System and method for providing battery backup power

Claim 2

The backup power supply as recited in Claim 1 wherein said power plant further comprises an AC post-regulator circuit, coupled to said AC bus, that converts AC power on said AC bus to provide regulated DC power to a load.

Claim 3

For use with a power plant having a primary power supply that provides primary power to an AC bus for subsequent conversion to DC power, a method of providing backup power to said AC bus, comprising: operating a battery charger/inverter coupled to said AC bus and couplable to a battery, in a normal mode to convert a portion of said primary power to charge said battery; and operating said battery charger/inverter in a battery backup mode to convert DC power from said battery to provide said backup power to said AC bus.

Claim 4

The method as recited in Claim 3 wherein said power plant includes a DC post-regulator circuit, said method further comprising converting said DC power from said battery to provide regulated DC power to a load.

Claim 5

The method as recited in Claim 3 wherein said power plant includes an AC post-regulator circuit, said method further comprising converting AC power on said AC bus to provide regulated DC power to a load.

Claim 6

The method as recited in Claim 3 wherein said primary power supply includes a power factor correction circuit coupled to an inverter via a DC link, said method further comprising providing said primary power from said inverter.

Claim 7

The method as recited in Claim 6 wherein said primary power supply further includes a separation circuit coupled to said power factor correction circuit, said method further comprising separating said power factor correction circuit from said inverter when said battery charger/inverter operates in said battery backup mode.

Claim 8

The method as recited in Claim 3 wherein said battery charger/inverter is coupled to at least one battery, said method further comprising operating said at least one battery at a voltage selected from the group consisting of: 24 volts, and 48 volts.

Claim 9

The method as recited in Claim 3 wherein said AC bus carries AC power at a frequency exceeding 60 Hertz.

Claim 10

The method as recited in Claim 3 wherein said battery charger/inverter is embodied in a single module.

Claim 11

A power plant, comprising: a primary power supply that provides primary power; an AC bus, coupled to an output of said primary power supply, that distributes AC power, including said primary power; a backup power supply that provides backup power to said AC bus for distribution thereby and includes a battery charger/inverter, coupled to said AC bus and couplable to a battery, that operates in a normal mode to convert a portion of said primary power to charge said battery and operates in a battery backup mode to convert DC power from said battery to provide said backup power to said AC bus; and at least one AC post-regulator circuit, coupled to said AC bus, that converts said AC power to provide regulated DC power to a load.

Claim 12

A backup power supply as claimed in claim 1 or a power plant as claimed in claim 11 comprising a DC post-regulator circuit that converts said DC power from said battery to provide regulated DC power to a load.

Claim 13

A backup power supply as claimed in claim 1 or a power plant as claimed in claim 11 wherein said primary power supply includes a power factor correction circuit coupled to an inverter via a DC link, said inverter providing said primary power.

Claim 14

A backup power supply or a power plant as claimed in Claim 13 wherein said primary power supply includes a separation circuit, coupled to said power factor correction circuit, that separates said power factor correction circuit from said inverter when said battery charger/inverter operates in said battery backup mode.

Claim 15

A backup power supply as claimed in claim 1 or a power plant as claimed in claim 11 comprising at least one battery, coupled to said battery charger/inverter, that operates at a voltage selected from the group consisting of: 24 volts, and 48 volts.

Claim 16

A backup power supply as claimed in claim 1 or a power plant as claimed in claim 11 wherein said AC bus carries AC power at a frequency exceeding 60 Hertz.

Claim 17

A backup power supply as claimed in claim 1 or a power plant as claimed in claim 11 wherein said battery charger/inverter is embodied in a single module.