Patent
Maintenance bypass assembly for uninterruptable power supply
| العنوان: | Maintenance bypass assembly for uninterruptable power supply |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 11355,958 |
| تاريخ النشر: | June 07, 2022 |
| Appl. No: | 17/572075 |
| Application Filed: | January 10, 2022 |
| مستخلص: | Where an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) is used in a system to ensure highly reliable power supply to an electronic system, occasional maintenance or repair of the UPS or its storage batteries may be required. Effecting this servicing while ensuring that the utility power continues to be supplied to the load may involve a Maintenance Bypass Assembly (MBA) comprising a plurality of manually-operated circuit breakers. The possibility of an incorrect actuation of such circuit breakers is precluded by the coordination of a plurality of electromechanically actuated circuit breakers in communication with a controller that may store a table of permitted state transitions and sequences for safe operation. Such operation may be confirmed by one or more sensors monitored by the controller. |
| Inventors: | C&C Power, Inc. (Carol Stream, IL, US) |
| Assignees: | C&C Power, Inc. (Carol Stream, IL, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A method of isolating an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) for maintenance, comprising: providing an electrical assembly having a first interface to a source of electrical power and a second interface to an electrical load, the electrical assembly further comprising: a third interface configured to be connectable to an input interface of the UPS to provide electrical power to the UPS; a fourth interface configured to be connectable to an output interface of the UPS to provide electrical power from the UPS to the second interface; a fifth interface configured to be connectable to a signal line of the UPS; a plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches; a first remotely-controlled switch of the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches, disposed between the first interface and the third interface; a second remotely-controlled electrical switch of the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches, disposed between the output interface of the UPS and the second interface; a third remotely-controlled electrical switch of the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches, disposed between the first interface and the third interface; a processor including volatile and non-volatile memory and an interactive display, the processor configured to control the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches in a predetermined sequence; the method further comprising: determining a present state of a configuration of the switches of the remotely-controlled electrical switches corresponding to the present states of the configuration of the remotely-controlled electrical switches and of the UPS; displaying the present state of the electrical assembly; displaying one or more permitted next states of the electrical assembly; selecting a next state of the electrical assembly from the one or more permitted next states of the electrical assembly, responsive to an operator input; wherein, at least one permitted next state of the permitted next states allows the UPS to be safely disconnected from the second interface while maintaining uninterrupted electrical power to the electrical load; and controlling the remotely-controlled electrical switches of the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches, by the processor, in a predetermined sequence of operations to place the electrical assembly into a selected permitted next state. |
| Claim: | 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UPS comprises a AC-DC converter, a storage battery, a DC-AC converter and a static bypass switch. |
| Claim: | 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises determining a status of a static bypass switch of the UPS as one of enabled or disabled by the processor in communication the fifth interface; and, inhibiting a closure of the third remotely-controlled electrical switch unless the status of enabled is determined. |
| Claim: | 4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises using a voltage sensor at the first interface and determining that an external AC power source is present at the first interface prior to opening the third remotely-controlled electrical switch disposed between the second interface and the fourth interface. |
| Claim: | 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one remotely-controlled switch of the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches is a circuit breaker. |
| Claim: | 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remotely-controlled electrical switches are selected from a group comprising: a circuit breaker, a relay, or a contactor. |
| Claim: | 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches is a motorized switch. |
| Claim: | 8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the remotely-controlled electrical switches is a motorized circuit breaker. |
| Claim: | 9. A computer program product, comprising computer-readable instructions stored in a non-volatile computer-readable memory, that when executed by a processor of an electronic assembly comprising: a first interface configured to accept power from an external source; a second interface configured to be connectable to an electrical load; a third interface configured to be connectable to an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) output; and a fourth interface configured to be connectable to a signal line of a UPS, wherein the electronic assembly further comprises: the processor, including volatile and the non-volatile computer-readable memory; a graphical display in communication with the processor; a plurality of remotely-controlled electrical switches, wherein a remotely-controlled electrical switch of the remotely-controlled electrical switches is in a direct connection between the first interface and the second interface when in a closed state; and the processor is configured to perform the steps of: determining a present state of the electronic assembly; determining and displaying allowable next states of the electronic assembly, wherein allowable state transitions are limited to those states which may be entered without damage to the electronic assembly, the electrical load when connected to the second interface or the UPS, and which does not result in a loss of electrical power at the second interface; and, responsive to an operator input to the electrical assembly, remotely control the remotely-controlled electrical switches of the electronic assembly to transition the electronic assembly to a next state, selected from the allowable next states; and confirm that the transition to the next state has been achieved. |
| Claim: | 10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the UPS comprises an AC-DC converter, a storage battery, a DC-AC converter and a static bypass switch. |
| Claim: | 11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the determining an allowable next state includes determining a status of a static bypass switch of the UPS as one of enabled or disabled by the processor communicating with the fourth interface; and, selecting allowable states inhibiting closure of the remotely-controlled electrical switch disposed between the first interface and the second interface unless the status of enabled is determined. |
| Patent References Cited: | 5646459 July 1997 Hatate et al. 5939799 August 1999 Weinstein 6292379 September 2001 Edevold et al. 6629247 September 2003 Hall 7485988 February 2009 Lin et al. 8772969 July 2014 Jung 8772983 July 2014 Filippenko et al. 8853887 October 2014 Silberbauer et al. 9384931 July 2016 Fasano 9748797 August 2017 Steinert et al. 9882423 January 2018 Olsen 10224741 March 2019 Oliver et al. 2010/0187908 July 2010 Okano 2012/0119581 May 2012 Silberbauer 2019/0064898 February 2019 Nommensen et al. |
| Other References: | Schneider Electric; Galaxy VX Drawings, Dwg. No. GVX500-750K1250-1500GCBC-SD; Jul. 9, 2018; 2 pages. cited by applicant C&C Power Engineered Power Products; Sales Drawings, 90880 Series Wall Mount Maintenance Bypass Panel, 15A-225A, 120V/240V, 1Ø/3W/G, 3 Breaker, Interlock Configuration 2; 2012; 2 pages. cited by applicant C&C Power Engineered Power Products; Sales Drawings, 90880 Series Wall Mount Maintenance Bypass Panel, 15A-225A, 120V/240V, 1Ø/3W/G, 3 Breakerwith SKRU, Interlock Configuration 5; 2012; 2 pages. cited by applicant LTI Power Systems; Elyria, Ohio; Static Transfer Switch, 20A to 125A Datasheet;2 pages. cited by applicant Eaton Corporation; Cleveland, Ohio; Circuit breaker motor operators, Local andremote switching capability; Publication No. PA01222022E/Z9314; Nov. 2009; 2 pages. cited by applicant Cutler-Hammer, Westinghouse & Cutter-Hammer Products; Pittsburgh, PA; Series® C Molded Case Circuit Breakers F-Frame 10-225 Amperes; DimensionSheet 29-170F; Oct. 1997; 9 pages. cited by applicant Description of Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) Installation; 2 pages. cited by applicant |
| Assistant Examiner: | Inge, Joseph N |
| Primary Examiner: | Barnie, Rexford N |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Crowell & Moring LLP |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.11355958 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |