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WO2014111824A2 - Dc power distribution system - Google Patents

Dc power distribution system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014111824A2
WO2014111824A2 PCT/IB2014/058067 IB2014058067W WO2014111824A2 WO 2014111824 A2 WO2014111824 A2 WO 2014111824A2 IB 2014058067 W IB2014058067 W IB 2014058067W WO 2014111824 A2 WO2014111824 A2 WO 2014111824A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
power
auxiliary
power source
track
voltage level
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2014/058067
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2014111824A3 (en
Inventor
Matthias Wendt
Willem Franke Pasveer
Original Assignee
Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Koninklijke Philips N.V. filed Critical Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Publication of WO2014111824A2 publication Critical patent/WO2014111824A2/en
Publication of WO2014111824A3 publication Critical patent/WO2014111824A3/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J9/00—Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
    • H02J9/02—Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J9/00—Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
    • H02J9/002—Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a direct current (DC) power distribution system and a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power.
  • the invention relates further to an electrical consumer and an auxiliary DC power source device for being used in the DC power distribution system.
  • a DC power source provides DC power to a track, to which one or several electrical consumers are electrically connected.
  • the one or several electrical consumers are, for instance, lighting devices, sensors, et cetera, which consume the DC power provided by the DC power source via the track.
  • the electrical consumers are switched off.
  • the DC power distribution system cannot handle emergency situations in such a way that, for instance, an emergency functionality like an emergency lighting is provided, even if the DC power source goes down.
  • a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power comprising:
  • a main DC power source for providing main DC power
  • a track connected to the main DC power source for distributing the DC power, an electrical consumer connected to the track for receiving the DC power, and an auxiliary DC power source device for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below a threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device provides auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, in an emergency situation the electrical consumer can be still active. For instance, if the electrical consumer is a lighting device, it can still provide emergency light, even if due to the emergency situation the main DC power source supplies a reduced power or no power at all.
  • the DC power distribution system is preferentially an EMerge power distribution system, wherein the main DC power source can be regarded as being a power supply module of the EMerge power distribution system, the track can be regarded as being a bus bar component of the EMerge power distribution system and the electrical consumer can be regarded as being a peripheral, in particular, a luminaire, of the EMerge power distribution system.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device comprises preferentially an auxiliary DC power source and an auxiliary DC power source control unit for controlling the auxiliary DC power source, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit is adapted to control the auxiliary DC power source such that the auxiliary DC power is provided from the auxiliary DC power source to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, and that the auxiliary DC power is not provided from the auxiliary DC power source to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power source is preferentially a battery.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit may comprise a diode being connected such that it allows auxiliary DC current provided by the auxiliary DC power source to flow through the diode to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the DC voltage level provided by the auxiliary DC power source, and that it does not allow the auxiliary DC current provided by the auxiliary DC power source to flow through the diode to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is larger than the DC voltage level provided by the auxiliary DC power source.
  • the threshold DC voltage level is defined by the DC voltage level provided by the auxiliary DC power source.
  • the DC power distribution system may comprise an emergency situation detection unit for detecting an emergency situation, wherein the emergency situation detection unit can be adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device can comprise an auxiliary DC power source being preferentially a battery and an auxiliary DC power source control unit, wherein in this embodiment the auxiliary DC power source control unit can be adapted to control the auxiliary DC power source such that auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source is provided to the electrical consumer, if the emergency detection unit has detected an emergency situation.
  • the threshold DC voltage can be predefined as desired.
  • the DC power distribution system further comprises an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the electrical consumer control unit may be adapted to measure the DC voltage level on the track.
  • the main DC power source can be adapted to provide a nominal DC voltage of 24 V and the threshold DC voltage level may be about 10 V such that, if the DC voltage level measured on the track is below 10 V, the electrical consumer control unit may limit the power consumption of the electrical consumer to an emergency power consumption level and the electrical consumer may receive the auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source.
  • the electrical consumer control unit can be adapted to command the lamp driver towards an emergency dim level, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. This may allow for a setting to a flux level to be guaranteed in emergency cases and for synchronously keeping the power consumption to a possible minimum.
  • the electrical consumer comprising the electrical consumer control unit may be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer.
  • the DC power distribution system can comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires, wherein only some of the electrical consumers may be emergency electrical consumers.
  • the "normal" electrical consumers may be adapted to be switched off, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, whereas in this situation the emergency electrical consumers still provide the emergency lighting.
  • the auxiliary DC power device is separate from the electrical consumer and separately connected to the track.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device may comprise an auxiliary DC power source and an auxiliary DC power source control unit for controlling the auxiliary DC power source, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit is adapted to allow the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit may be adapted to isolate the auxiliary DC power source from the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level, and to electrically connect the auxiliary DC power source to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit preferentially comprises a diode for allowing the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level.
  • an emergency situation detection unit may be present, which may be regarded as being a part of the auxiliary DC power source control unit and which may be adapted to measure the DC voltage level on the track and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below the threshold DC voltage level, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit can be adapted to control the auxiliary DC power source such that auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source is provided to the track and therefore to the electrical consumer, if an emergency situation has been detected.
  • Using separate auxiliary DC power source devices and electrical consumers allows for a more flexible distribution of electrical consumers and auxiliary DC power source devices.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device is integrated in the electrical consumer.
  • the DC power distribution system further comprises an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage on the track is below the threshold DC voltage, in particular, if an emergency situation has been detected, also the electrical consumer control unit can be integrated in the electrical consumer.
  • the electrical consumer can be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer providing emergency functionality like emergency lighting in case of emergency.
  • the DC power distribution system can comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires, wherein only some of the electrical consumers may be emergency electrical consumers.
  • the emergency electrical consumer may comprise a rectifier for ensuring that auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source device is not provided to the track, wherein the rectifier may comprise a single diode or a full bridge rectifier.
  • the rectifier is preferentially arranged at a power input of the emergency electrical consumer.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device preferentially comprises a rechargeable auxiliary DC power source.
  • the auxiliary DC power source and the track may be electrically connected via an electrical charging connection for allowing the auxiliary DC power source to be recharged by using the main DC power from the track via the charging connection.
  • the DC power distribution system may comprise a charging connection control unit for controlling the charging connection in accordance with predefined charging rules.
  • the charging rules can define that DC power from the track is used for recharging the auxiliary DC power source, if the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source is below a predefined recharge voltage threshold.
  • the charging rules can be predefined such that they allow for a quick charging and/or for keeping charge on long term without overcharging.
  • the charging rules can define a trickle charging to enhance the lifetime of the auxiliary DC power source.
  • the charging connection may comprise, for instance, a resistor and a Zener diode.
  • the resistor can be used to limit the charging current and the Zener diode can be used to adapt a battery full charge voltage, which may be, for instance, 12 V for lead acid or 12.6 V for lithium ion, to the main DC power, which may be defined by a nominal DC voltage of 24 V.
  • the DC power distribution system may comprise a charge status determination unit for determining the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source, wherein the DC power distribution system may comprise an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power depending on the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source device, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. For instance, if the electrical consumer is a lighting device comprising a lamp driver and a lamp, the electrical consumer control unit may provide a control signal to the lamp driver to reduce the flux level, if the charge level, i.e. the charge status, goes down, in order to keep some flux as long as possible in emergency situations.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device may be integrated with the main DC power source.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device may also be arranged in the neighborhood of the main DC power source.
