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Patent US10331153
Issued 2019-06-25
System And Method Of Smart Energy Storage In A Ups
A method for controlling an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) having a battery includes powering a load coupled to the UPS using utility power, determining whether an energy cost associated with the utility power exceeds a threshold cost, determining whether a charge level of the battery exceeds a threshold charge level, and powering the load from the battery in response to determining that the energy cost exceeds the threshold cost and that the charge level of the battery exceeds the threshold charge level.
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- 1. A method for controlling an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) having a battery, the method comprising acts of:
powering a load coupled to the UPS using utility power in a first operating mode of the UPS; determining, by a controller of the UPS, in the first operating mode, whether an energy cost associated with the utility power exceeds a first threshold cost; determining, by the controller, in the first operating mode, whether a charge level of the battery exceeds a threshold charge level; automatically switching from the first operating mode to a second operating mode of the UPS, by the controller, to power the load from the battery in response to determining that the energy cost associated with the utility power exceeds the first threshold cost and that the charge level of the battery exceeds the threshold charge level; determining, by the controller, in the first operating mode, whether an energy cost associated with the utility power is below a second threshold cost, the second threshold cost being lower than the first threshold cost; automatically switching from the first operating mode to a third operating mode of the UPS, by the controller, to power the load from utility power while simultaneously charging the battery using utility power in response to determining that the energy cost associated with the utility power is below the second threshold cost; determining, by the controller, in the first or second operating mode, whether the charge level of the battery is below a reserve charge level, the reserve charge level being lower than the threshold charge level; and automatically switching from the first or second operating mode to the third operating mode of the UPS, by the controller, to power the load from utility power while simultaneously charging the battery using utility power in response to determining that the charge level of the battery is below the reserve charge level.
- 6. An uninterruptible power supply, comprising:
an input configured to receive utility power; at least one battery; an output configured to provide power to a load; and a processor operatively coupled to the input, the at least one battery and the output, the processor configured to:
power the load from utility power in a first operating mode;
determine, in the first operating mode, whether an energy cost associated with the utility power exceeds a first threshold cost;
determine, in the first operating mode, whether a charge level of the at least one battery exceeds a threshold charge level;
automatically switch from the first operating mode to a second operating mode to power the load from the at least one battery in response to determining that the energy cost associated with the utility power exceeds the first threshold cost and that the charge level of the battery exceeds the threshold charge level;
determine, in the first operating mode, whether an energy cost associated with the utility power is below a second threshold cost, the second threshold cost being lower than the first threshold cost;
automatically switch from the first operating mode to a third operating mode to power the load from utility power while simultaneously charging the battery using utility power in response to determining that the energy cost associated with the utility power is below the first and second threshold cost;
determine in the first or second operating mode, whether the charge level of the at least one battery is below a reserve charge level, the reserve charge level being lower than the threshold charge level; and
automatically switch from the first or second operating mode to the third operating mode to power the load from utility power while simultaneously charging the at least one battery using utility power in response to determining that the charge level of the at least one battery is below a reserve charge level.
- 12. An uninterruptible power supply, comprising:
an input configured to receive utility power; at least one battery; an output configured to provide power to a load; means for automatically powering the load from the input during periods of low energy rates, then automatically powering the load from the at least one battery during periods of high energy rates if a charge level of the at least one battery exceeds a threshold charge level, and continuing to power the load from the at least one battery until the charge level of the at least one battery drops below a reserve charge level that is lower than the threshold charge level, then automatically powering the load and charging the at least one battery from the input in response to the charge level of the at least one battery dropping below the reserve charge level; and means for determining, while powering the load from the input, that an energy cost is less than a threshold cost and for charging the at least one battery from the input in response to determining that the energy cost is less than the threshold cost.
