A PSU Analytical Power Loss Model For Optimizing The Server Power Delivery Architecture

Focus:

While 80Plus-certified PSUs have become the market standards because of their high efficiencies, there are still opportunities for cost and energy savings. Specifically, the optimization of the sizes and ratings of 80Plus PSUs for the application could further reduce the total cost of ownership for server platforms. Such optimization could be provided very effectively if a PSU power-performance analytical model were available for power architects. This article presents an analytical PSU power loss model that provides a means to assess tradeoffs in continuous vs. peak power ratings of PSUs. This model also can be used for characterizing PSU dynamic efficiency and as a tool for optimization of the system power delivery spec. This article explains the derivation of the model, discusses its application, and compares model results with experimental results for different classes of 80Plus power supplies. The use of output voltage setpoint to achieve the required power supply efficiency is also explained.

What you’ll learn:

• How to optimize power supply size and power rating to achieve lowest total cost of ownership when selecting server power supplies
• How to optimize the system power delivery spec in server systems

View the Source

Author & Publication:

Viktor Vogman, Power Conversion Consulting, Olympia, Wash., How2Power Today, Feb 15 2021

This article summary appears
in the HOW2POWER Design Guide.

The Design Guide offers
organized access to
hundreds of articles
on dozens of power conversion
and power management topics.

The Design Guide search results
include exclusive summaries
and accurate "how to" analysis
to help you make faster,
more informed decisions.

Search
for more articles