  • the DC power distribution system further comprises a polarity determining unit for determining a main polarity by measuring the polarity on the track while the main DC power is provided, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device comprises an auxiliary DC power source control unit for controlling the DC power distribution such that the auxiliary DC power is provided with an auxiliary polarity being equal to the main polarity, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power device can additionally comprise the polarity determining unit for measuring the polarity on the track, when the main DC power is nominal, i.e. if an emergency situation is not present, in order to allow the auxiliary DC power device to provide an auxiliary voltage at the same polarity, which may allow for a smooth take over, when the main DC power again comes up, i.e. again reaches the nominal value.
  • the auxiliary DC power device can comprise a pole changing element.
  • an electrical consumer for being used in the DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1 is presented, wherein the electrical consumer is adapted to receive the auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source device, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the electrical consumer may further comprise an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the electrical consumer may comprise an auxiliary DC power source for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • the electrical consumer is adapted to receive the auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source device, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, wherein optionally also an electrical consumer control unit and/or an auxiliary DC power source of the DC power distribution track system are integrated in the electrical consumer.
  • an auxiliary DC power source device for being used in the DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1 is presented, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device is adapted to provide the auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
  • a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power wherein main DC power is provided by a main DC power source, which is connected to a track, for distributing the DC power along the track such that it is received by an electrical consumer, wherein the DC power distribution method comprises providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer by an auxiliary DC power source, if the DC voltage level on the track is below a threshold DC voltage level.
  • Fig. 1 shows schematically and exemplarily an embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power
  • Fig. 2 shows schematically and exemplarily some components of the DC power distribution system shown in Fig. 1 in more detail
  • Fig. 3 shows schematically and exemplarily some components of an embodiment of an electrical consumer using a diode for controlling the supply of auxiliary DC power
  • Fig. 4 shows schematically and exemplarily a further embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power
  • Fig. 5 shows schematically and exemplarily components of the DC power distribution system shown in Fig. 4 in more detail
  • Fig. 6 shows schematically and exemplarily some components of an auxiliary DC power source device using a diode for controlling the supply of auxiliary DC power
  • Fig. 7 shows a flowchart exemplarily illustrating a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power.
  • Fig. 1 shows schematically and exemplarily an embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power.
  • the DC power distribution system 1 comprises a main DC power source 2 for providing main DC power, a track 5 connected to the main DC power source 2 for distributing the DC power and first and second kinds of electrical consumers 3, 4 connected to the track 5 for receiving the DC power.
  • Fig. 2 shows schematically and exemplarily an embodiment of the second kind of electrical consumer in more detail.
  • the second kind of electrical consumer 4 comprises an emergency situation detection unit 17 for detecting an emergency situation, wherein the emergency situation detection unit 17 is adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track 5 and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level.
  • the emergency situation detection unit 17 is integrated in a control unit 8 being an integrated control unit for controlling an auxiliary DC power source 9 and a lamp driver 10 for driving a lamp 11.
  • the auxiliary DC power source 9 is a battery for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer 4, i.e. to the lamp driver 10, if an emergency situation has been detected.
  • the control unit 8 is adapted to control the electrical consumer 4 to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if an emergency situation has been detected.
  • the main DC power source 2 can be adapted to provide a nominal DC voltage of 24 V and the predefined threshold DC voltage may be 10 V such that, if the DC voltage level measured on the track is below 10 V, an emergency situation may be detected. In this situation the control unit 8 limits the power consumption of the electrical consumer 4 to an emergency power consumption level and the electrical consumer 4 receives the auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9.
  • the electrical consumer 4 is a lighting device comprising the lamp driver 10 and the lamp 11, wherein the control unit 8 is adapted to command the lamp driver 10 by using a lamp control signal 12 towards an emergency dim level, if an emergency situation has been detected.
  • the control unit 8 is adapted to command the lamp driver 10 by using a lamp control signal 12 towards an emergency dim level, if an emergency situation has been detected.
  • the auxiliary DC power source 9, the emergency situation detection unit 17 and the control unit 8 are integrated in the electrical consumer 4.
  • this electrical consumer 4 of the second kind can be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer providing emergency functionality like emergency lighting in case of emergency.
  • the electrical consumers 3 of the first kind may be conventional electrical consumers, in particular, in accordance with version 1.1 of the EMerge Occupied Space standard.
  • the electrical consumers 3 of the first kind may substantially only comprise, for instance, a lamp driver and a lamp, but, for instance, not an emergency situation detection unit.
  • the DC power distribution system 1 may therefore comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires, wherein only some of the electrical consumers are emergency electrical consumers 4.
  • the electrical consumer 4 of the second kind further comprises a rectifier 7 for ensuring that auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9 is not provided to the track 5.
  • the rectifier 7 is arranged at a power input, via which in normal situations the main DC power is received.
  • the rectifier 7 is, for instance, a single diode or a full bridge rectifier.
  • the auxiliary DC power source 9 may be a rechargeable battery. However, the auxiliary DC power source may also be, for instance, a non-rechargeable battery.
  • the DC power distribution system 1 preferentially further comprises a charge status determination unit 19 for determining the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source 9, which in this embodiment is integrated in the control unit 8.
  • the control unit 8 is adapted to control the electrical consumer 4, in particular, the lamp driver 10, to consume DC power from the auxiliary DC power source 9 depending on the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source 9, if an emergency situation has been detected.
  • the control unit 8 is adapted to provide a lamp control signal 12 to the lamp driver 10 to reduce the flux level, if the charge level, i.e. the charge status, goes down, in order to keep some flux as long as possible in emergency situations.
  • the track 5 and the auxiliary DC power source 9 are preferentially electrically connected via an electrical charging connection for allowing the auxiliary DC power source 9 to be recharged by using the main DC power from the track 5 via the charging connection.
  • the charging connection is formed via the control unit 8, which is also adapted to control the battery 9 and which can therefore also be regarded as having an integrated battery control unit.
  • the control unit 8 comprises a charging control unit 21 for controlling the charging connection in accordance with predefined charging rules.
  • the charging rules can define that DC power from the track 5 is used for recharging the auxiliary DC power source 9, if the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source 9 is below a predefined recharge voltage threshold, for example, as determined by the charge status determination unit 19.
  • the charging rules can be predefined such that they allow for a quick charging and/or for keeping charge on long term without overcharging.
  • the charging rules can define a trickle charging to enhance the lifetime of the auxiliary DC power source 9.
  • the electrical consumers 3, 4 are preferentially connected to the track 5 via a connector 6 in accordance with the current version of the EMerge standard as schematically indicated in Fig. 2 for the second kind of electrical consumer 4.
  • the DC power distribution system 1 provides an implementation of emergency lighting within the framework of EMerge.
  • the electrical consumer 4 of the second kind can be regarded as being a modified emergency EMerge load device comprising an integrated battery, in order to provide the energy necessary to continue emergency operation over a minimally guaranteed time.
  • the battery control provided the control unit 8 makes use of monitoring the supply voltage level coming from the power bar, i.e. the track 5, through the connector 6 to the DC input of the load device 4, i.e. to the electrical consumer 4.
  • this supply voltage level should be 24 V ⁇ 5 % nominal.
  • the battery 9 may take over supplying DC power to the lamp driver 10.
  • the rectifier 7 makes sure that the battery energy is not flowing back into the whole DC power distribution system.
  • the control unit 8 which may be regarded as having integrated an auxiliary DC power source control unit, and the battery 9 may be regarded as being components of an auxiliary DC power source device 13.
