Power loss prevention circuit with mitigation for failed energy storage banks

A method of providing power loss protection to an application device, the method comprising:

• monitoring an input voltage provided by a power source;
• while the power source is providing the input voltage, coupling the power source to an application device, boosting the input voltage provided by the power source to a higher level to generate a boosted voltage at a node, and charging a plurality of sets of storage capacitors using the boosted voltage;
• monitoring each of the plurality of sets of storage capacitors;
• in response to detecting a failed set of storage capacitors of the plurality of sets of storage capacitors, disconnecting the failed set of storage capacitors from an operational set of storage capacitors of the plurality of sets of storage capacitors, wherein each of the plurality of sets of storage capacitors is connected to the node by a corresponding switch and the failed set of storage capacitors is disconnected from the operational set of storage capacitors by opening a switch that connects the failed set of storage capacitors to the node;
• and
• in response to detecting loss of the input voltage provided by the power source, bucking a voltage provided by at least the operational set of storage capacitors to a lower level to generate a bus voltage and providing the bus voltage to the application device.

A power loss protection circuit comprising:

• a converter circuit that is configured to charge a first set of storage capacitors and a second set of storage capacitors with a bus voltage from a first node of the converter circuit to a second node of the converter circuit during a normal operation when a power source provides an input voltage to the first node of the converter circuit, and to provide the bus voltage to an application device from energy stored in at least one of the first and second sets of storage capacitors from the second node of the converter circuit to the first node of the converter circuit during a power loss event when the power source stops providing the input voltage;
• a first blocking circuit that is configured to connect the first set of storage capacitors to the second node of the converter circuit while the first set of storage capacitors remains operational and to disconnect the first set of storage capacitors from the second node of the converter circuit when the first set of storage capacitors suffers a failure;
• a second blocking circuit that is configured to connect the second set of storage capacitors to the second node of the converter circuit while the second set of storage capacitors is operational and to disconnect the second set of storage capacitors from the second node of the converter circuit when the second set of storage capacitors suffers a failure;
• and
• a disconnect circuit that is configured to disconnect the power source from the first node of the converter circuit during the power loss event and to connect the input voltage to the first node of the converter circuit and to the application device during the normal operation.