Patent Application
20150061384
Data centers are facilities used to house and operate computing resources such as computers, processors, servers, telecommunications equipment, data storage systems, and so forth. Data centers may be used to provide services such as large-scale internet applications. Data centers may also be used to provide infrastructure services to customers who may implement their own applications using the resources provided by data centers. Data centers are increasingly critical to various types of computing activities, services, and applications.
The reliability and continuous availability of data center equipment are critically important. Various equipment redundancies are typically implemented within data centers to ensure continuous availability. In particular, redundant power sources are provided to ensure continuous operation during power failures or outages.
Many data centers may include multiple resource zones, each having its own infrastructure and support system. Electrical power for the equipment within a resource zone is provided by an uninterruptable power supply (UPS). The UPS conditions alternating current (AC) power and includes an inverter for generating AC power from associated direct current (DC) batteries.
Normally, the UPS is powered from AC electric mains provided by a power utility. Upon a failure or outage of the AC electric mains, the UPS may temporarily draw DC power from its associated batteries for a short period of time to generate AC power while backup generators are started.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical components or features.
This disclosure describes systems and techniques for providing backup power to computing resources and other equipment within a data center. The data center has multiple resource zones supported by infrastructures that are generally independent of each other, so that failures relating to one resource zone do not affect the ongoing operations of other resource zones.
Various types of computing resources are located within each of the resource zones. With regard to power distribution, each resource zone has an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) that provides power to the computing resources within the zone. A set of batteries or other energy storage elements are located in the resource zone along with the UPS. Each resource zone may also have a backup generator for providing power during power outages.
The UPS within a particular resource zone normally receives alternating current (AC) power from an electric mains of a power utility. Upon failure of the electric mains, the UPS receives AC power from a backup generator that is dedicated to the resource zone. In the time between failure of the AC mains and startup of the backup generator, the UPS draws direct current (DC) power from its associated batteries and uses an electrical inverter to generate AC power for the equipment of the resource zone.
A power bus may be provided to allow sharing of DC power between the UPS's of different resource zones. The power bus may extend between and/or pass through each of the resource zones, and may be configured to provide a common connection between the DC outputs of the UPS batteries of the different resource zones. The UPS batteries of the different zones may therefore be operated in parallel, to increase the length of time that a particular UPS may operate from DC power. This may be useful in various situations, and may allow battery capacities to be reduced overall and/or within individual resource zones.
In certain embodiments, the power bus may be switched, and control logic may be provided to selectively direct DC power from one resource zone to another based on need. For example, DC power may be directed from a first resource zone to a second resource zone in response to a detected depletion of the batteries of the second resource zone.
Each resource zone 102 has or contains multiple computing resources 104. The resources 104 may include computers, processors, servers, storage devices, networking equipment, telecommunications equipment, control equipment, support equipment, and so forth. The computing resources 104 are typically housed in racks, which are arranged in rows within the data center 100.
Each resource zone 102 has an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) 106 and associated UPS power storage elements 108. The power storage elements 108 may comprise sets of batteries or other power storage mechanisms, including chemical and kinetic power storage devices. For example, each UPS storage element 108 may comprise one or more batteries connected to provide direct current (DC) power to the associated UPS 106. The UPS 106 charges the batteries during normal mains-powered operation, and may draw upon the batteries when conditioning alternating current (AC) mains power or generator-provided AC power. Alternatively, each UPS power storage element or set 108 may comprise a flywheel energy storage unit.
Each resource zone 102 may have its own UPS 106 and corresponding set of storage elements 108, which may be physically located within the resource zone 102.
Each resource zone 102 may also have its own dedicated backup generator 110 or set of backup generators 110 for use during power outages or interruptions. During normal operation, the UPS 106 operates from AC mains provided by an electric power utility. In the case of an AC mains failure, AC power may be provided by the backup generator 110. In the interim between AC mains failure and startup of the backup generator 110, the UPS 106 may generate AC power based on DC power drawn from the storage elements 108 associated with the UPS 106. The UPS 106 may have one or more inverters (not shown) that are used to generate AC power from DC power.
In the described embodiment, a common power bus 112 extends between and into each of the resource zones 102 to provide a common connection between the UPS storage elements 108 of the multiple resource zones 102. The common power bus allows for DC power sharing between the UPS's of the resource zones.
Generally, each of the UPS power storage elements 108 has a power output comprising multiple power terminals, lines, or connections. For example, each set of the storage elements 108 may have a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and a ground terminal. The power bus 112 may have conductors corresponding to each of the multiple terminals, and may be connected in such a way that corresponding terminals of the multiple storage elements 108 are connected in common. Multi-conductor DC power bus bars may be used for this purpose.
The interconnection of the UPS storage elements shown in
As another example, it may happen that a bank of UPS storage elements associated with a particular resource zone fails or becomes depleted in an unusually or abnormally short time. In this situation, the UPS storage elements of the other resource zones may be drawn from to supplement or replace the power that would otherwise have been provided by the malfunctioning or depleted storage elements.
As yet another example, it may happen that a UPS associated with a particular resource zone fails. In this situation, the power storage elements of that zone may be used to extend DC power availability to the UPS's of other zones.
Furthermore, it may be possible because of the shared arrangement of UPS power storage elements to reduce the number of storage elements that are located within each of the resource zones. Normally, UPS batteries within a particular zone are sized to accommodate anomalous conditions that are unlikely to occur simultaneously in multiple resource zones. With the arrangement described above, the batteries of different resource zones may be used in combination to supplement an individual zone that is experiencing an unusual or unique condition.