  • control unit 8 may comprise a diode for isolating the battery 9 from the lamp driver 10 as long as the power bar voltage is above the battery voltage, i.e. in this example the threshold DC voltage level may be similar to the battery voltage, wherein, if the DC voltage level on the track 5 is smaller than the battery voltage, the battery 9 is not anymore isolated from the lamp driver 10 such that DC power from the battery 9 can be provided to the lamp driver 10.
  • Fig. 3 schematically and exemplarily illustrates how such a diode 28 of the control unit may be electrically connected.
  • the diode 28 has its cathode connected with the cathode of the rectifier 7 and the anode of the diode 28 is connected with the battery 9, in particular, with the plus pole of the battery 9. If the track 5 is normally powered, for instance, if the track 5 provides a nominal voltage of 24 V, the rectifier 7 is conducting and the diode 28 is isolating.
  • Fig. 3 only shows some components of the electrical consumer, which illustrate the functioning of the diode 28, and the charging control unit 21.
  • the electrical consumer can of course comprise more components like the charge status determination unit 19, the polarity determining unit 20 or other units.
  • Fig. 4 shows schematically and exemplarily another embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power.
  • the DC power distribution system 16 comprises a main DC power source 2 for providing main DC power, a track 5 connected to the main DC power source 2 for distributing the DC power and electrical consumers 3, 14 connected to the track 5 for receiving the DC power.
  • the electrical consumer 3 is an electrical consumer of the first kind and corresponds to the electrical consumer 3 of the first kind described above with reference to Fig. 1.
  • the main DC power source 2 and the track 5 correspond to the main DC power source and the track, respectively, described above with reference to Fig. 1.
  • the DC power distribution system 16 further comprises an auxiliary DC power source device 23 for providing auxiliary DC power in case of an emergency situation.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device 23 and the electrical consumers 3, 14 are
  • the auxiliary DC power source device 13 comprises an auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 for controlling an auxiliary DC power source 9.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device 23 is connected with the track 5 via an EMerge connector 7, i.e. via a connector in accordance with the current version of the EMerge standard. Also the further components, i.e. the electrical consumers 3, 14, are connected to the track 5 via EMerge connectors 7.
  • the auxiliary DC power source device 23, in particular, the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18, comprises a first emergency situation detection unit 17 for detecting an emergency situation.
  • the emergency situation detection unit 17 is similar to the emergency situation detection unit described above with reference to Fig. 2.
  • the emergency situation detection unit may be adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track 5 and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 is preferentially adapted to allow the auxiliary DC power source 9 to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track 5, if an emergency situation has been detected, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source 9 to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track 5, if an emergency situation has not been detected.
  • the auxiliary DC power source can be rechargeable, in particular, it can be a rechargeable battery, wherein a charging path can be provided between the track 5 and the auxiliary DC power source 9 for allowing the auxiliary DC power source 9 to be recharged by using the DC power from the track 5.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 can be adapted to control a recharging of the auxiliary DC power source 9 in accordance with predefined charging rules by using a charging control unit 21.
  • the charging rules can define that DC power from the track 5 is used for recharging the auxiliary DC power source 9, if the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source 9 is below a predefined recharge voltage threshold, wherein the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source may be provided by the charge status determination unit 19 or the charging control unit 21 may directly measure the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source.
  • the electrical consumer 14 of the second kind comprises, in this embodiment, a lamp driver 10 for driving a lamp 11 and an electrical consumer control unit 15.
  • the electrical consumer 14 of the second kind further comprises an emergency situation detection unit 17, which can be regarded as being a second emergency situation detection unit of the DC power distribution system 16, wherein in this embodiment the emergency situation detection unit 17 is integrated in the electrical consumer control unit 15.
  • this emergency situation detection unit 17 is similar to the emergency situation detection unit described above with reference to Fig. 2, i.e. also in this embodiment the emergency situation detection unit is adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track 5 and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level.
  • the electrical consumer control unit 15 is adapted to control the electrical consumer 14 of the second kind, in particular, the lamp driver 10 of the electrical consumer 14, to consume DC power at an emergency consumption level, if an emergency situation has been detected. Also in this embodiment the electrical consumer 14 comprising the emergency situation detection unit 17 and the electrical consumer control unit 15 may be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer providing emergency functionality like emergency lighting in case of emergency.
  • the DC power distribution 16 can comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires 3, 14, wherein only some of the electrical consumers may be emergency electrical consumers 14.
  • Fig. 5 further schematically and exemplarily shows an electrical consumer 3 of the first kind, which may be regarded as being a conventional electrical consumer in accordance with version 1.1 of the EMerge Occupied Space standard, comprising a lamp driver 10 and a lamp 11.
  • a battery i.e. the auxiliary DC power source
  • a battery control circuit i.e. the battery control unit
  • the battery control unit can be adapted to isolate the battery from the EMerge rails, i.e. from the track 5, as long as the EMerge supply is present and to connect to the EMerge rails, if the supply voltage on the power bar, i.e. on the track 5, falls below a predefined threshold voltage.
  • the electrical consumer control unit 15 can decide whether the electrical consumer 15, for instance, the luminaire, should enter an emergency mode, in which the electrical consumer control unit 15 sends a lamp control signal 12 to the lamp driver 10 for driving the lamp 11 with reduced light intensity. For instance, if the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source in case of an emergency situation is almost the same as the main DC voltage, the electrical consumer control unit 15 may not prompt the lamp driver 10 to reduce the light intensity. However, if the voltage supplied by the auxiliary DC power source 9 is lower than a predefined threshold voltage, the electrical consumer control unit 15 may prompt the lamp driver 10 to drive the lamp 11 such that light having a reduced intensity is emitted by the lamp 11.
  • the DC power distribution system comprises emergency luminaires like the luminaire 14 exemplarily and schematically shown in Fig. 4 and conventional luminaires like the luminaire 3 schematically and exemplarily shown in Fig. 4 and if the voltage level for emergency supply, i.e. the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9, is remarkably lower than the nominal main DC voltage of, for instance, 24 V, conventional luminaires without an emergency control block 15 may simply go into an under voltage protection off state, whereas emergency luminaires will still have a minimum lumen level in case of an emergency situation.
  • the voltage level for emergency supply i.e. the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9
  • conventional luminaires without an emergency control block 15 may simply go into an under voltage protection off state, whereas emergency luminaires will still have a minimum lumen level in case of an emergency situation.
  • the DC power distribution systems 1, 16 described above can further comprise a polarity determining unit 20 for determining a main polarity by measuring the polarity on the track 5 while the main DC power is provided, wherein the respective control unit 8, 18 may be adapted to control the provision of the auxiliary DC power in case of an emergency situation such that the auxiliary DC power is provided with an auxiliary polarity being equal to the main polarity.
  • a polarity determining unit 20 for determining a main polarity by measuring the polarity on the track 5 while the main DC power is provided
  • the respective control unit 8, 18 may be adapted to control the provision of the auxiliary DC power in case of an emergency situation such that the auxiliary DC power is provided with an auxiliary polarity being equal to the main polarity.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit and the first emergency situation detection unit are included in a separate auxiliary DC power device as described above with reference to Fig.
  • the auxiliary DC power device can additionally comprise the polarity determining unit 20, in particular, the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 can comprise the polarity determining unit 20, for measuring the polarity on the track, when the main DC power is nominal, in order to allow the auxiliary DC power device to provide an auxiliary voltage at the same polarity. This may allow for a smooth takeover, when the main DC power again comes up, i.e. again reaches the nominal value.
  • the auxiliary DC power device 13, particularly the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18, can comprise a pole changing element.
  • the pole changing element which may be controlled by the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18, may also be arranged between the connector 7 and the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18.
  • the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 comprises an emergency situation detection unit 17, instead of or in addition to the emergency situation detection unit 17 the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 may comprise a diode, wherein the diode is configured and arranged such that the battery 9 provides the auxiliary DC power to the track 5 via the diode, if the DC voltage level on the track 5 is smaller than the DC voltage level provided by the battery 9, and that the battery 9 does not provide the auxiliary DC power to the track 5, if the DC voltage level on the track 5 is larger than the DC voltage level provided by the battery 9.
  • This simple control of the provision of the auxiliary DC power by using the diode 29 is schematically and exemplarily illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein Fig.
  • the charging control unit 21 i.e. the DC power distribution system, in particular, the auxiliary DC power source device, can comprise more components like the charge status determination unit 19, the polarity determining unit 20 or other units.
  • the DC power distribution method for distributing DC power will exemplarily be described with reference to a flowchart shown in Fig. 7.
  • main DC power is provided by a main DC power source 2, which is connected to a track 5, for distributing the DC power along the track 5 such that it is received by an electrical consumer 4, 14.
  • a DC voltage level is measured on the track 5 and an emergency situation is detected by an emergency situation detection unit 17, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level. If an emergency situation is detected in step 101, in step 102 auxiliary DC power is provided to the electrical consumer 4, 14 by an auxiliary DC power source 9.
  • the DC power distribution system is preferentially a ceiling integrated lighting system.
  • the DC power distribution system can also comprise other electrical consumers not being lighting devices like sensors, air conditioning equipment, et cetera, which can be operated by receiving DC power.
  • the DC power distribution system can comprise one or several tracks, which may be arranged at a ceiling of one or several rooms or at other locations, wherein one or several main DC power sources can be electrically connected to the tracks for providing the main DC power.
  • the auxiliary DC power source may be kept at a central place, if it is separate from the electrical consumers.
  • the auxiliary DC power source may be put as a part of the main DC power source or in direct neighborhood of the main DC power source.
  • the auxiliary power source and also further components of the auxiliary DC power source device described above with reference to Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 may be integrated with the main DC power source or may be arranged in the neighborhood of the main DC power source.
  • a specific recharging technique has been described for recharging the auxiliary DC power source, in other embodiments also other recharging techniques can be applied, especially charging techniques allowing quick charging and/or keeping charge on long term without overcharging.
  • the charging can also be provided by using a simpler charging connection, which may comprise, for instance, a resistor and a Zener diode.
  • the resistor can be used to limit the charging current and the Zener diode can be used to adapt a battery full charge voltage, which may be, for instance, 12 V for lead acid or 12.6 V for lithium ion, to the main DC power, which may be defined by a nominal DC voltage of 24 V.
  • the threshold DC voltage may be 10 V
  • the threshold DC voltage can also have another value, particularly if the threshold DC voltage is defined by the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source.
  • the threshold DC voltage may be 12 V and, if the auxiliary DC power source is a lithium ion battery, the threshold DC voltage may be 11.1 V or 19.5 V.
  • the DC power distribution system can be a DC supplied lighting system, in which emergency lamps are supplied, wherein luminaires, i.e. emergency electrical consumers, can work at a voltage level below a nominal operation voltage, particularly remarkably below a nominal operation voltage.
  • An emergency supply i.e. an auxiliary DC power supply source, may be an integral part of the emergency luminaires and may get triggered, whenever the supply voltage level, i.e. the DC voltage level on the track, drops under a defined voltage level.
  • the emergency supply may also be a separate component applied externally of the emergency luminaires.
  • the separate emergency supply may be an integral part of a main DC power source of the DC power distribution system, which may be regarded as being an EMerge supply, if the DC power distribution system is a system in accordance with the EMerge standard.
  • an emergency battery system i.e. the auxiliary DC power source device, may be equipped with a polarity detector, i.e. with a polarity determining unit, combined with a polarity changer such that the emergency power is automatically supplied with the correct polarity.
  • a single unit or device may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims.
  • the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
  • Procedures like the detection of an emergency situation, the controlling of the electrical consumer, the control of the recharging of the auxiliary DC power source, et cetera performed by one or several units or devices can be performed by any other number of units or devices.
  • These procedures and/or the control of the DC power distribution system in accordance with the DC power distribution method can be implemented as program code means of a computer program and/or as dedicated hardware.
  • a computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.
  • a suitable medium such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

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Abstract

The invention relates a DC power distribution system, particularly an EMerge DC power distribution system, comprising a main DC power source for providing main DC power, a track (5) connected to the main DC power source for distributing the DC power, an electrical consumer (14) connected to the track for receiving the DC power, and an auxiliary DC power source device (23) for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below a threshold DC voltage level. Thus, if in an emergency situation the DC voltage level on the track falls below the threshold DC voltage level, the auxiliary DC power source device provides auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer such that it can be still active, for instance, for providing emergency light.

Description

DC power distribution system
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a direct current (DC) power distribution system and a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power. The invention relates further to an electrical consumer and an auxiliary DC power source device for being used in the DC power distribution system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a DC power distribution system in accordance with version 1.1 of the EMerge Occupied Space standard a DC power source provides DC power to a track, to which one or several electrical consumers are electrically connected. The one or several electrical consumers are, for instance, lighting devices, sensors, et cetera, which consume the DC power provided by the DC power source via the track. However, in emergency situations, in which the DC power source may go down, the electrical consumers are switched off. Thus, the DC power distribution system cannot handle emergency situations in such a way that, for instance, an emergency functionality like an emergency lighting is provided, even if the DC power source goes down.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a DC power distribution system and a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power, which can handle emergency situations. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical consumer and an auxiliary DC power source device for being used in the DC power distribution system.
In a first aspect of the present invention a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power is presented, wherein the DC power distribution system comprises:
a main DC power source for providing main DC power,
a track connected to the main DC power source for distributing the DC power, an electrical consumer connected to the track for receiving the DC power, and an auxiliary DC power source device for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below a threshold DC voltage level.
It is assumed that in an emergency situation the DC voltage level on the track falls below the threshold DC voltage level, in particular, the DC voltage level on the track is substantially zero. Since, if the DC voltage level on the track falls below the threshold DC voltage level, the auxiliary DC power source device provides auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, in an emergency situation the electrical consumer can be still active. For instance, if the electrical consumer is a lighting device, it can still provide emergency light, even if due to the emergency situation the main DC power source supplies a reduced power or no power at all.
The DC power distribution system is preferentially an EMerge power distribution system, wherein the main DC power source can be regarded as being a power supply module of the EMerge power distribution system, the track can be regarded as being a bus bar component of the EMerge power distribution system and the electrical consumer can be regarded as being a peripheral, in particular, a luminaire, of the EMerge power distribution system.
The auxiliary DC power source device comprises preferentially an auxiliary DC power source and an auxiliary DC power source control unit for controlling the auxiliary DC power source, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit is adapted to control the auxiliary DC power source such that the auxiliary DC power is provided from the auxiliary DC power source to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, and that the auxiliary DC power is not provided from the auxiliary DC power source to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level. The auxiliary DC power source is preferentially a battery.
The auxiliary DC power source control unit may comprise a diode being connected such that it allows auxiliary DC current provided by the auxiliary DC power source to flow through the diode to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the DC voltage level provided by the auxiliary DC power source, and that it does not allow the auxiliary DC current provided by the auxiliary DC power source to flow through the diode to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is larger than the DC voltage level provided by the auxiliary DC power source. Thus, in this example the threshold DC voltage level is defined by the DC voltage level provided by the auxiliary DC power source.
In another example the DC power distribution system may comprise an emergency situation detection unit for detecting an emergency situation, wherein the emergency situation detection unit can be adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level. Also in this example the auxiliary DC power source device can comprise an auxiliary DC power source being preferentially a battery and an auxiliary DC power source control unit, wherein in this embodiment the auxiliary DC power source control unit can be adapted to control the auxiliary DC power source such that auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source is provided to the electrical consumer, if the emergency detection unit has detected an emergency situation. In this embodiment the threshold DC voltage can be predefined as desired.
In an embodiment the DC power distribution system further comprises an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. For this purpose the electrical consumer control unit may be adapted to measure the DC voltage level on the track. The main DC power source can be adapted to provide a nominal DC voltage of 24 V and the threshold DC voltage level may be about 10 V such that, if the DC voltage level measured on the track is below 10 V, the electrical consumer control unit may limit the power consumption of the electrical consumer to an emergency power consumption level and the electrical consumer may receive the auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source. In particular, if the electrical consumer comprises a lamp driver and a lamp, the electrical consumer control unit can be adapted to command the lamp driver towards an emergency dim level, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. This may allow for a setting to a flux level to be guaranteed in emergency cases and for synchronously keeping the power consumption to a possible minimum.
The electrical consumer comprising the electrical consumer control unit may be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer. The DC power distribution system can comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires, wherein only some of the electrical consumers may be emergency electrical consumers. The "normal" electrical consumers may be adapted to be switched off, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, whereas in this situation the emergency electrical consumers still provide the emergency lighting.
In an embodiment the auxiliary DC power device is separate from the electrical consumer and separately connected to the track. Moreover, also in this embodiment the auxiliary DC power source device may comprise an auxiliary DC power source and an auxiliary DC power source control unit for controlling the auxiliary DC power source, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit is adapted to allow the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level. The auxiliary DC power source control unit may be adapted to isolate the auxiliary DC power source from the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level, and to electrically connect the auxiliary DC power source to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. The auxiliary DC power source control unit preferentially comprises a diode for allowing the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track, if the DC voltage level on the track is not below, in particular above, the threshold DC voltage level.
However, also if the auxiliary DC power device is separate from the electrical consumer and separately connected to the track, an emergency situation detection unit may be present, which may be regarded as being a part of the auxiliary DC power source control unit and which may be adapted to measure the DC voltage level on the track and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below the threshold DC voltage level, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit can be adapted to control the auxiliary DC power source such that auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source is provided to the track and therefore to the electrical consumer, if an emergency situation has been detected. Using separate auxiliary DC power source devices and electrical consumers allows for a more flexible distribution of electrical consumers and auxiliary DC power source devices.
In a further embodiment the auxiliary DC power source device is integrated in the electrical consumer. If the DC power distribution system further comprises an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage on the track is below the threshold DC voltage, in particular, if an emergency situation has been detected, also the electrical consumer control unit can be integrated in the electrical consumer. Thus, also in this embodiment the electrical consumer can be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer providing emergency functionality like emergency lighting in case of emergency. In particular, also in this embodiment the DC power distribution system can comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires, wherein only some of the electrical consumers may be emergency electrical consumers. The emergency electrical consumer may comprise a rectifier for ensuring that auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source device is not provided to the track, wherein the rectifier may comprise a single diode or a full bridge rectifier. The rectifier is preferentially arranged at a power input of the emergency electrical consumer.
The auxiliary DC power source device preferentially comprises a rechargeable auxiliary DC power source. In this case the auxiliary DC power source and the track may be electrically connected via an electrical charging connection for allowing the auxiliary DC power source to be recharged by using the main DC power from the track via the charging connection. The DC power distribution system may comprise a charging connection control unit for controlling the charging connection in accordance with predefined charging rules. For instance, the charging rules can define that DC power from the track is used for recharging the auxiliary DC power source, if the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source is below a predefined recharge voltage threshold. The charging rules can be predefined such that they allow for a quick charging and/or for keeping charge on long term without overcharging. For instance, the charging rules can define a trickle charging to enhance the lifetime of the auxiliary DC power source.
The charging connection may comprise, for instance, a resistor and a Zener diode. The resistor can be used to limit the charging current and the Zener diode can be used to adapt a battery full charge voltage, which may be, for instance, 12 V for lead acid or 12.6 V for lithium ion, to the main DC power, which may be defined by a nominal DC voltage of 24 V.
The DC power distribution system may comprise a charge status determination unit for determining the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source, wherein the DC power distribution system may comprise an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power depending on the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source device, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. For instance, if the electrical consumer is a lighting device comprising a lamp driver and a lamp, the electrical consumer control unit may provide a control signal to the lamp driver to reduce the flux level, if the charge level, i.e. the charge status, goes down, in order to keep some flux as long as possible in emergency situations.
The auxiliary DC power source device may be integrated with the main DC power source. The auxiliary DC power source device may also be arranged in the neighborhood of the main DC power source. In an embodiment the DC power distribution system further comprises a polarity determining unit for determining a main polarity by measuring the polarity on the track while the main DC power is provided, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device comprises an auxiliary DC power source control unit for controlling the DC power distribution such that the auxiliary DC power is provided with an auxiliary polarity being equal to the main polarity, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. For instance, if the auxiliary DC power device is separate from the electrical consumer, the auxiliary DC power device can additionally comprise the polarity determining unit for measuring the polarity on the track, when the main DC power is nominal, i.e. if an emergency situation is not present, in order to allow the auxiliary DC power device to provide an auxiliary voltage at the same polarity, which may allow for a smooth take over, when the main DC power again comes up, i.e. again reaches the nominal value. For this purpose the auxiliary DC power device can comprise a pole changing element.
In another aspect of the present invention an electrical consumer for being used in the DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1 is presented, wherein the electrical consumer is adapted to receive the auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source device, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. The electrical consumer may further comprise an electrical consumer control unit for controlling the electrical consumer to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. Moreover, the electrical consumer may comprise an auxiliary DC power source for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level. Thus, according to this aspect the electrical consumer is adapted to receive the auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source device, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level, wherein optionally also an electrical consumer control unit and/or an auxiliary DC power source of the DC power distribution track system are integrated in the electrical consumer. In a further aspect of the present invention an auxiliary DC power source device for being used in the DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1 is presented, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device is adapted to provide the auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer, if the DC voltage level on the track is below the threshold DC voltage level.
In another aspect of the present invention a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power is presented, wherein main DC power is provided by a main DC power source, which is connected to a track, for distributing the DC power along the track such that it is received by an electrical consumer, wherein the DC power distribution method comprises providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer by an auxiliary DC power source, if the DC voltage level on the track is below a threshold DC voltage level.
It shall be understood that the DC power distribution system of claim 1, the electrical consumer of claim 13, the auxiliary DC power source device of claim 14 and the DC power distribution method of claim 15 have similar and/or identical preferred
embodiments, in particular, as defined in the dependent claims.
