Dell Products Inc.

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Ligong Wang

John J Breen

Darin Lee Frink

Shane Michael Chiasson

Guangyong Zhu

Yung Fa Chueh

Chia-Fa Chang

Stephen Sterz

Shiguo Luo

David Edward Bryan

Michael Jon Moen

Bruce A Miller

Anand Nunna

Gerald Courtney, Jr

Hua Chung

Yin-Cheung Ma

Fu Sheng Tsai

Wei Zhu

Wen-Yung Chang

Qing Zhu

Kendall C Witte

Qing Yang

Marcelo Vinante

Dit Charoen

Jay L Taylor

Tun-Chieh Liang

David Toland

Joey M Goodroe

Clark C Bruderer

Bobby Rogers

Methods for providing power to electronic components (e.g., servers in a datacenter, or other devices) can include providing AC power received from an external source to the devices. During periods of high demand, when costs of external AC power exceed a threshold, or when availability of external AC power is decreased, distributed backup power supply systems can be utilized to temporarily offset or to reverse consumption of external AC power. Such distributed backup power systems can be periodically recharged during periods of low power demand, and thus consistently retain adequate charge for backup use in the event of power loss.

Battery mitigated datacenter power usage

Methods and systems for rerating a battery pack based on fuel gauge data are described, including capturing operational or fuel gauge data for a first battery pack that contains a plurality of battery cells, and determining, based on the fuel gauge data, a remaining capacity of the first battery pack. When the remaining capacity of the first battery pack falls below the minimum capacity; a new battery pack can be configured using some or all of the battery cells, and a second fuel gauge can be configured with new initial capacity and minimum capacity ratings.

Management of used battery cells based on fuel gauge parameters

Methods for redeploying used battery units can include capturing performance data of an energy storage unit containing a battery unit at the end of its useful life for a primary application, and determining, based on the performance data, a remaining energy output capacity. If the battery unit meets or exceeds threshold performance criteria, the battery unit can be incorporated into a second energy storage unit and reconfigured to reflect the remaining energy output capacity. The second storage unit can include the redeployed battery unit alone, or in combination with any suitable number of additional battery units.

Redeployment of energy storage units

Methods and systems for controlling distribution of a main power supply and backup power supply can include detecting an output load on the main power supply from one or more electronic devices in excess of a threshold, which may correspond to a high efficiency band of the main power supply, and causing a backup power supply to provide an amount of supplemental power to the one or more electronic devices based in part on a difference between the output load and the threshold.

Power supply optimization using backup battery power supplementation

A power supply system can include a plurality of battery backup units and a control unit. The battery backup units may be utilized to supply backup energy to a power supply unit, for example, in case of a power outage event. The control unit can gauge a respective capacity, temperature, age, and/or other characteristic of each respective battery backup unit of the plurality of battery backup units. The control unit can designate a particular battery backup unit of the plurality of battery backup units as a spared unit, e.g., to be spared in the power outage event. The designation may be based at least in part on the respective capacity or other characteristic of each respective battery backup unit gauged.

Extending battery backup unit system service life

Information about firmware modules for a power unit (e.g., a battery backup unit or a power supply unit) can be downloaded, along with the firmware modules themselves. The firmware modules, which may constitute less than a complete firmware re-flash, can be used to update firmware of the power unit from a first version type to a second version type.

Firmware updating of power units

A method for managing backup power in the event of a power supply deficit or disruption includes detecting the power supply deficit and recruiting some or all of the backup battery units associated with electronic devices in the system to provide a backup power supply. Depending on the severity of the power supply failure, the selected backup battery units can be reconfigured from providing power to local electronic devices to providing power along a backup power supply pathway to other electronic components in the system.

Datacenter backup power management

Calibrating a battery capacity gage employs a controlled discharge of a backup battery unit. A method of updating a capacity gage includes charging a backup battery unit to a predetermined high charge level. A first amount of energy is discharged from the backup battery unit at a first controlled discharge rate so as to discharge the backup battery unit from the predetermined high charge level to a first low charge level. The backup battery unit is charged back to the predetermined high charge level. A power system controller estimates, based on the first amount of energy and the first controlled discharge rate, a second amount of energy that can be discharged from the backup battery unit at a second controlled discharge rate greater than the first controlled discharge rate. The capacity gage is updated based on the second amount of energy estimated by the power system controller.

Calibrating battery fuel gages

Systems for controlling cycling operations for backup battery units in a datacenter include groups of backup battery units and power supply units that can supply power to datacenter components from either a primary power supply or, the backup battery units. Each group of multiple battery units has sufficient capacity to provide backup power to a respective electronic device even when one battery unit is offline. In operation, a controller receives requests to perform cycling operations, e.g. maintenance, on the backup batteries. Upon each request, the system retrieves status information corresponding to each backup battery unit and determines whether the remainder of the backup battery units can supply sufficient power to meet or exceed power demand, and either allow or prevent each backup battery unit from performing the cycling operation in response to determining whether the remainder of the backup battery units can or cannot supply sufficient power.

Power management for backup battery units

Methods and related systems conduct a capacity check of a battery via a partial discharge cycle. A method of estimating a total capacity of a battery includes partially discharging the battery at a controlled discharge rate so as to discharge an amount of energy from the battery over a period of time. An output voltage of the battery is measured during the period of time. A total capacity of the battery is estimated based on the amount of energy discharged from the battery during the partial discharge cycle and the output voltage of the battery measured during the partial discharge cycle.

Determining battery capacity

Described herein is a smart battery unit capable of assessing its suitability to support a particular load. In some embodiments, the battery unit may receive an indication of power requirements for the particular load with respect to a period of time and may evaluate a total electrical capacity that would be required to support such a load based on those power requirements. The battery backup unit may monitor and dynamically update a full-charge capacity value related to its battery cells as well as the capacity requirement related to the load. The two values may then be compared to determine whether the battery backup unit is capable of supporting the load. If the full-charge capacity value is less than the capacity requirement for the load, then the battery unit may determine that it is not suitable for that load.

Dynamic adjustment of capacity threshold for a battery unit

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.

Systems and methods for voltage regulated battery backup management

A battery backup unit for supplying electrical energy in response to a power event affecting an ability of a power supply unit to deliver electrical energy may be configured to, in response to the power event, generate a regulated output voltage having a first voltage magnitude for a first period of time to limit power generated by the battery backup unit to a first power magnitude during the first period of time, and after the first period of time, generate the output voltage having a second voltage magnitude lesser than the first voltage magnitude for a second period of time to limit power generated by the battery backup unit to a second power magnitude lesser than the first power magnitude, wherein the second power magnitude is a function of a continuous maximum power supported by the battery backup unit based on characteristics of the battery backup unit.

Systems and methods for enabling multiple battery backup units in a system

A method used for determining the capacity of a battery. The method includes determining, via a controller, if the battery has a first capacity sufficient to support a conditioning cycle. In response to determining that the battery has the first capacity sufficient to support the conditioning cycle, the conditioning cycle is activated. The method includes partially discharging the battery at a constant rate while measuring a plurality of battery parameters. A second capacity of the battery is estimated based on the battery parameters measured at the constant discharge rate. The method increases estimation accuracy of the battery's capacity.

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Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Ligong Wang