Patent Publication Number: US-2013249286-A1

Title: Power supply device for server cabinets

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to power supply devices, and particularly to a power supply device for server cabinets. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A server cabinet may contain a plurality of servers and require a special power supply device for simultaneously supplying electrical power to these servers. A power supply device for server cabinets may include a power distribution unit (PDU) and a plurality of power supply units (PSUs). The PSUs are all electrically connected to the PDU. In use, the power supply device is installed in a server cabinet that receives a plurality of servers, and the PSUs are respectively electrically connected to the servers. The PDU receives electrical power from an external power supply (e.g., a wall socket or a battery). Each of the PSUs receives electrical power from the PDU, regulates the received electrical power (e.g., in respect of voltage value, current value, and alternating frequency), and transmits the regulated electrical power to the server corresponding to the PSU. 
     In an above-described power supply device, the PDU and all of the PSUs are generally independent devices. Thus, the PDU and all of the PSUs may occupy much space in the server cabinet and together generate excessive heat. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a power supply device, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the power supply device shown in  FIG. 1  supplying electrical power to a plurality of servers contained in a server cabinet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a power supply device  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment. The power supply device  100  can be positioned in a server cabinet to simultaneously supply electrical power to a plurality of servers received in the server cabinet. The power supply device  100  includes a power distribution unit (PDU)  10  and a plurality of power supply units (PSUs)  30  corresponding to the plurality of servers. The PSUs  30  are all electrically connected to the PDU  10  and structurally integrated with the PDU  10 . The PDU  10  can be electrically connected to an external three-phase alternating current (AC) power supply to receive a three-phase AC voltage, and can transform the three-phase AC voltage into three types of single-phase AC voltages having different phases. Each of the PSUs  30  receives one of the three types of single-phase AC voltages from the PDU  10 , regulates the received single-phase AC voltages (e.g., in respect of peak value, effective value, and alternating frequency), and transmit the regulated single-phase AC voltage to the server corresponding to the PSU  30 . 
     The PDU  10  includes an input terminal  11 , a distribution board  13 , a connection board  15 , and a base board  17 . The input terminal  11 , the distribution board  13 , and the connection board  15  are electrically connected in series. The PSUs  30  are all electrically connected in parallel between the connection board  15  and the base board  17 , and each of the PSUs  30  can be electrically connected to a corresponding server via the base board  17 . Furthermore, the PSUs  30  are all structurally held between the connection board  15  and the base board  17 , that is, structurally integrated with the PDU  10 . 
     The input terminal  11  is a circuit breaker. The input terminal  11  is configured to be electrically connected to the external three-phase AC power supply to receive the three-phase AC voltage. The distribution board  13  is configured to conduct portions of the three-phase AC voltage having different phases to different circuits, respectively, and thereby transform the three-phase AC voltage into the three types of single-phase AC voltages having different phases. 
     The connection board  15  includes a plurality of sockets  151 . The sockets  151  are all electrically connected to the distribution board  13 , and the PSUs  30  are respectively electrically connected to the sockets  151 . The PSUs  30  are all electrically connected to the base board  17 . Each of the sockets  151  can receive one of the three types of single-phase AC voltage from the distribution board  13 , and transmits the received single-phase AC voltage to the PSU  30  electrically connected to the socket  151 . Thus, the PSU  30  electrically connected to the socket  151  can supply electrical power to a corresponding server via the base board  17 . 
     Also referring to  FIG. 2 , the power supply device  100  is used to supply electrical power to a plurality of servers  200 . The power supply device  100  and the servers  200  are all received in a server cabinet  300 , and the servers  200  are respectively electrically connected to the PSUs  30  via the base board  17 . The server cabinet  300  includes a three-phase AC power supply A. 
     In use, the input terminal  11  is electrically connected to the three-phase AC power supply A and receive a three-phase AC voltage. The distribution board  13  transforms the three-phase AC voltage into three types of single-phase AC voltages having different phases. Each of the sockets  151  receives one of the three types of single-phase AC voltages from the distribution board  13 , and transmits the received single-phase AC voltage to the PSU  30  electrically connected to the socket  151 . Each of the PSUs  30  receives one of the three types of single-phase AC voltages from the socket  151  corresponding to the PSU  30 , regulates the received single-phase AC voltage (e.g., in respect of peak value, effective value, and alternating frequency), and transmits the regulated single-phase AC voltage to the server  200  electrically connected to the PSU  30 . In this way, the power supply device  200  can supply all the electrical power required by the individual servers  200  at the same time. 
     In this embodiment, the power supply device  100  includes six PSUs  30 , and the connection board  15  includes six sockets  151 . Each type of the single-phase AC voltages generated by the distribution board  13  is transmitted to two of the PSUs  30  via two of the sockets  151 , respectively. That is, every two of the PSUs  30  share one of the three types of the single-phase AC voltages. 
     In other embodiments, the total number of the PSUs  30  is variable, and the number of the PSUs  30  sharing one particular type of the three types of single-phase AC voltage can also be changed. The number of the PSUs  30  required is irrelevant, and there is no upper limit to this number. The PSUs  30  are all structurally received held between the connection board  15  and the base board  17 , that is, structurally integrated with the PDU  10 . Thus, space inside the server cabinet  300  is conserved, and the PSUs  30  in this arrangement generate much less heat than PSUs in an independent arrangement. 
     The power supply device  100  can further include a control board  50 . The control board  50  is electrically connected to the base board  17  and includes an interface configured to be electrically connected to an external data processing unit (not shown), such as a personal computer (PC). When the power supply device  100  is used, via the control board  50 , the external data processing unit can detect and monitor relative parameters (e.g., voltage values, current values, and alternating frequencies) of each of the PSUs  30 . 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.