It shall be understood that a preferred embodiment of the invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims or above mentioned embodiments with the respective independent claim.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following drawings:
Fig. 1 shows schematically and exemplarily an embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power,
Fig. 2 shows schematically and exemplarily some components of the DC power distribution system shown in Fig. 1 in more detail,
Fig. 3 shows schematically and exemplarily some components of an embodiment of an electrical consumer using a diode for controlling the supply of auxiliary DC power,
Fig. 4 shows schematically and exemplarily a further embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power,
Fig. 5 shows schematically and exemplarily components of the DC power distribution system shown in Fig. 4 in more detail, Fig. 6 shows schematically and exemplarily some components of an auxiliary DC power source device using a diode for controlling the supply of auxiliary DC power, and
Fig. 7 shows a flowchart exemplarily illustrating a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Fig. 1 shows schematically and exemplarily an embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power. The DC power distribution system 1 comprises a main DC power source 2 for providing main DC power, a track 5 connected to the main DC power source 2 for distributing the DC power and first and second kinds of electrical consumers 3, 4 connected to the track 5 for receiving the DC power.
Fig. 2 shows schematically and exemplarily an embodiment of the second kind of electrical consumer in more detail. The second kind of electrical consumer 4 comprises an emergency situation detection unit 17 for detecting an emergency situation, wherein the emergency situation detection unit 17 is adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track 5 and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level. In this embodiment the emergency situation detection unit 17 is integrated in a control unit 8 being an integrated control unit for controlling an auxiliary DC power source 9 and a lamp driver 10 for driving a lamp 11. The auxiliary DC power source 9 is a battery for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer 4, i.e. to the lamp driver 10, if an emergency situation has been detected.
The control unit 8 is adapted to control the electrical consumer 4 to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if an emergency situation has been detected. For instance, the main DC power source 2 can be adapted to provide a nominal DC voltage of 24 V and the predefined threshold DC voltage may be 10 V such that, if the DC voltage level measured on the track is below 10 V, an emergency situation may be detected. In this situation the control unit 8 limits the power consumption of the electrical consumer 4 to an emergency power consumption level and the electrical consumer 4 receives the auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9. In this embodiment the electrical consumer 4 is a lighting device comprising the lamp driver 10 and the lamp 11, wherein the control unit 8 is adapted to command the lamp driver 10 by using a lamp control signal 12 towards an emergency dim level, if an emergency situation has been detected. This may allow for a setting to a flux level to be guaranteed in emergency cases and for synchronously keeping the power consumption to a possible minimum. In this embodiment the auxiliary DC power source 9, the emergency situation detection unit 17 and the control unit 8 are integrated in the electrical consumer 4. Thus, this electrical consumer 4 of the second kind can be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer providing emergency functionality like emergency lighting in case of emergency. The electrical consumers 3 of the first kind may be conventional electrical consumers, in particular, in accordance with version 1.1 of the EMerge Occupied Space standard. The electrical consumers 3 of the first kind may substantially only comprise, for instance, a lamp driver and a lamp, but, for instance, not an emergency situation detection unit. The DC power distribution system 1 may therefore comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires, wherein only some of the electrical consumers are emergency electrical consumers 4.
The electrical consumer 4 of the second kind further comprises a rectifier 7 for ensuring that auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9 is not provided to the track 5. The rectifier 7 is arranged at a power input, via which in normal situations the main DC power is received. The rectifier 7 is, for instance, a single diode or a full bridge rectifier.
The auxiliary DC power source 9 may be a rechargeable battery. However, the auxiliary DC power source may also be, for instance, a non-rechargeable battery.
If the auxiliary DC power source 9 is a rechargeable battery, the DC power distribution system 1 preferentially further comprises a charge status determination unit 19 for determining the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source 9, which in this embodiment is integrated in the control unit 8. The control unit 8 is adapted to control the electrical consumer 4, in particular, the lamp driver 10, to consume DC power from the auxiliary DC power source 9 depending on the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source 9, if an emergency situation has been detected. Preferentially, the control unit 8 is adapted to provide a lamp control signal 12 to the lamp driver 10 to reduce the flux level, if the charge level, i.e. the charge status, goes down, in order to keep some flux as long as possible in emergency situations.
If the auxiliary DC power source 9 is a rechargeable battery, the track 5 and the auxiliary DC power source 9 are preferentially electrically connected via an electrical charging connection for allowing the auxiliary DC power source 9 to be recharged by using the main DC power from the track 5 via the charging connection. In this embodiment the charging connection is formed via the control unit 8, which is also adapted to control the battery 9 and which can therefore also be regarded as having an integrated battery control unit. The control unit 8 comprises a charging control unit 21 for controlling the charging connection in accordance with predefined charging rules. For instance, the charging rules can define that DC power from the track 5 is used for recharging the auxiliary DC power source 9, if the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source 9 is below a predefined recharge voltage threshold, for example, as determined by the charge status determination unit 19. The charging rules can be predefined such that they allow for a quick charging and/or for keeping charge on long term without overcharging. In particular, the charging rules can define a trickle charging to enhance the lifetime of the auxiliary DC power source 9.
The electrical consumers 3, 4 are preferentially connected to the track 5 via a connector 6 in accordance with the current version of the EMerge standard as schematically indicated in Fig. 2 for the second kind of electrical consumer 4.
The DC power distribution system 1 provides an implementation of emergency lighting within the framework of EMerge. The electrical consumer 4 of the second kind can be regarded as being a modified emergency EMerge load device comprising an integrated battery, in order to provide the energy necessary to continue emergency operation over a minimally guaranteed time. The battery control provided the control unit 8 makes use of monitoring the supply voltage level coming from the power bar, i.e. the track 5, through the connector 6 to the DC input of the load device 4, i.e. to the electrical consumer 4. For a DC power distribution system in accordance with the EMerge standard, this supply voltage level should be 24 V ± 5 % nominal. Whenever this voltage falls below a certain threshold level of, for instance, 10 V, the battery 9 may take over supplying DC power to the lamp driver 10. The rectifier 7 makes sure that the battery energy is not flowing back into the whole DC power distribution system.
The control unit 8, which may be regarded as having integrated an auxiliary DC power source control unit, and the battery 9 may be regarded as being components of an auxiliary DC power source device 13.
Alternatively or in addition to the emergency situation detection unit 17, the control unit 8 may comprise a diode for isolating the battery 9 from the lamp driver 10 as long as the power bar voltage is above the battery voltage, i.e. in this example the threshold DC voltage level may be similar to the battery voltage, wherein, if the DC voltage level on the track 5 is smaller than the battery voltage, the battery 9 is not anymore isolated from the lamp driver 10 such that DC power from the battery 9 can be provided to the lamp driver 10.
Fig. 3 schematically and exemplarily illustrates how such a diode 28 of the control unit may be electrically connected. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the diode 28 has its cathode connected with the cathode of the rectifier 7 and the anode of the diode 28 is connected with the battery 9, in particular, with the plus pole of the battery 9. If the track 5 is normally powered, for instance, if the track 5 provides a nominal voltage of 24 V, the rectifier 7 is conducting and the diode 28 is isolating. However, in an emergency situation the DC voltage level on the track 5 is below the threshold DC voltage level, which in this embodiment is defined by the DC voltage provided by the battery 9, such that the auxiliary DC power from the battery 9 can be provided to the lamp driver 10, whereas the diode 7 prevents the auxiliary DC current provided by the battery 9 from flowing to the track 5. It should be noted that Fig. 3 only shows some components of the electrical consumer, which illustrate the functioning of the diode 28, and the charging control unit 21. The electrical consumer can of course comprise more components like the charge status determination unit 19, the polarity determining unit 20 or other units.
