Communication systems and methods in uninterruptible power supply systems

1. A power supply system comprising:

at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS);

a catcher system comprising at least one catcher UPS;

at least one static transfer switch (STS), each STS of said at least one STS electrically coupled between an associated UPS of said at least one UPS and an associated load, each STS further electrically coupled between said catcher system and the associated load, and each STS operable to selectively switch between supplying power to the associated load from said associated UPS and supplying power to the associated load from said catcher system;

a first communications channel communicatively coupling said at least one UPS to said catcher system; and

at least one second communications channel, wherein each STS is communicatively coupled to said associated UPS by a second communications channel of said at least one second communications channel.

2. A power supply system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said catcher system is operable to transmit a first message across said first communications channel to said at least one UPS, the first message indicating that said catcher system is operating above a predetermined capacity.

3. A power supply system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said at least one UPS comprises a rectifier-inverter path and a bypass path, and wherein said at least one UPS is operable to, in response to receiving the first message, at least one of enable said bypass path for activation and modify an activation mechanism of said bypass path.

4. A power supply system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein said at least one UPS is operable to, in response to receiving the first message, transmit a second message across said at least one second communications channel to said at least one STS, the second message instructing said at least one STS to disable supplying power to the associated load from said catcher system.

5. A power supply system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one STS is operable to transmit a first message across said at least one second communications channel to said at least one UPS, the first message indicating that said at least one STS is incapable of supplying power to the associated load from said catcher system.

6. A power supply system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said at least one UPS comprises a rectifier-inverter path and a bypass path, and wherein said at least one UPS is operable to, in response to receiving the first message, at least one of enable said bypass path for activation and modify an activation mechanism of said bypass path.

7. A power supply system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one STS is operable to transmit a first message across said at least one second communications channel to said at least one UPS, the first message indicating that a short-circuit has occurred at an output of said at least one STS.

8. A power supply system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said catcher system is operable to transmit a first message across said first communications channel to said at least one UPS, the first message indicating that said catcher system is unloaded, and wherein said at least one UPS is operable to, in response to receiving the first message, synchronize to a phase of an output of said catcher system.

9. A power supply system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one UPS is operable to exchange capability information with said catcher system across said first communications channel, the capability information including a capability of said catcher system and requirements of the at least one associated load, said at least one UPS and said at least one STS selectively configurable based on the exchanged capability information.

10. A power supply system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said first communications channel comprises at least one intelligent synchronization module.

11. A method of operating a power supply system that includes at least one uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a catcher system including at least one catcher UPS, and at least one static transfer switch (STS), each STS of the at least one STS electrically coupled between an associated UPS of the at least one UPS and an associated load, each STS further electrically coupled between the catcher system and the associated load, and each STS operable to selectively switch between supplying power to the associated load from the associated UPS and supplying power to the associated load from the catcher system, said method comprising:

transmitting at least one message over at least one of a first communications channel and at least one second communications channel, wherein the first communications channel communicatively couples the at least one UPS to the catcher system, and wherein each STS is communicatively coupled to the associated UPS by a second communications channel of the at least one second communications channel.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein transmitting at least one message comprises transmitting a first message across the first communications channel from the catcher system to the at least one UPS, the first message indicating that the catcher system is operating above a predetermined capacity.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the at least one UPS includes a rectifier-inverter path and a bypass path, and wherein said method further comprises at least one of enabling the bypass path for activation and modifying an activation mechanism of the bypass path.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein transmitting at least one message further comprises transmitting a second message across the at least one second communications channel from the at least one UPS to the at least one STS, the second message instructing the at least one STS to disable supplying power to the associated load from the catcher system.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein transmitting at least one message comprises transmitting a first message across the at least one second communications channel from the at least one STS to the at least one UPS, the first message indicating that the at least one STS is incapable of supplying power to the associated load from the catcher system.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the at least one UPS includes a rectifier-inverter path and a bypass path, and wherein said method further comprises at least one of enabling the bypass path for activation and modifying an activation mechanism of the bypass path.

17. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein transmitting at least one message comprises transmitting a first message across the at least one second communications channel from the at least one STS to the at least one UPS, the first message indicating that a short-circuit has occurred at an output of the at least one STS.

18. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein transmitting at least one message comprises transmitting a first message across the first communications channel from the catcher system to the at least one UPS, the first message indicating that the catcher system is unloaded.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 , further comprising synchronizing the at least one UPS to a phase of an output of the catcher system.

20. A method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein transmitting at least one message comprises exchanging capability information between the at least one UPS and the catcher system across the first communications channel, the capability information including a capability of the catcher system and requirements of the at least one associated load, said method further comprising selectively configuring the at least one UPS and the at least one STS based on the exchanged capability information.