Baidu USA LLC

Huawei Yang

Tianyi Gao

Shuai Shao

Yuan Cao

According to one embodiment, a battery management system includes a BBU shelf with bus connectors; a battery module with battery cell packages, each package including battery cells; and a converter module having 1) a set of converters, 2) a first busbar to which each converter is connected, the first busbar includes several switches, each switch is disposed between adjacently connected converters, 3) a second busbar to which each converter is connected via a first switch and to which each package is connected via a second switch, the second busbar comprises several switches, each switch is disposed between adjacently connected converters, packages, or a combination thereof, and 4) a third busbar to which each converter is connected and to which each bus connector is connected via a third switch, the third busbar includes several switches, each switch is disposed between adjacently connected converters, bus connectors, or a combination thereof.

Battery power management for a battery backup unit (BBU) shelf

A battery backup unit module is dimensioned to fit on a height of one rack unit of an electronic rack, and one third of a shelf width of the electronic rack. A cell pack of the battery backup unit module has batteries arranged parallel to the front of the electronic rack. There are 14 groups of battery cells. Each group of battery cells has six battery cells connected in parallel. The 14 groups of battery cells are connected in series. The 14 groups are arranged as two groups in width of the cell pack, one group in height of the cell pack, and seven groups in depth of the cell pack. In each group, the six battery cells are arranged as an upper row three cells deep and a lower row three cells deep.

High power and energy density battery backup unit cell package design

Embodiments are disclosed of a battery management system (BMS). The BMS includes a pair of back-to-back transistors configured to selectively discharge battery cells of a battery pack; a high-side driver configured to control operation of the pair of back-to-back transistors; an analog front end (AFE) circuit configured to monitor a voltage of each cell within the battery pack; and a micro controller unit (MCU) configured to control and monitor the AFE circuit and provide over-voltage protection to the pair of back-to-back transistors.

Enhanced battery backup unit battery management system

A method of controlling a fan speed for a battery unit includes determining power discharge and a current temperature of a battery unit and obtaining a relationship between fan speed for the battery unit and temperature of the battery unit based on the power discharge and the current temperature of the battery unit. The method further includes identifying a minimum fan speed based on the relationship between fan speed and temperature and a maximum operating temperature of the battery unit and controlling the fan by setting the speed of the fan to the minimum fan speed.

Adaptive fan speed control for thermal management of a battery

A cooling and heating system for an electronic component comprises a thermoelectric element disposed near the electronic component and an electrical circuit for a bidirectional current, where the thermoelectric element is connected to the electrical circuit for the bidirectional current. The cooling and heating system further comprises a controller configured to control a current flow direction of the bidirectional current in the thermoelectric element to cool or heat the electronic component, where whether the electronic component is to be cooled or heated is based on the current flow direction of the bidirectional current in the thermoelectric element.

Thermal management system for electronic components with thermoelectric element

Embodiments are disclosed of an electronic power conversion apparatus. The apparatus includes a first circuit comprising a first plurality of bidirectional switches coupled in parallel and a second circuit comprising a second plurality of bidirectional switches coupled in parallel. The apparatus further includes a power converter circuit coupling the first and the second circuit. The apparatus includes a control circuit operatively coupled to the first and second plurality of bidirectional switches. The control circuit controls a state of each of the first and second plurality of bidirectional switches.

Circuit design for power converter with bidirectional charging and discharging and including a self-inspection mode

A topology of bi-directional multi-output multi-function converter is designed in a BBU. The concept of bi-directional multi-function multi-output converter may be designed for the application of BBUs in a data center to provide multiple control functionalizes, such as battery discharging, battery charging, fan speed control, pump control, as well as providing power for multiple components/devices simultaneously. The proposed converter has two characteristics: bi-direction and multi-output. With the function of bi-direction, the battery discharging and charging can be accomplished with the same converter. With the function of multi-output, different rails of output voltages or power can be applied to different components or devices in BBU, such as fan, pump, control IC chip, sensors and etc. With the proposed concept of bi-directional multi-function multi-output converter, only one converter is required to achieve multiple control functions and provide power to different components, which reduces the volume and cost of a battery backup unit.

Bi-directional multi-function converter for backup battery unit

According to one embodiment, an automatic transfer switch (ATS) module for an electronic rack includes a container and four pairs of relays that are disposed within the container, each pair having a first relay connected in series with a second relay. A first two pairs of relays are arranged to connect to a first power source and are arranged to connect to a power supply unit, and a second two pairs of relays are arranged to connect to a second power source and are arranged to connect to the power supply unit. The four pairs of relays are arranged in one of several open-closed configurations, such that in a first open-closed configuration the first source connects to the power supply unit through a first two pairs of relays and in a second open-closed configuration the second source connects to the power supply unit through a second two pairs of relays.

