Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Plural supply circuits or sources – Connecting or disconnecting
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-29
2002-07-23
Huynh, Kim (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Plural supply circuits or sources
Connecting or disconnecting
C307S043000, C307S064000, C361S690000, C361S103000, C165S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06424057
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system to be inserted between a alternating current (AC) power supply, interruptions of which are to be compensated for, and at least one load, which is to be supplied with alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). More particularly the invention relates to an UPS system comprising a housing; at least one electrical or electronic component located within the housing, electric energy being partially transformed into heat energy upon a power current flowing through said electrical or electronic component; cooling air transport means for sucking cooling air into the housing, for circulating the cooling air within the housing and for blowing the cooling air out of said housing to remove the heat energy; and a passive heat exchanger for withdrawing the heat energy from the cooling air being blown out of said housing and for transferring the heat energy to another cooling medium. Whether the primary AC power supply, interruptions of which are to be compensated for, supplies a two or a three phase current does not affect the present invention.
UPS systems are typically divided up into static UPS systems and dynamic UPS systems, static UPS systems compensating for interruptions of a AC power supply by means of electric energy stored in batteries whereas dynamic UPS systems use kinetic energy stored in a flywheel to this end. For providing this kinetic energy an electrical machine is permanently operated. It is operated as a motor as long as the AC power supply supplies current. Upon an interruption of the AC power supply the electrical machine is operated as a generator, to make use of the stored kinetic energy for supplying the load.
Principally, the present invention relates both to static and to dynamic UPS systems. The main application, however, are dynamic UPS systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The electronic and electrical components of an UPS system through which a power current is flowing have to be cooled. Even in case of a high efficiency of the UPS system of 95 to 99%, the total power dissipated into heat in these components would heat up these components up to their self-destruction very soon.
In known UPS systems with air cooling the electrical and electronic components, air out of the surroundings of the housing containing the electrical and electronic components of the UPS system is sucked in, circulated within the housing for cooling the components and blown out again. In dynamic UPS systems it is known to provide a rotor of a permanently operated electrical machine through which a power current is flowing with air transport blades for circulating the air. In static UPS systems separately driven air transport means have to be provided.
If a known UPS system with simple air cooling of the electrical and electronic components is located in a closed inner room of a building, it is necessary to in turn cool the air within the inner room which serves as a cooling air reservoir for the UPS system. To this end, usually an air conditioning unit is provided for the inner room. In bigger buildings with air conditioning units in several rooms it is common that the heat is removed from several air conditioning units through a special cooling water system and transferred to the air in the surroundings of the building by means of a central heat exchanger.
In an UPS system with simple air cooling of the electrical and electronic components it is a known problem that in sucking in air out of the surroundings of the UPS system contaminations are also sucked into the housing. These contaminations may build up within the housing of the UPS system, and may thus result into thermal and/or electrical problems, like short circuits, for example, which may not only endanger the operation of the UPS system but also its whole substance. Critical contaminations of the air in the surroundings of the UPS system are not only present in polluted surroundings. For critical contaminations the salt content of the air in areas close to the sea can be sufficient, for example. Processing of the air sucked out of the surroundings into the housing of the UPS system would not only require additional technical and maintenance effort, but would also increase the dissipation of energy in the UPS system.
If an UPS system with simple air cooling of the electrical and electronic components is located in an closed inner room, the danger of contaminations building up within the housing of the UPS System is normally clearly reduced. Here, however, the necessary effort for providing the additional air conditioning unit for the inner room of the building has to be seen as an disadvantage.
A system comprising electrical machines provided in a housing with air cooling is known from published German Patent Application DE-18 13 592.7. Here, a heat exchanger is provided within the housing. Under regular operation conditions the housing is sealed against the surroundings of the system, and the cooling air is just circulated within the housing. This avoids that machine noise leaves the housing. When however, the temperature within the housing increases due to a failure of the heat exchanger in withdrawing the heat from the cooling air, an intake port of the housing is automatically opened and an outlet port of the housing is at the same time connected to an air removal channel through which the heated up cooling air is removed, whereas fresh cooling air is sucked in through the intake port out of the surroundings of the housing. This may allow contaminations to enter the housing but this is still better than having the electrical machines destroyed by over-heating. Suitable air removal channels will however be seldom available in modern office buildings.
A similar system is described in Swiss Patent CH-109 778. This system requires both a fresh air channel and an air removal channel for operation, if the heat exchanger stops working properly.
Thus, a UPS system which could be operated within a closed inner room of a building, even if a cooling water system of the building breaks down, which especially may take place at the same time as the UPS system is most important, would be desirous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an uninterruptible power supply system to be inserted between a alternating current power supply, interruptions of which are to be compensated for, and at least one load which is to be supplied with alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). The system according to the invention comprises: a housing; at least one electrical or electronic component located within the housing, electric energy being partially transformed into heat energy upon a power current flowing through said electrical or electronic component; cooling air transport means for sucking cooling air into the housing, for circulating the cooling air within the housing and for blowing the cooling air out of said housing to remove the heat energy; a passive heat exchanger for withdrawing the heat energy from the cooling air being blown out of said housing and for transferring the heat energy into another cooling medium; and control means switching the system from a first operation mode into a second operation mode, when a temperature sensor at the heat exchanger detects a temperature which is above a predetermined threshold value; in the first operation mode of the system, the cooling air blown out of said housing entering said passive heat exchanger and then being sucked out of the heat exchanger back into the housing; said housing, said heat exchanger and any pipes inserted there between being sealed against the surroundings in the first operation mode; and in the second operation mode of the system the cooling air being blown out of the housing into the surroundings of the housing and then being sucked out of the surroundings of the housing back into the housing; wherein said housing and said heat exchanger are located within an inner room of a building, the surroundings of the housing being limited to the volume of the inner
Briest Ralf
Darrelmann Hilmar
Ueffing Norbert
Deberadinis Robert L.
Huynh Kim
Piller GmbH
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley
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