power for operating the opening and closing unit.

The main power supply unit supplies operating power to a switching unit provided in an electrical circuit near the input terminal, so that the switching unit (switching circuit) is powered by both the sub-power supply unit and the main power supply unit. This prevents the switching unit from losing its function even if either the sub-power supply unit or the main power supply unit stops functioning.

In an uninterruptible power supply, the main power supply unit may supply power for operating the switching unit.

The main power supply unit can supply operating power to the switching unit, i.e., the switching circuit that controls the opening and closing of the opening and closing unit provided in the electrical path between the output side of the power conversion unit and the output terminal, and the electrical path between the output side of the bypass unit and the output terminal. As a result, the switching unit (switching circuit) is powered by both the sub-power supply unit and the main power supply unit, so that even if either the sub-power supply unit or the main power supply unit stops functioning, the switching unit can be prevented from losing its function.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent uninterruptible power supply equipment from stopping operation and improve reliability.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of an uninterruptible power supply; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of power supply from a main power supply unit and a sub-power supply unit. 4 shows a time chart for transitioning from start-up to inverter power supply. 4 shows a time chart for transitioning from inverter power supply to bypass power supply. 13 shows a time chart for transitioning to abnormal bypass power supply when an abnormality occurs in the main power supply unit. 4 shows a time chart for transitioning to battery power supply when an input power supply abnormality occurs. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of display content (message) on a display unit. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of a parallel processing type uninterruptible power supply device.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of an uninterruptible power supply 100 according to this embodiment. The uninterruptible power supply 100 includes a power conversion unit 30, a bypass unit 20, a main power supply unit 41, a secondary power supply unit 42, a switching circuit 15, a determination unit 51, and a display unit 52. The power conversion unit 30 includes an AC/DC converter 31, a DC/AC inverter 32, a DC/DC converter 33, a battery 34 as a power storage device, and a control circuit 35.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates an input terminal, and reference numeral 2 indicates an output terminal. An input power source (not shown) is connected to input terminal 1, and AC power is input. The input voltage is, for example, AC 100V or AC 120V, but is not limited to this. The output terminal outputs AC power. The output voltage is, for example, AC 100V or AC 120V according to the input voltage.

The input side of the power conversion unit 30 and the input side of the bypass unit 20 are connected at a connection point, and a switch 11 is provided in the electrical path between the input terminal 1 and the connection point. A switch 12 is provided in the electrical path between the output side of the power conversion unit 30 and the output terminal 2, and a switch 13 is provided in the electrical path between the output side of the bypass unit 20 and the output terminal 2. The switches 11 to 13 are also referred to as opening/closing units, and are, for example, AC switches or relay contacts, and open and close each electrical path based on a switching signal output by the switching circuit 15. The switching circuit 15 and the switches 11 to 13 are collectively referred to as the switching unit. The switches 11 to 13 are also referred to as the opening/closing units.

When the switch 11 is closed, the main power supply unit 41 is supplied with AC voltage from the electrical path on the input side of the power conversion unit 30, and when the power conversion unit 30 is operating, AC voltage is supplied from the electrical path on the output side of the power conversion unit 30. That is, when the switch 11 closes the electrical path, the main power supply unit 41 is supplied with power from both the output side of the switch 11 (the input side of the power conversion unit 30) and the output side of the power conversion unit 30. In this way, since two systems of power are supplied to the main power supply unit 41, even if the power supply from one system is stopped, the power supply from the other system can continue, and the operation of the main power supply unit 41 can continue.

The sub-power supply unit 42 is supplied with AC voltage from the input side of the switch 11 (specifically, the electrical path between the input terminal 1 and the input side of the switch 11). The main power supply unit 41 and the sub-power supply unit 42 output, for example, DC 12 V. The voltage output by the main power supply unit 41 and the sub-power supply unit 42 is not limited to DC 12 V.

The determination unit 51 includes a microprocessor or the like, and determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit 41. The determination of whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit 41 can be performed based on, for example, whether or not the main power supply unit 41 is outputting a normal voltage and current, whether or not an abnormal signal has been detected in the main power supply unit 41, etc. The determination unit 51 may be powered from the main power supply unit 41 and the auxiliary power supply unit 42.

