Battery backup system and battery backup module thereof

A battery backup system includes a base and a plurality of battery backup modules. The base has a plurality of receiving portions. Each of the battery backup modules includes a first modular casing, a microcontroller, an energy storage unit and a DC-DC converting circuit. The microcontroller is disposed in the first modular casing. The energy storage unit is disposed in the first modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for charging or discharging electrical energy. The DC-DC converting circuit is disposed in the first modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for converting a DC voltage. The first modular casing is swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions of the base. When the first modular casing is accommodated within the receiving portion, the energy storage unit is controlled to charge or discharge electrical energy by the microcontroller.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a battery backup system, and more particularly to a battery backup system and a battery backup module thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With growing of technologies and the Internet, lot types of services are provided through the Internet. In particular, services like cloud computing and cloud storage becomes inseparable from people's daily life. As a result, more and more data center including several computers, servers or workstations are built day by day. The amounts of computers, servers or workstations has to be increased for providing faster and more services and functions of the data center. Meanwhile, the consequent problems of electricity supply and battery power backup appear thereon.

To solve the problems mentioned above, the power distribution units (PDUs) are usually used to distribute electricity required for powering each computer, server or workstation, and the battery backup systems are used for backup power supplying. Under this circumstance, even though the breakdown of utility power occurs, shutdown of data center or damage of equipment still can be avoided.

In general, the specific battery backup units having particular specification are chose to be assembled in conventional battery backup system for meeting the demands of different data centers and further providing specific voltage or current. However, the different battery backup units have different exteriors and sizes, such that the arrangement has to be particularly designed for assembling and installing the battery backup units into the battery backup system. On the other hand, when a battery backup unit of the conventional battery backup system is going to be replaced or maintained, the battery backup system has to be turned off in order to open the housing assembled of the battery backup system. After the maintenance or replacement, the battery backup system is re-assembled and the housing of the battery backup system is closed again, and the battery backup system is finally turned on for providing electricity.

Moreover, for data center operators, when the specific battery backup system is assembled for particular demands, not only the electricity cannot be continuously provided during maintenance or replacement, but also the specification of the battery backup system cannot be adjusted during expansion of the data center. Under this circumstance, the drawbacks of inconvenient maintaining, replacing, assembling and expanding are highlighted, and the operating costs are increased.

There is a need of providing a battery backup system and a battery backup module thereof to obviate the drawbacks encountered from the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a battery backup system and a battery backup module thereof in order to eliminate the drawbacks of inconvenient maintaining, replacing, assembling and expanding and further to reduce the operating costs.

The present invention also provides a battery backup system and a battery backup module thereof. A modular battery backup module and a modular casing thereof are swappable, so that the maintenance and replacement of battery backup module are easily implemented through plugging and pulling. Meanwhile, the present invention also achieves the advantages of simplifying assembling and enhancing expandability.

The present invention further provides a battery backup system and a battery backup module thereof. Via plugging and pulling a hot-swappable battery backup module, the battery backup module is maintained or replaced without turning the battery backup system off, so that the operating costs are reduced.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery backup system. The battery backup system includes a base and a plurality of battery backup modules. The base has a plurality of receiving portions. Each of the battery backup modules includes a first modular casing, a microcontroller, an energy storage unit and a DC-DC converting circuit. The microcontroller is disposed in the first modular casing. The energy storage unit is disposed in the first modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for charging or discharging electrical energy. The DC-DC converting circuit is disposed in the first modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for converting a DC voltage. The first modular casing is swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions of the base. When the first modular casing is accommodated within the receiving portion, the energy storage unit is controlled to charge or discharge electrical energy by the microcontroller. A DC voltage inputted to or outputted from the energy storage unit is converted by the DC-DC converting circuit controlled by the microcontroller.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery backup module of a battery backup system comprising a base. The base has a plurality of receiving portions. The battery backup module includes a modular casing, a microcontroller, an energy storage unit and a DC-DC converting circuit. The microcontroller is disposed in the modular casing. The energy storage unit is disposed in the modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for charging or discharging electrical energy. The DC-DC converting circuit is disposed in the modular casing and connected with the microcontroller for converting a DC voltage. The modular casing is swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions of the base. When the modular casing is accommodated within the receiving portion, the energy storage unit is controlled to charge or discharge electrical energy by the microcontroller. A DC voltage inputted to or outputted from the energy storage unit is converted by the DC-DC converting circuit controlled by the microcontroller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer toFIG. 1andFIG. 2.FIG. 1schematically illustrates the structure of a battery backup system according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2schematically illustrates the configuration of a battery backup module according to an embodiment of the present invention. The battery backup system1of the present invention includes a base2and a plurality of battery backup modules3. The base2has a plurality of receiving portions21, and each of the battery backup modules includes a first modular casing31, a microcontroller32, an energy storage unit33and a DC-DC converting circuit34. The microcontroller32is disposed in the first modular casing31. The energy storage unit33is disposed in the first modular casing31and connected with the microcontroller32for charging or discharging electrical energy. The DC-DC converting circuit34is disposed in the first modular casing31and connected with the microcontroller32for converting a DC voltage. In this embodiment, the first modular casing31is swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions21of the base2, and the energy storage unit33is controlled to charge or discharge electrical energy by the microcontroller32when the first modular casing31is accommodated within the one of receiving portions21. A DC voltage inputted to or outputted from the energy storage unit33is converted by the DC-DC converting circuit34controlled by the microcontroller32(e.g. a DC voltage inputted to the energy storage unit33by the power source S, or a DC voltage outputted from the energy storage unit33and inputted to the power source S). As a result, since the modular battery backup module3and the first modular casing31thereof are swappable, so that the maintenance and replacement of battery backup module3are easily implemented through plugging and pulling. Additionally, the advantages of simplifying assembling and enhancing expandability are also achieved by the present invention.