The supplemental power storage elements 202 may be useful in the scenarios described above, to supplement the power provided by the dedicated power storage elements 108. In certain implementations, the availability of the supplemental storage elements 202 may make it possible to reduce the number or capacity of the dedicated power storage elements 108 that are located in each of the resource zones 102. For example, the dedicated power storage elements 108 may be sized to accommodate normal or expected failure sequences, such as might be based on an assumption that the backup generators 110 will be started within an expected time after the beginning of an AC mains power failure. In the case that one or more of the backup generators 110 does not start as expected, the supplemental storage elements 202 may be used to provide additional DC power for the UPS 106 of the resource zone 102 where the backup generator 110 has failed to start.
Each UPS 106 normally receives AC power from a power utility mains. In addition, a backup generator 110 is associated with and/or dedicated to each of the resource zones and the UPS's 106 of the resource zones. Upon failure or outage of the AC power mains, the generator 110 automatically starts within a period of time such as 45-120 seconds. During the interim between AC power mains failure and startup of the generator 110, each UPS 106 draws power from one or more associated or dedicated power storage elements 108, which in this example are illustrated as battery sets, groups, or banks. Each battery set may comprise one or more batteries or battery elements. Although
In the embodiment of
Control logic 306 may be provided to selectively direct and/or connect DC power from the storage element set 302 of one or more of the resource zones to the storage elements and/or UPS's 106 of one or more others of the resource zones. In some cases, the control logic 306 may monitor the power levels of the storage element sets 302. In response to detecting depletion of power in one of the storage element sets 302, the control logic 306 may direct or connect power to the depleted storage element set 302 and its associated UPS 106 from another of the storage element sets 302. This may happen, for example, when the backup generator 110 associated with a particular UPS 106 fails to start as expected, and additional DC power is needed to sustain the UPS 106 while the backup generator 110 is started manually.
Each UPS 106 normally receives AC power from a power utility mains. In addition, a generator 110 is associated with and/or dedicated to each of the resource zones and the UPS's 106 of the resource zones. Upon failure or outage of the AC power mains, the generator 110 automatically starts within a period of time such as 45-120 seconds. During the interim between AC power mains failure and startup of the generator 110, each UPS 106 draws power from one or more associated and dedicated power storage elements 402. Each storage element may comprise one or more batteries, one or more kinetic energy storage devices, other types of energy storage devices, or sets of energy storage devices. For example, a single flywheel-based energy storage device may be associated with each of the UPS's 106, in each of the resource zones. Each dedicated storage element 402 is located at or within its associated resource zone.
Each of the dedicated storage elements 402 is connected through power switches 404 with the common power bus 112. The common power bus 112 extends into each of the resource zones to connect between the storage elements 402 of the different resource zones.
In addition to the dedicated storage elements 402, which are collocated and associated directly with respective UPS units, the system 400 may include one or more shared or supplemental storage elements 406, which may comprise one or more batteries, one or more kinetic energy storage devices, other types of energy storage devices, or sets of energy storage devices.
Control logic 408 may be provided to selectively direct and/or connect DC power from the supplemental storage elements 406 to one or more of the dedicated storage elements 402 and/or UPS's 106. In some cases, the control logic 408 may monitor the power levels of the storage elements 402. In response to detecting depletion of power in one of the dedicated storage elements 402, the control logic 408 may direct power to the depleted storage element 402 and its associated UPS 106 from the supplemental storage elements 406. This may happen, for example, when the backup generator 110 associated with a particular UPS 106 fails to start as expected, and additional DC power is needed to sustain the UPS 106 while the backup generator 110 is started manually.
Each UPS 106 normally receives AC power from a power utility mains. In addition, a generator 110 is associated with and/or dedicated to each of the resource zones and the UPS's 106 of the resource zones. Upon failure or outage of the AC power mains, the generator 110 automatically starts within a period of time such as 45-120 seconds. During the interim between AC power mains failure and startup of the generator 110, each UPS 106 draws power from one or more power storage elements.
In the example of
Some of the resource zones and their UPS's 106 may not be associated with dedicated power storage elements. In this example, two of the UPS's 106 do not have dedicated or directly associated power storage elements 502. Rather, these UPS's 106 are connected by the power bus 112 to receive temporary power directly from the shared power storage element 504.
Each of the storage element 502 and 504 may comprise one or more batteries, one or more kinetic energy storage devices, other types of energy storage devices, or sets of energy storage devices.
The dedicated storage element 502 may be connected through a power switch 506 with the common power bus 112. Control logic 508 may be provided to selectively direct and/or connect DC power from the shared power storage element 504 to the dedicated storage element 502 and/or UPS's 106. In some cases, the control logic 508 may monitor the power levels of the dedicated storage element 502. In response to detecting depletion of power in the dedicated storage element 502, the control logic 508 may direct power to the depleted storage element 502 and its associated UPS 106 from the shared storage element 504.
An action 604 comprises supplying operating power to the computing resources from UPS's located respectively in the different resource zones. The UPS's may be configured to receive AC power from an AC power mains and/or from an AC generator. The generator may be used to supply AC power upon failure of the AC power mains.
An action 606 comprises providing temporary power to the UPSs from a plurality of power storage elements, including one or more power storage elements located in each of the different resource zones. This may be performed during initial stages of a power outage, before backup generators have been started.
An action 608 comprises sharing the temporary power from the power storage elements located in the different resource zones among the UPS's located in the different resource zones. In some embodiments, this may be accomplished by use a power bus that extends between the power storage elements. In some cases, the action 608 may comprise selectively directing the temporary power provided by a first of the power storage elements to the uninterruptable power supply associated with a second of the power storage elements in response to power depletion of the second of the power storage elements.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features described. Rather, the specific features are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the claims.