The display unit 52 may be configured, for example, with a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, and displays the operating status of the uninterruptible power supply 100 (for example, operating mode, output status, normal, abnormal, etc.). The display unit may be configured to depict two-dimensional or three-dimensional images in the air. The main power supply unit 41 and the auxiliary power supply unit 42 may each supply power for operating the display unit 52. This allows the display unit 52 to continue to be driven by power supplied from the auxiliary power supply unit 42 even if the main power supply unit 41 stops functioning, thereby improving the reliability of the uninterruptible power supply 100. In this case, an abnormality in the main power supply unit 41 may be displayed on the display unit 52.

The bypass section 20 is composed of an electrical circuit connecting the input terminal 1 and the output terminal 2, and the input power input to the input terminal 1 can be bypassed to the output terminal 2 via the switch 13.

The AC/DC converter 31 converts the power input to the input terminal 1 into DC power.

The DC/AC inverter 32 converts the DC power output by the AC/DC converter 31 into AC power, and outputs the converted AC power from the output terminal 2 via the switch 12. The AC power output by the DC/AC inverter 32 can be synchronized with the power input to the input terminal 1. The DC/AC inverter 32 limits the fluctuation of the output voltage at the output terminal 2 in response to fluctuations in the input voltage at the input terminal 1 (e.g., ±10%) to within, for example, (+2%, -1%).

The DC/DC converter 33 is a bidirectional converter that converts the DC power output by the AC/DC converter 31 into the required DC power (required voltage and current) and charges the battery 34. The DC/DC converter 33 also converts the DC power from the battery 34 into a specified DC power and outputs it to the DC/AC inverter 32.

The control circuit 35 includes a microprocessor or the like and can control the operation of the power conversion unit 30.

Figure 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of power supply by the main power supply unit 41 and the auxiliary power supply unit 42. The main power supply unit 41 can supply operating power to the power conversion unit 30. When the control circuit 35 operates the power conversion unit 30, the main power supply unit 41 supplies operating power to the control circuit 35. The main power supply unit 41 can also supply operating power to the switching circuit 15. The auxiliary power supply unit 42 supplies operating power to the switching circuit 15.

The switching circuit 15 includes a first circuit 151, a second circuit 152, and a third circuit 153. The first circuit 151 opens and closes the switch 11. The second circuit 152 opens and closes the switch 12. The third circuit 153 opens and closes the switch 13. The first circuit 151 is supplied with operating power from the main power supply unit 41 and the sub-power supply unit 42 via diodes 412 and 422. The second circuit 152 is supplied with operating power from the main power supply unit 41. The third circuit 153 is supplied with operating power from the main power supply unit 41 and the sub-power supply unit 42 via diodes 413 and 423.

As a result, the switching circuit 15, specifically the first circuit 151 and the third circuit 153, are powered by both the main power supply unit 41 and the sub-power supply unit 42, so that even if either the main power supply unit 41 or the sub-power supply unit 42 stops functioning, the opening and closing functions of the switches 11 and 13 can be prevented from being lost.

The display unit 52 is supplied with driving power from the main power supply unit 41 and the auxiliary power supply unit 42 via the diodes 414 and 424. The switching circuit 15 may be the first circuit 151 and the third circuit 153, and the second circuit 152 may be incorporated into the control circuit 35. In this case, the control circuit 35 is supplied with power only from the main power supply unit 41, and the switching circuit 15 is supplied with power from both the main power supply unit 41 and the auxiliary power supply unit 42.

Next, the operation of the uninterruptible power supply 100 will be described.

The control circuit 35 can control the transition of the operation mode of the uninterruptible power supply 100. The operation modes include, for example, (1) inverter power supply when the input power supply is normal, (2) normal bypass power supply during smart eco mode, (3) abnormal bypass power supply when the main power supply unit 41 is abnormal, and (4) battery power supply when the input power supply is abnormal (e.g., input power failure, overvoltage, voltage drop, frequency abnormality, etc.). Note that the conditions for transitioning to abnormal bypass power supply may include other internal failures of the uninterruptible power supply 100 in addition to an abnormality in the main power supply unit 41.

