Battery backup units and systems including bypassing circuitry for regulating outputs
View Patent ↗A battery backup unit (BBU) for supplying backup power to a load includes at least one battery, an output terminal for coupling to a load, a power converter having an input coupled to the at least one battery and an output coupled to the output terminal, and a bypass circuit having an input coupled to the at least one battery and an output coupled to the output terminal. The power converter is configured to regulate a voltage at the output terminal after startup of the power converter. The bypass circuit is configured to regulate the voltage at the output terminal during startup of the power converter. Other example systems including one or more BBUs are also disclosed.
1. A battery backup unit (BBU) for supplying backup power to a load, the BBU comprising:
at least one battery;
an output terminal for coupling to a load requiring a defined amount of current to keep the load active;
a DC/DC switching power converter having an input coupled to the at least one battery and an output coupled to the output terminal, the DC/DC switching power converter configured to output a regulated voltage to the output terminal and the defined amount of current to the load after startup of the DC/DC switching power converter to keep the load active;
a linear regulator having an input coupled to the at least one battery and an output coupled to the output terminal; and
a control circuit configured to enable the linear regulator to output a regulated voltage to the output terminal and the defined amount of current to the load during startup of the DC/DC switching power converter to keep the load active, and disable the linear regulator following startup of the DC/DC switching power converter after detecting a voltage at the output terminal is larger than the regulated voltage provided by the linear regulator.
2. The BBU of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator after detecting a defined parameter.
3. The BBU of claim 2 wherein the defined parameter includes a defined voltage drop at the output terminal.
4. The BBU of claim 2 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the DC/DC switching power converter after detecting the defined parameter.
5. The BBU of claim 4 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter simultaneously.
6. The BBU of claim 1 wherein the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter are coupled in parallel.
7. The BBU of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to control the DC/DC switching power converter to output the regulated voltage to the output terminal.
8. The BBU of claim 1 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter simultaneously.
9. The BBU of claim 1 further comprising an input terminal and a power converter coupled between the input terminal and the at least one battery.
10. A system for supplying power to one or more loads, the system comprising:
a primary power source for supplying a voltage to one or more loads requiring a defined amount of current to keep the load active;
a battery backup unit (BBU) for supplying a backup voltage to the one or more loads when the primary power source is unable, the BBU coupled to the primary power source, the BBU including at least one battery, an output terminal for coupling to the one or more loads, a DC/DC switching power converter having an input coupled to the at least one battery and an output coupled to the output terminal, and a linear regulator having an input coupled to the at least one battery and an output coupled to the output terminal; and
a control circuit coupled to the DC/DC switching power converter and the linear regulator, the control circuit configured to control the DC/DC switching power converter to output a regulated backup voltage to the output terminal and the defined amount of current to the one or more loads after startup of the DC/DC switching power converter to keep the one or more loads active, enable the linear regulator to output a regulated backup voltage to the output terminal and the defined amount of current to the one or more loads during startup of the DC/DC switching power converter to keep the one or more loads active, and disable the linear regulator following startup of the DC/DC switching power converter after detecting a voltage at the output terminal is larger than the regulated backup voltage provided by the linear regulator.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator after detecting a defined parameter.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the defined parameter includes a defined voltage drop in the voltage supplied by the primary power source.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter simultaneously after detecting the defined parameter.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter are coupled in parallel.
15. The system of claim 10 further comprising the one or more loads coupled to the primary power source and the linear regulator, the one or more loads requiring the defined amount of current and a defined regulated voltage to remain active.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter simultaneously.
17. The system of claim 16 wherein the linear regulator and the DC/DC switching power converter are coupled in parallel.
18. The system of claim 16 wherein the control circuit is configured to enable the linear regulator after detecting a defined parameter.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the defined parameter includes a defined voltage drop in the voltage supplied by the primary power source.
20. The system of claim 10 wherein the at least one battery includes a rechargeable battery and wherein the primary power source is configured to output a charging current to the rechargeable battery.