Automatic transfer switch (ATS) module for an electronic rack

Thermal management of a backup battery unit for datacenter applications is described. In one embodiment, a backup battery unit includes one or more battery cells immersed in cooling liquid contained in an immersion tank. The immersion tank includes a temperature sensor. The battery unit also includes a first direct-current to-direct-current (DC/DC) converter electronically coupled to the battery cells and to an external power source for converting and controlling a charging voltage obtained from the external power source to charge the battery cells. The backup battery unit also includes a cooling-liquid pump for driving cooling liquid to the battery cells. The backup battery unit also includes a microcontroller coupled to the temperature sensor, the first DC/DC converter, and the cooling-liquid pump. The microcontroller is configured to control operations of the cooling-liquid pump based on temperature data obtained from the temperature sensor and an electrical current of the first DC/DC converter.

Power architecture design for thermal management of battery backup energy storage

Embodiments are disclosed of a multiphase converter that includes a main switch circuit, an active clamp circuit, a voltage multiplier cell, and an output capacitor. The main switch circuit includes a primary winding of a first coupled inductor; a primary winding of a second coupled inductor connected in parallel with the primary winding of the first coupled inductor and in parallel with an input voltage; a first switch connected between the primary winding of the first coupled inductor and the input voltage; and a second switch connected between the primary winding of the second coupled inductor and the input voltage. The active clamp circuit includes a third switch, a fourth switch, and a first capacitor. The voltage multiplier cell includes a secondary winding of the first coupled inductor, a secondary winding of the second coupled inductor, a second capacitor, a first diode, the first capacitor, and the third switch.

Interleaved multiphase converter with coupled inductor and active clamp circuit

According to one embodiment, a battery backup system includes an output terminal, one or more BBUs coupled in parallel to provide backup power to an external electronic device coupled to the output terminal, and a control circuit to control the power distribution from the BBUs. Each of the BBUs includes a battery pack having one or more battery cells and a converter to regulate and output power to the output terminal. The control circuit is configured to control a duty cycle for each of the BBUs, which when used to drive the BBU, adjusts power output in order to balance charges amongst the BBUs. The duty cycle of each BBU is determined based on an output voltage across the output terminal, an output current flowing through the output terminal, and characteristics of the battery pack of the BBU.

Charge balancing control for parallel-connected battery energy storage system

According to one embodiment, a battery cooling system includes a battery module with cells, liquid pumps, and a heat exchanger. A method, in response to the battery module discharging battery energy, sets a first liquid pump that is configured to push a first liquid coolant warmed by heat generated by the cells into a hot side of the heat exchanger to a first pump speed, and sets a second liquid pump that is configured to push a second liquid coolant into a cold side of the heat exchanger to a second pump speed. The method determines at least one of an adjusted first and second pump speeds by optimizing an objective function based on the first and second pump speeds, a battery discharge current, and a temperature of the second liquid coolant. The objective function is to minimize the power consumption of the system's cooling components which are the first and the second pumps according to one embodiment. The method modifies at least one of the first and second pump speeds according to the adjusted speeds.

Control logic for a battery cooling system

Thermal management of a backup battery unit for datacenter applications is described. In one embodiment a method includes sending first control signals to a pump and a fan to set default speeds. The method includes collecting a battery discharge current from the battery and an ambient air temperature of the environment proximal to the battery. The method includes calculating an optimal control function based on the battery discharge current and the ambient air temperature. The method also includes determining an adjusted pump speed and an adjusted fan speed based on the optimal control function. The method includes sending the adjusted pump speed to the pump and the adjusted fan speed to the fan. A solution for optimizing the cooling power use of the fan and the pump is proposed and at the same time maintaining thermal conditions of the battery cells under dynamic and static conditions are disclosed.

Optimal control logic for cooling power in battery thermal management

According to one embodiment, a battery backup unit (BBU) shelf includes a controller, a supply line to supply a fire extinguishing agent, one or more BBUs, each BBU having a battery module and a temperature sensor. The shelf further includes a flow meter that is coupled to the supply line and measures a flow rate of the fire extinguishing agent flowing through the supply line and produces a flow rate signal that represents the flow rate. For each of the BBUs, the shelf includes a spray nozzle to spray the fire extinguishing agent onto the BBU and a valve that is coupled between the supply line and the spray nozzle. The controller is configured to 1) receive temperature signals from the temperature sensors and 2), for each BBU that has a temperature that exceeds a temperature threshold, open the valve of the BBU to spray the fire extinguishing agent.

Battery backup unit (BBU) shelf with a fire extinguishing system

According to one embodiment, a BBU includes an array of battery cells, a DC/DC converter coupled to the battery cells, and a first switch logic coupled to the battery cells and the DC/DC converter. The first switch logic is configured to switch the BBU to operate between a first mode and a second mode. When operating in the first mode, the first switch logic causes the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to be provided to an external load. When operating in the second mode, the first switch logic causes the output voltage of the DC/DC converter to be coupled to an internal load for the purpose of determining the health of the battery cells.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Huawei Yang