Nested redundant uninterruptible power supply apparatus and methods

1. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, comprising:

at least three UPSs configured to be connected in parallel to a common load: and

control circuitry configured to support at least two redundant groups among the UPSs and to support at least two redundant subgroups among at least one of the redundant groups of UPSs, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a loading of a first redundant group when concurrently providing power to the load with a second redundant group, to allow selective enabling and disabling of the UPSs within the first redundant group when the determined loading of the first redundant group is less than a predetermined level, to collectively disable the UPSs in the first redundant group when the determined loading of the first redundant group is greater than the predetermined level, and to allow the second redundant group to continue providing power to the load after collectively disabling the UPSs in the first redundant group.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein respective ones of the at least two redundant groups of UPSs comprise respective UPS assemblies, each UPS assembly comprising a plurality of UPS modules and a control circuit configured to communicate with the plurality of UPS modules over a first digital communications bus and with a control circuit of another UPS assembly over a second digital communications bus.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit comprises a network bridge between the first and second digital communications busses.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein each UPS assembly further comprises a bypass circuit, and wherein the control circuit in the UPS assembly is configured to control the bypass circuit to bypass the UPS modules in the UPS assembly.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of UPS modules and control circuit of a UPS assembly are mounted in and/or on a common frame.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the UPS assembly further comprises a bypass circuit mounted in and/or on the common frame, and wherein the control circuit is configured to control the bypass circuit to bypass the UPS modules.

7. A UPS assembly, comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of UPS modules mounted in and/or on the frame;

an first digital communications bus coupled to each of the UPS modules; and

a control circuit mounted in and/or on the frame, coupled to the first digital communications bus and configured to be coupled to a second digital communications bus, the control circuit operative to communicate AC waveform synchronization information to the UPS modules over the first digital communications bus and to another UPS assembly over the second digital communications bus, wherein the control circuit is configured, when the UPS assembly is connected in parallel to a load with another UPS assembly, to operate the UPS assembly as a redundant backup for the other UPS assembly and to provide at least two redundant subgroups within its plurality of UPS modules, and wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a loading of the UPS assembly when it is concurrently providing power to the load with the other UPS assembly, to allow selective enabling and disabling of the UPS modules when the loading of the UPS assembly is less than a predetermined level, to collectively disable the UPS modules when the loading of the UPS assembly is greater than the predetermined level and to communicate information regarding the collective disabling to the other UPS assembly.

8. The UPS assembly of claim 7 , wherein the AC waveform synchronization information comprises frequency and phase error information.

9. The UPS assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a bypass circuit mounted in and/or on the frame and wherein the control circuit is configured to control the bypass circuit to bypass the plurality of UPS modules.

10. The UPS assembly of claim 7 , wherein the control circuit comprises a network bridge between the first and second digital communications busses.

11. The UPS assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first digital communications bus comprises a controller area network (CAN) bus.

12. A method of operating an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, comprising:

connecting at least three UPSs in parallel to a common load: and

controlling the at least three UPSs to support at least two redundant groups among the UPSs and to support at least two redundant subgroups among at least one of the redundant groups of UPSs, wherein controlling the at least three UPSs comprises:

determining a loading of a first redundant group when it is concurrently providing power to the load with a second redundant group;

allowing selective enabling and disabling of the UPSs within the first redundant group when the determined loading of the first redundant group is less than a predetermined level;

collectively disabling the UPSs in the first redundant group when the loading of the first redundant group is greater than the predetermined level; and

continuing to provide power to the load from the second redundant group after the collective disabling.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein respective ones of the at least two redundant groups of UPSs comprise respective UPS assemblies, each UPS assembly comprising a plurality of UPS modules and a control circuit configured to communicate with the UPS modules of the UPS assembly and with a control circuit of another UPS assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the UPS modules and control circuit of a UPS assembly are mounted in and/or on a common frame.