Please refer toFIG. 3.FIG. 3schematically illustrates a front view of an installed battery backup module as shown inFIG. 1. The base2of the battery backup system1of the present invention has a plurality of receiving portions21. Each of the receiving portions21is used for receiving a first modular casing31of the battery backup module3. The amount of the receiving portions21can be varied with the loads of the main circuit (Not shown) connected with the battery backup system1or any demands. For example, as shown inFIG. 3, the base2has seven receiving portions21. In some embodiments, via adjusting and designing the amount of the receiving portions21, a plurality of battery backup modules3that provides enough voltages to the loads of the main circuit (e.g. provides 12 volts or 48 volts to the loads) are completely accommodated, but not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the DC voltage is provided and applied to n loads L through setting up n battery backup modules3. Please refer toFIG. 4AandFIG. 4B.FIG. 4Aschematically illustrates the configuration of a battery backup system with the loads applied to of the present invention.FIG. 4Bschematically illustrates the configuration of a battery backup system and a control module thereof with the loads applied to of the present invention. The battery backup system1of the present invention includes n battery backup modules A1-An for providing the DC voltages required for powering the loads L1-Ln, among which n is a positive integer. The amount of the battery backup modules A1-An and the amount of the loads L1-Ln are identical, and the battery backup modules A1-An are respectively coupled with the loads L1-Ln. In this embodiment, the battery backup modules A1-An can be directly connected with the loads L1-Ln or connected with the loads L1-Ln through a bus5. When the whole circuit is enable, the connection between the battery backup modules A1-An and the loads L1-Ln and the connection between the battery backup modules A1-An and the bus5are electrical connection. In addition, according to the concept of the present invention, the battery backup modules A1-An can be also connected with n power sources so as to be charged, but not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the battery backup system1of the present invention further includes a control module4for supervising the operating status of the battery backup system1and the detailed factor of the battery backup module3. For instance, the control module4of the battery backup system1can be used for supervising the standby mode, the power on mode or the power off mode of the battery backup system1, supervising current value, voltage value, capacitor value, resistance value, charge cycle, battery health, power efficiency, predicted charging time or predicted discharging time of each battery backup module3, or even supervising the life and the self-discharging rate of the battery backup module3.

Please refer toFIG. 5AandFIG. 5B.FIG. 5Aschematically illustrates the structure of a battery backup module according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 5Bschematically illustrates the structure of a control module according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 5AandFIG. 5B, the first modular casing31of the battery backup module3of the present invention further includes a first grip311and heat-dissipating unit312. The control module4includes a second modular casing41having the same length, width and height as the first modular casing31. The second modular casing41further includes a second grip411. The first grip311and the second grip411are disposed on a first surface S311of the first modular casing31and a first surface S411of the second modular casing41, respectively, and respectively extended from the first surface S311of the first modular casing31and the first surface S411of the second modular casing41. The first grip311and the second grip411are provided to be plugged or pulled by the user. On the other hand, the heat-dissipating unit312is used for auxiliary heat-dissipating of the components disposed inside the first modular casing31, and the heat-dissipating unit312is not limited to be a heat-dissipating fan or a heatsink.

In some embodiments, the second modular casing41of the control module4has the same exterior and size as the first modular casing31of the battery backup module3. The first modular casing31and the second modular casing41are made from the same mold, such that the same modular battery backup module3and control module4can be effectively integrated and installed in the battery backup system1of the present invention. Therefore, fabricating costs like molding cost and designing cost are greatly reduced.

Please refer toFIG. 6.FIG. 6schematically illustrates the structure of a battery backup system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The battery backup module3and the control module4have the similar modular casings, which are the first modular casing31and the second modular casing41, so each of the receiving portions21of the base2is used for receiving not only the first modular casing31of the battery backup module3but also the second modular casing41of the control module4. In other words, both the first modular casing31of the battery backup module3and the second modular casing41of the control module4are swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions21of the base2.

Moreover, the operating status and the detailed factor of whole the battery backup system1can be effectively supervised by setting up only one control module4, so that the preferred amount of the control module is equal to 1. In this embodiment, because the base2of the battery backup system1has seven receiving portions21, the second modular casing41of the control module4is received by any one of the receiving portion21and the first modular casings31of the battery backup modules are received by the other six receiving portions21in the preferred embodiment, but not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the first modular casing31and the second modular casing41are respectively hot-swappable to be accommodated within one of the receiving portions21of the base2. Under this circumstance, the battery backup module3or the control module4can be maintained or replaced by the user or the engineer without opening the base2, and the battery backup module3or the control module4can be pulled out for replacement and maintenance. In particular, the first modular casing31and the second modular casing41of the battery backup system1of the present are hot-swappable to be plugged or pulled without turning off the power source of the battery backup system, which means that the battery backup system is not required to be shut down. As a result, the operating costs are effectively reduced.

From the above description, the present invention provides a battery backup system and a battery backup module thereof. A modular battery backup module and a modular casing thereof are swappable, so that the maintenance and replacement of battery backup module are easily implemented through plugging and pulling. Meanwhile, the present invention also achieves the advantages of simplifying assembling and enhancing expandability. On the other hand, via plugging and pulling a hot-swappable battery backup module, the battery backup module is maintained or replaced without turning the battery backup system off, so that the operating costs are reduced.