Fig. 4 shows schematically and exemplarily another embodiment of a DC power distribution system for distributing DC power. The DC power distribution system 16 comprises a main DC power source 2 for providing main DC power, a track 5 connected to the main DC power source 2 for distributing the DC power and electrical consumers 3, 14 connected to the track 5 for receiving the DC power. The electrical consumer 3 is an electrical consumer of the first kind and corresponds to the electrical consumer 3 of the first kind described above with reference to Fig. 1. Also the main DC power source 2 and the track 5 correspond to the main DC power source and the track, respectively, described above with reference to Fig. 1.
The DC power distribution system 16 further comprises an auxiliary DC power source device 23 for providing auxiliary DC power in case of an emergency situation. The auxiliary DC power source device 23 and the electrical consumers 3, 14 are
schematically and exemplarily shown in more detail in Fig. 5.
The auxiliary DC power source device 13 comprises an auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 for controlling an auxiliary DC power source 9. The auxiliary DC power source device 23 is connected with the track 5 via an EMerge connector 7, i.e. via a connector in accordance with the current version of the EMerge standard. Also the further components, i.e. the electrical consumers 3, 14, are connected to the track 5 via EMerge connectors 7.
The auxiliary DC power source device 23, in particular, the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18, comprises a first emergency situation detection unit 17 for detecting an emergency situation. The emergency situation detection unit 17 is similar to the emergency situation detection unit described above with reference to Fig. 2. Thus, also in this embodiment, the emergency situation detection unit may be adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track 5 and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level.
The auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 is preferentially adapted to allow the auxiliary DC power source 9 to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track 5, if an emergency situation has been detected, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source 9 to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track 5, if an emergency situation has not been detected. Moreover, also in this embodiment the auxiliary DC power source can be rechargeable, in particular, it can be a rechargeable battery, wherein a charging path can be provided between the track 5 and the auxiliary DC power source 9 for allowing the auxiliary DC power source 9 to be recharged by using the DC power from the track 5. In particular, also in this embodiment the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 can be adapted to control a recharging of the auxiliary DC power source 9 in accordance with predefined charging rules by using a charging control unit 21. For instance, also in this embodiment the charging rules can define that DC power from the track 5 is used for recharging the auxiliary DC power source 9, if the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source 9 is below a predefined recharge voltage threshold, wherein the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source may be provided by the charge status determination unit 19 or the charging control unit 21 may directly measure the voltage of the auxiliary DC power source.
The electrical consumer 14 of the second kind comprises, in this embodiment, a lamp driver 10 for driving a lamp 11 and an electrical consumer control unit 15. The electrical consumer 14 of the second kind further comprises an emergency situation detection unit 17, which can be regarded as being a second emergency situation detection unit of the DC power distribution system 16, wherein in this embodiment the emergency situation detection unit 17 is integrated in the electrical consumer control unit 15. Also this emergency situation detection unit 17 is similar to the emergency situation detection unit described above with reference to Fig. 2, i.e. also in this embodiment the emergency situation detection unit is adapted to measure a DC voltage level on the track 5 and to detect an emergency situation, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level. The electrical consumer control unit 15 is adapted to control the electrical consumer 14 of the second kind, in particular, the lamp driver 10 of the electrical consumer 14, to consume DC power at an emergency consumption level, if an emergency situation has been detected. Also in this embodiment the electrical consumer 14 comprising the emergency situation detection unit 17 and the electrical consumer control unit 15 may be regarded as being an emergency electrical consumer providing emergency functionality like emergency lighting in case of emergency. The DC power distribution 16 can comprise several electrical consumers, for instance, several luminaires 3, 14, wherein only some of the electrical consumers may be emergency electrical consumers 14.
Fig. 5 further schematically and exemplarily shows an electrical consumer 3 of the first kind, which may be regarded as being a conventional electrical consumer in accordance with version 1.1 of the EMerge Occupied Space standard, comprising a lamp driver 10 and a lamp 11.
As shown in Fig. 5, a battery, i.e. the auxiliary DC power source, and a battery control circuit, i.e. the battery control unit, can be contained separately of emergency fixtures, i.e. of electrical consumers 14 of the second kind. The battery control unit can be adapted to isolate the battery from the EMerge rails, i.e. from the track 5, as long as the EMerge supply is present and to connect to the EMerge rails, if the supply voltage on the power bar, i.e. on the track 5, falls below a predefined threshold voltage.
If an emergency situation has been detected, the electrical consumer control unit 15 can decide whether the electrical consumer 15, for instance, the luminaire, should enter an emergency mode, in which the electrical consumer control unit 15 sends a lamp control signal 12 to the lamp driver 10 for driving the lamp 11 with reduced light intensity. For instance, if the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source in case of an emergency situation is almost the same as the main DC voltage, the electrical consumer control unit 15 may not prompt the lamp driver 10 to reduce the light intensity. However, if the voltage supplied by the auxiliary DC power source 9 is lower than a predefined threshold voltage, the electrical consumer control unit 15 may prompt the lamp driver 10 to drive the lamp 11 such that light having a reduced intensity is emitted by the lamp 11. Thus, if the DC power distribution system comprises emergency luminaires like the luminaire 14 exemplarily and schematically shown in Fig. 4 and conventional luminaires like the luminaire 3 schematically and exemplarily shown in Fig. 4 and if the voltage level for emergency supply, i.e. the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source 9, is remarkably lower than the nominal main DC voltage of, for instance, 24 V, conventional luminaires without an emergency control block 15 may simply go into an under voltage protection off state, whereas emergency luminaires will still have a minimum lumen level in case of an emergency situation. The DC power distribution systems 1, 16 described above can further comprise a polarity determining unit 20 for determining a main polarity by measuring the polarity on the track 5 while the main DC power is provided, wherein the respective control unit 8, 18 may be adapted to control the provision of the auxiliary DC power in case of an emergency situation such that the auxiliary DC power is provided with an auxiliary polarity being equal to the main polarity. For instance, if the auxiliary DC power source, the auxiliary DC power source control unit and the first emergency situation detection unit are included in a separate auxiliary DC power device as described above with reference to Fig. 5, the auxiliary DC power device can additionally comprise the polarity determining unit 20, in particular, the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 can comprise the polarity determining unit 20, for measuring the polarity on the track, when the main DC power is nominal, in order to allow the auxiliary DC power device to provide an auxiliary voltage at the same polarity. This may allow for a smooth takeover, when the main DC power again comes up, i.e. again reaches the nominal value. For this purpose the auxiliary DC power device 13, particularly the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18, can comprise a pole changing element. The pole changing element, which may be controlled by the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18, may also be arranged between the connector 7 and the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18.
Although in the embodiment described above with reference to Figs. 4 and 5 the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 comprises an emergency situation detection unit 17, instead of or in addition to the emergency situation detection unit 17 the auxiliary DC power source control unit 18 may comprise a diode, wherein the diode is configured and arranged such that the battery 9 provides the auxiliary DC power to the track 5 via the diode, if the DC voltage level on the track 5 is smaller than the DC voltage level provided by the battery 9, and that the battery 9 does not provide the auxiliary DC power to the track 5, if the DC voltage level on the track 5 is larger than the DC voltage level provided by the battery 9. This simple control of the provision of the auxiliary DC power by using the diode 29 is schematically and exemplarily illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein Fig. 6 only shows the components needed for illustrating this control and the charging control unit 21, i.e. the DC power distribution system, in particular, the auxiliary DC power source device, can comprise more components like the charge status determination unit 19, the polarity determining unit 20 or other units. In the following an embodiment of a DC power distribution method for distributing DC power will exemplarily be described with reference to a flowchart shown in Fig. 7.