Figure 3 shows a time chart for transitioning from startup to inverter power supply. In inverter power supply, the DC/AC inverter 32 converts the DC power output by the AC/DC converter 31 into AC power and outputs it from the output terminal 2 via the switch 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the auxiliary power supply unit 42 is started at time t1, the auxiliary power supply unit 42 starts operation and supplies operating power to the first circuit 151 and the third circuit 153 of the switching circuit 15, and also supplies driving power to the display unit 52. At this time, the switching circuit 15 (first circuit 151) receives power supply from the auxiliary power supply unit 42 and closes (turns on) the switch 11.

When the switch 11 is closed, the main power supply unit 41 is powered, and at time t2 the main power supply unit 41 starts up and starts operating, supplying operating power to the first circuit 151, the second circuit 152, and the third circuit 153 of the switching circuit 15, as well as supplying driving power to the display unit 52. The power conversion unit 30 operates to generate an AC voltage, and at time t3 the switching circuit 15 (second circuit 152) receives power from the main power supply unit 41 and closes (turns on) the switch 12. Note that in the figure, the intervals between times t1, t2, and t3 are shown large for convenience, so the actual time intervals may differ.

Figure 4 shows a time chart for transitioning from inverter power supply to bypass power supply. The bypass power supply shown in Figure 4 represents normal bypass power supply in smart eco mode. Normal bypass power supply in smart eco mode stops inverter power supply and bypasses the input power to output terminal 2 when the input voltage at input terminal 1 is stable for a predetermined period and there is little fluctuation in the input voltage. In this case, the switching circuit 15 (second circuit 152) receives power supply from the main power supply unit 41 and opens (turns off) switch 12. Also, the switching circuit 15 (third circuit 153) receives power supply from each of the main power supply unit 41 and the auxiliary power supply unit 42 and closes (turns on) switch 13.

Figure 5 shows a time chart for transitioning to abnormal bypass power supply when the main power supply unit 41 is abnormal. In abnormal bypass power supply, the following operation is performed. When the determination unit 51 determines that the main power supply unit 41 is faulty (abnormal), the input power is bypassed by the bypass unit 20 and output from the output terminal 2. Specifically, the switching circuit 15 (third circuit 153) receives power supply from the sub-power supply unit 42 and closes (turns on) the switch 13. At this time, it is preferable that the switch 12 is open (turns off). When an internal fault (e.g., an internal short circuit, etc.) occurs in the uninterruptible power supply device 100, it is necessary to open (turn off) the switch 12 in order to continue output from the output terminal 2 to the load.

With the above-mentioned configuration, even if the main power supply unit 41 stops functioning for some reason, causing the control circuit 35 to become inoperable and the power conversion unit 30 to stop operating, the switching circuit 15 (third circuit 153) receives power from the secondary power supply unit 42, closes the switch 13, and the bypass unit 20 bypasses the input power and outputs it from the output terminal 2, preventing the uninterruptible power supply 100 from stopping unexpectedly and improving reliability.

Even if the main power supply unit 41 stops functioning, the display unit 52 can continue to be driven by power supplied from the secondary power supply unit 42, improving the reliability of the uninterruptible power supply device 100. In this case, an abnormality in the main power supply unit 41 may be displayed on the display unit 52.

Figure 6 shows a time chart for switching to battery power supply when an input power supply abnormality occurs. In battery power supply, the DC/DC converter 33 converts the DC power from the battery 34 into a specified DC power and outputs it to the DC/AC inverter 32. The DC/AC inverter 32 converts the DC power output by the DC/DC converter 33 into AC power and outputs the converted AC power from the output terminal 2 via the switch 12.

As shown in FIG. 6, for example, if a power outage occurs in the input power supply, the secondary power supply unit 42 will no longer be powered and will stop operating. The main power supply unit 41 is configured to be powered by both power from the input terminal 1 via the switch 11 and power from the output side of the power conversion unit 30, so that even if the input power supply is out of power, power will be supplied from the power conversion unit 30. The switching circuit 15 (first circuit 151) receives a switching signal from the main power supply unit 41 and opens (turns off) the switch 11. This makes it possible to prevent voltage and current from flowing back from the input terminal 1 to the input power supply in the event of a power outage.

The display unit 52 can continue to operate using power supplied from the main power supply unit 41 even if the secondary power supply unit 42 stops operating.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the display contents (messages) of the display unit 52. In the case of inverter power supply, the display unit 52 can display, for example, "Inverter synchronous operation." In the case of normal bypass power supply, the display unit 52 can display "Smart Eco mode bypass operation," in the case of battery power supply, "Battery operation," and in the case of abnormal bypass power supply, "Error abnormal bypass operation." Note that the display examples may be other displays instead of those shown in the figure. The message may be written in katakana or the alphabet. The message may contain a mixture of katakana and the alphabet. The message may include numbers.

