A New Power Architecture with Wireless Feedback Control for Next Generation Server Power System

随着互联网/无线应用的指数级增长，越来越多的服务器被构建起来，包括数据中心、数据存储、云存储等，以处理不断增长的网络流量。主板中使用多点负载电源，为CPU(中央处理单元)、GPU(图形处理单元)、RAM(随机存取存储器)和其他数字电路提供稳定的电压。要设计出这样一个满足要求的供电系统，需要很长的时间。在很多情况下，电源系统的设计时间成为产品开发进度的瓶颈。因此，缩短电力系统设计时间对缩短产品开发时间非常重要。**在本研究计划中，将提出一种全新的电源体系结构，以显著缩短电力系统设计时间。有了新的架构，功率处理单元(PPC)和中央控制单元(CCU)之间的反馈信号将在没有任何印刷电路板(PCB)轨道的情况下进行无线通信。可以获得三大好处。第一个好处是大大缩短了电力系统设计时间，因为电力系统的所有功能都可以用软件编程，并且PPC和CCU之间不需要硬件链接(即没有印刷电路板轨道)。第二个好处是系统成本较低，因为标准化的PPC和CCU可以大量设计和制造，这可以降低单位成本。第三个好处是极大的灵活性，因为电力系统的功能可以通过软件改变，而不需要改变硬件。**本研究计划将开发所有技术来实现所提出的具有无线反馈控制的电力体系结构，如PPC和CCU的划分，PPC和CCU之间的无线通信策略，以及确保电力系统高度可靠运行的最少数据传输技术。还将建立一个实验电力系统，以演示新电力架构的可行性和优势。预计将通过PARTEQ Innovation(皇后大学商业化/专利部)申请无线反馈控制领域的几项基本专利，以保护知识产权。**在这项研究计划中，将培训4名博士生、5名硕士生和10名本科生，内容涉及开关电源、数字控制技术、无线反馈控制、数字反馈系统的分析和设计、固件和软件编程技能，以及服务器电源系统要求和硬件调试技能。它们将在下一代服务器和数据中心电源系统的新电源架构的开发和商业化方面发挥非常重要的作用。**服务器和数据中心电源系统是一项数十亿美元的业务。在从旧的有线架构向新的无线架构转型的过程中，将为加拿大公司和企业创造新的商机。在该研究项目中培训的HQP将帮助加拿大电力设计中心在开发具有无线反馈控制的下一代电力系统方面处于世界领先地位。凭借这项革命性的新技术，加拿大将成为这一领域的国际领先者，这将为加拿大在这个价值数十亿美元的行业创造就业机会和竞争优势。

With the exponential growth in internet / wireless applications, more and more servers, including data centers, data storage, cloud storage and others, have been built to process the ever-increasing network traffic. Multiple Point of Load power supplies are used in the motherboard to provide regulated voltages to CPU (Central Processing unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and other digital circuits. It takes long time to design such a power supply system to meet the requirement. In a lot of cases, the design time for the power system becomes the bottle neck in the product development schedule. Therefore, it is very important to reduce the power system design time in order to reduce the product development time.**In this research program, a radically new power architecture will be proposed to significantly reduce the power system design time. With the new architecture, feedback signals between the Power Processing Cell (PPC) and Central Control Unit (CCU) will be communicated wirelessly without any Printed Circuit Board (PCB) tracks. Three major benefits can be obtained. The first benefit is much shorter power system design time because all the features of the power system can be programmed with software and no hardware links (i.e. no PCB tracks) between PPC and CCU are needed. The second benefit is lower system cost because standardized PPC and CCU can be designed and made in large quantity, which can reduce the unit cost. The third benefit is extreme flexibility because the functions of the power system can be changed with software and no hardware change is needed.**This research program will develop all the technologies to implement the proposed power architecture with wireless feedback control, such as partitioning of PPC and CCU, wireless communication strategy between PPC and CCU, and minimum data transmission technologies to ensure highly reliable operation of the power systems. An experimental power system will also be built to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of the new power architecture. It is expected that several fundamental patents in the wireless feedback control field will be filed through PARTEQ Innovation (commercialization / patent division of Queen's University) to protect the intellectual property.**In this research program, four PhD students, five master students and ten undergraduate students will be trained in areas of switching power supplies, digital control technology, wireless feedback control, analysis and design of digital feedback systems, firmware and software programming skills, as well as server power system requirement, hardware debugging skills. They will play very important roles in developing and commercializing the new power architecture for next generation server and data center power systems.**Power system for server and data center is a multi-billion dollar business. During the transformation from old wired architecture to the new wireless architecture, new business opportunities will be created for Canadian companies and businesses. The HQP trained in this research program will help Canadian power design centres lead the world in developing next-generation power systems with wireless feedback control. Canada will become an international leader in this field with this revolutionary new technology, which will bring job creation and a competitive edge for Canada in this multi-billion dollar industry.