During the DC power distribution main DC power is provided by a main DC power source 2, which is connected to a track 5, for distributing the DC power along the track 5 such that it is received by an electrical consumer 4, 14. In step 101 a DC voltage level is measured on the track 5 and an emergency situation is detected by an emergency situation detection unit 17, if the measured DC voltage level is below a predefined threshold DC voltage level. If an emergency situation is detected in step 101, in step 102 auxiliary DC power is provided to the electrical consumer 4, 14 by an auxiliary DC power source 9. In particular, it is continuously checked whether an emergency situation is present, wherein, if such an emergency situation has been detected, the auxiliary DC power is provided to the electrical consumer 4, 14, and if an emergency situation is not present anymore, the auxiliary DC power is not provided to the electrical consumer 4, 14 anymore.
The DC power distribution system is preferentially a ceiling integrated lighting system. However, the DC power distribution system can also comprise other electrical consumers not being lighting devices like sensors, air conditioning equipment, et cetera, which can be operated by receiving DC power.
The DC power distribution system can comprise one or several tracks, which may be arranged at a ceiling of one or several rooms or at other locations, wherein one or several main DC power sources can be electrically connected to the tracks for providing the main DC power.
The auxiliary DC power source may be kept at a central place, if it is separate from the electrical consumers. For instance, the auxiliary DC power source may be put as a part of the main DC power source or in direct neighborhood of the main DC power source. In particular, the auxiliary power source and also further components of the auxiliary DC power source device described above with reference to Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 may be integrated with the main DC power source or may be arranged in the neighborhood of the main DC power source.
Although in above described embodiments a specific recharging technique has been described for recharging the auxiliary DC power source, in other embodiments also other recharging techniques can be applied, especially charging techniques allowing quick charging and/or keeping charge on long term without overcharging. The charging can also be provided by using a simpler charging connection, which may comprise, for instance, a resistor and a Zener diode. The resistor can be used to limit the charging current and the Zener diode can be used to adapt a battery full charge voltage, which may be, for instance, 12 V for lead acid or 12.6 V for lithium ion, to the main DC power, which may be defined by a nominal DC voltage of 24 V.
Although in above described embodiments it is exemplarily mentioned that the threshold DC voltage may be 10 V, the threshold DC voltage can also have another value, particularly if the threshold DC voltage is defined by the DC voltage provided by the auxiliary DC power source. For instance, if the auxiliary DC power source is a lead acid battery, the threshold DC voltage may be 12 V and, if the auxiliary DC power source is a lithium ion battery, the threshold DC voltage may be 11.1 V or 19.5 V.
The DC power distribution system can be a DC supplied lighting system, in which emergency lamps are supplied, wherein luminaires, i.e. emergency electrical consumers, can work at a voltage level below a nominal operation voltage, particularly remarkably below a nominal operation voltage. An emergency supply, i.e. an auxiliary DC power supply source, may be an integral part of the emergency luminaires and may get triggered, whenever the supply voltage level, i.e. the DC voltage level on the track, drops under a defined voltage level. However, the emergency supply may also be a separate component applied externally of the emergency luminaires. In particular, the separate emergency supply may be an integral part of a main DC power source of the DC power distribution system, which may be regarded as being an EMerge supply, if the DC power distribution system is a system in accordance with the EMerge standard. In an embodiment, an emergency battery system, i.e. the auxiliary DC power source device, may be equipped with a polarity detector, i.e. with a polarity determining unit, combined with a polarity changer such that the emergency power is automatically supplied with the correct polarity.
Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.
In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.
A single unit or device may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
Procedures like the detection of an emergency situation, the controlling of the electrical consumer, the control of the recharging of the auxiliary DC power source, et cetera performed by one or several units or devices can be performed by any other number of units or devices. These procedures and/or the control of the DC power distribution system in accordance with the DC power distribution method can be implemented as program code means of a computer program and/or as dedicated hardware.
A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.
Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A DC power distribution system for distributing DC power, the DC power distribution system (1; 16) comprising:
a main DC power source (2) for providing main DC power,
a track (5) connected to the main DC power source (2) for distributing the DC power,
an electrical consumer (4; 14) connected to the track (5) for receiving the DC power, and
an auxiliary DC power source device (13; 23) for providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer (4; 14), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below a threshold DC voltage level.
2. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the DC power distribution system further comprises an electrical consumer control unit (8; 15) for controlling the electrical consumer (4; 14) to consume DC power at an emergency power consumption level, if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level.
3. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary DC power device (23) is separate from the electrical consumer (14) and separately connected to the track (5).
4. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 3, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device (13; 23) comprises an auxiliary DC power source (9) and an auxiliary DC power source control unit (18) for controlling the auxiliary DC power source (9), wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit (18) is adapted to allow the auxiliary DC power source (9) to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track (5), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source (9) to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track (5), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is not below the threshold DC voltage level.
5. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 4, wherein the auxiliary DC power source control unit (18) comprises a diode (28) for allowing the auxiliary DC power source (9) to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track (5), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level, and to not allow the auxiliary DC power source (9) to provide the auxiliary DC power to the track (5), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is not below the threshold DC voltage level.
6. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device (13) is integrated in the electrical consumer (4).
7. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 6, wherein the electrical consumer (4) comprises a rectifier (7) for ensuring that auxiliary DC power provided by the auxiliary DC power source device (13) is not provided to the track (5).
8. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device (13; 23) comprises a rechargeable auxiliary DC power source (9).
9. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 8, wherein the auxiliary DC power source (9) and the track (5) are electrically connected via an electrical charging connection for allowing the auxiliary DC power source (9) to be recharged by using the main DC power from the track (5) via the charging connection.
10. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 9, wherein the DC power distribution system comprises a charging control unit (21) for controlling the charging connection in accordance with predefined charging rules.
11. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the DC power distribution system (1) further comprises a charge status determination unit (19) for determining the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source device (13), wherein the DC power distribution system comprises an electrical consumer control unit (8) for controlling the electrical consumer (4) to consume DC power depending on the charge status of the auxiliary DC power source device (13), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level.
12. The DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the DC power distribution system further comprises a polarity determining unit (20) for determining a main polarity by measuring the polarity on the track (5) while the main DC power is provided, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device (13; 23) comprises an auxiliary DC power source control unit (8; 18) for controlling the DC power distribution such that the auxiliary DC power is provided with an auxiliary polarity being equal to the main polarity, if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level.
13. An electrical consumer for being used in the DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the electrical consumer (4; 14) is adapted to receive the auxiliary DC power from the auxiliary DC power source device (13; 23), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level. 14 An auxiliary DC power source device for being used in the DC power distribution system as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary DC power source device (13; 23) is adapted to provide the auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer (4; 14), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below the threshold DC voltage level. 15. A DC power distribution method for distributing DC power, wherein main DC power is provided by a main DC power source (2), which is connected to a track (5), for distributing the DC power along the track (5) such that it is received by an electrical consumer (4; 14), wherein the DC power distribution method comprises providing auxiliary DC power to the electrical consumer (4; 14) by an auxiliary DC power source (9), if the DC voltage level on the track (5) is below a threshold DC voltage level.
PCT/IB2014/058067 2013-01-17 2014-01-06 Dc power distribution system WO2014111824A2 (en)

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WO2016145053A1 (en) * 2015-03-09 2016-09-15 Zodiac Pool Systems, Inc. Automatic auxiliary-power detector for pool systems
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