The present invention can also be applied to uninterruptible power supplies that use parallel processing.

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of a parallel processing type uninterruptible power supply 120. Unlike the uninterruptible power supply 100 illustrated in Figure 1, it includes a bidirectional converter 36, and a switch 14 is provided in the electrical path between the bidirectional converter 36 and the battery 34. The switch 14 may be switched on and off by a control circuit 35, or may be switched on and off by a switching circuit 15.

The operation of the parallel processing type uninterruptible power supply 120 is, for example, as follows. When there is no interruption in the commercial power supply, the switch 14 is closed, and the battery 34 is charged using the surplus power that is not supplied to the load via the output terminal 2.

When the commercial power supply is interrupted, AC power is output via output terminal 2 using power from battery 34.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.
The display unit may be configured using LEDs instead of a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 input terminal 2 output terminal 11, 12, 13, 14 switch 15 switching circuit 151 first circuit 152 second circuit 153 third circuit 20 bypass section 30 power conversion section 31 AC/DC converter 32 DC/AC inverter 33 DC/DC converter 34 battery 35 control circuit 36 bidirectional converter 41 main power supply section 42 auxiliary power supply section 51 determination section 52 display section 412, 413, 414, 422, 423, 424 diode

Claims (6)

An input terminal;
An output terminal;
a power conversion unit connected to the power storage device to convert power;
a bypass unit that bypasses power input to the input terminal to the output terminal;
a switching unit that switches between the power converted by the power conversion unit and the power that has passed through the bypass unit and outputs the switched power from the output terminal;
A main power supply unit;
a sub-power supply unit for supplying operating power to the switching unit;
a determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit,
The switching unit is
when the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the main power supply unit, the power that has passed through the bypass unit is output from the output terminal using the power supply from the secondary power supply unit;
Further, a switching unit that switches an electric circuit in the vicinity of the input terminal is provided,
The auxiliary power supply unit includes:
Power is supplied from the input side of the switching unit to supply power for operating the switching unit.
Uninterruptible power supply. An input terminal;
An output terminal;
a power conversion unit connected to the power storage device to convert power;
a bypass unit that bypasses power input to the input terminal to the output terminal;
a switching unit that switches between the power converted by the power conversion unit and the power that has passed through the bypass unit and outputs the switched power from the output terminal;
A main power supply unit;
a sub-power supply unit for supplying operating power to the switching unit;
a determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit,
The switching unit is
when the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the main power supply unit, the power that has passed through the bypass unit is output from the output terminal using the power supply from the secondary power supply unit;
Further, a switching unit that switches an electric circuit in the vicinity of the input terminal is provided,
The main power supply unit includes:
When the switching unit closes the electric circuit, power is supplied from the output side of the switching unit and the output side of the power conversion unit.
Uninterruptible power supply. An input terminal;
An output terminal;
a power conversion unit connected to the power storage device to convert power;
a bypass unit that bypasses power input to the input terminal to the output terminal;
a switching unit that switches between the power converted by the power conversion unit and the power that has passed through the bypass unit and outputs the switched power from the output terminal;
A main power supply unit;
a sub-power supply unit for supplying operating power to the switching unit;
a determination unit that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the main power supply unit,
The switching unit is
when the determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the main power supply unit, the power that has passed through the bypass unit is output from the output terminal using the power supply from the secondary power supply unit;
Further, a switching unit that switches an electric circuit in the vicinity of the input terminal is provided,
The auxiliary power supply unit includes:
Power is supplied from the input side of the switching unit to supply power for operating the switching unit;
The main power supply unit includes:
When the switching unit closes the electric circuit, power is supplied from the output side of the switching unit and the output side of the power conversion unit.
Uninterruptible power supply. Equipped with a display unit that displays the operating status,
The main power supply unit and the auxiliary power supply unit each supply power for operating the display unit.
An uninterruptible power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The main power supply unit includes:
Supplying power for operating the opening and closing unit;
An uninterruptible power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The main power supply unit includes:
Supplying power for operating the switching unit;
An uninterruptible power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

Images