IP Library Granted Patent US 12676481
Granted Patent B2
US 12676481 · App. 18/418,163 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Disaggregated solid state power distribution system

Inventor: Paul Andrew Churnock (O'Fallon, IL)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
H02J3/0073H02J3/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676481
App. No.
18/418,163
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are described herein for distributing power using a disaggregated solid state power distribution system. The disaggregated solid state power distribution system includes an alternating-current-to-direct-current (AC-to-DC) converter and a solid state direct-current (DC) transformer. The AC-to-DC converter converts an alternating-current (AC) voltage, which is included in an incoming AC power signal having a power of at least one megawatt from an electrical source, to an intermediate DC voltage. The AC voltage is greater than or equal to 1000 volts root-mean-square (RMS). The intermediate DC voltage is greater than or equal to 1000 volts. The solid state DC transformer provides a DC power signal to information technology (IT) hardware by transforming the intermediate DC voltage to a transformed DC voltage that is included in the DC power signal. The transformed DC voltage is less than 1000 volts.

Claims (41)

1 . A disaggregated solid state power distribution system comprising:

a first alternating-current-to-direct-current converter that converts an alternating-current voltage, which is included in an incoming alternating-current power signal having a power of at least one megawatt from an electrical source, to a first intermediate direct-current voltage, the alternating-current voltage being greater than or equal to 1000 volts root-mean-square, the first intermediate direct-current voltage being greater than or equal to 1000 volts;

a first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers that provides a first direct-current power signal to information technology hardware by transforming the first intermediate direct-current voltage to a transformed direct-current voltage that is included in the first direct-current power signal, the transformed direct-current voltage being less than 1000 volts, the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers connected in parallel between the first alternating-current-to-direct-current converter and the information technology hardware;

a second alternating-current-to-direct-current converter that converts the alternating-current voltage, which is included in the incoming alternating-current power signal from the electrical source, to a second intermediate direct-current voltage; and

a second plurality of solid state direct-current transformers that provides a second direct-current power signal to the information technology hardware by transforming the second intermediate direct-current voltage to the transformed direct-current voltage that is included in the second direct-current power signal, the second plurality of solid state direct-current transformers connected in parallel between the second alternating-current-to-direct-current converter and the information technology hardware.

2 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cable that provides the first intermediate direct-current voltage from the first alternating-current-to-direct-current converter to the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers;

wherein the cable has a length of at least five feet.

3 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers are included in a building, which includes the information technology hardware.

4 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers are included in a first building, which is external to a second building that includes the information technology hardware.

5 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first alternating-current-to-direct-current converter comprises a plurality of alternating-current-to-direct-current converters that are connected in parallel between the electrical source and the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers.

6 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers are coupled to respective pluralities of servers in the information technology hardware.

7 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers and the second plurality of solid state direct-current transformers are connected to the information technology hardware through a common bus bar.

8 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers are connected to the information technology hardware through a first bus bar; and

wherein the second plurality of solid state direct-current transformers are connected to the information technology hardware through a second bus bar that is different from the first bus bar.

9 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an energy storage system coupled between the first alternating-current-to-direct-current converter and the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers;

wherein the energy storage system reduces a variation in an amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source over time by storing energy from the first direct-current power signal and further by providing the energy to the information technology hardware based at least on the amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source being greater than or equal to a threshold amount.

10 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an energy storage system coupled between the information technology hardware and the first plurality of solid state direct-current transformers;

wherein the energy storage system reduces a variation in an amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source over time by storing energy from the first direct-current power signal and further by providing the energy to the information technology hardware based at least on the amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source being greater than or equal to a threshold amount.

11 . A method performed by a disaggregated solid state power distribution system, the method comprising:

converting, by an alternating-current-to-direct-current converter, an alternating-current voltage, which is included in an incoming alternating-current power signal having a power of at least one megawatt from an electrical source, to an intermediate direct-current voltage, wherein the alternating-current voltage is greater than or equal to 1000 volts root-mean-square, wherein the intermediate direct-current voltage is greater than or equal to 1000 volts;

providing, by a plurality of solid state direct-current transformers that are connected in parallel between the alternating-current-to-direct-current converter and information technology hardware, a direct-current power signal to the information technology hardware by transforming the intermediate direct-current voltage to a transformed direct-current voltage that is included in the direct-current power signal, wherein the transformed direct-current voltage is less than 1000 volts;

converting, by a second alternating-current-to-direct-current converter, the alternating-current voltage, which is included in the incoming alternating-current power signal from the electrical source, to a second intermediate direct-current voltage; and

providing, by a second plurality of solid state direct-current transformers that are connected in parallel between the second alternating-current-to-direct-current converter and the information technology hardware, a second direct-current power signal to the information technology hardware by transforming the second intermediate direct-current voltage to the transformed direct-current voltage that is included in the second direct-current power signal.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the converting the alternating-current voltage to the intermediate direct-current voltage comprises:

converting the alternating-current voltage to the intermediate direct-current voltage by a plurality of alternating-current-to-direct-current converters that are connected in parallel between the electrical source and the plurality of solid state direct-current transformers.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

reducing a variation in an amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source over time by storing energy from the direct-current power signal in an energy storage system that is coupled between the alternating-current-to-direct-current converter and the plurality of solid state direct-current transformers and further by providing the energy to the information technology hardware based at least on the amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source being greater than or equal to a threshold amount.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

reducing a variation in an amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source over time by storing energy from the direct-current power signal in an energy storage system coupled between the plurality of solid state direct-current transformers and the information technology hardware and further by providing the energy to the information technology hardware based at least on the amount of power that is drawn by the disaggregated solid state power distribution system from the electrical source being greater than or equal to a threshold amount.

15 . A disaggregated solid state power distribution system comprising:

means for converting an alternating-current voltage, which is included in an incoming alternating-current power signal having a power of at least one megawatt from an electrical source, to an intermediate direct-current voltage, the alternating-current voltage being greater than or equal to 1000 volts root-mean-square, the intermediate direct-current voltage being greater than or equal to 1000 volts; and

means for providing a direct-current power signal to information technology hardware by transforming the intermediate direct-current voltage to a transformed direct-current voltage that is included in the direct-current power signal, the transformed direct-current voltage being less than 1000 volts, wherein the means for converting the alternating-current voltage to the intermediate direct-current voltage is external to a building that includes the means for providing the direct-current power signal to the information technology hardware, and wherein the building is external to a second building that includes the information technology hardware.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the alternating-current-to-direct-current converter is external to a building that includes the plurality of solid state direct-current transformers.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of solid state direct-current transformers is included in a first building that is external to a second building that includes the information technology hardware.

18 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the first intermediate direct-current voltage is less than 30,000 volts.

19 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 15 , wherein the alternating-current voltage is greater than or equal to 2000 volts root-mean-square; and

wherein the intermediate direct-current voltage is greater than or equal to 2000 volts.

20 . The disaggregated solid state power distribution system of claim 15 , wherein the alternating-current voltage is greater than or equal to 5000 volts root-mean-square.