Robin Koffler

One of the most critical aspects of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is its standby or back-up battery system, where super capacitors are now beginning to play a role.

Power conditioning is one of the lesser-known but equally important functions of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Its primary purpose, of course, is to provide a source of electrical energy to maintain continuity of business throughout an interruption in mains electricity or until an alternative source of energy (such as a generator) starts up.

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) play two important roles in power protection: 1) providing a source of standby power in the event of a mains failure and 2) conditioning mains electricity to remove power problems such as sags, surges, brownouts and fluctuations that can damage equipment and lead to data loss or corruption. There are different types of UPS for different types of power protection requirement. This article explains what they are and where they fit in.

The primary function of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) is to ensure continuous uptime of critical loads during power disturbances or interruptions. In order to do this, they themselves need to have some form of protection and preventative management.

To fully understand and appreciate the importance of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), it is crucial to first understand how electricity is generated and distributed in whatever country around the world you happen to be.

The nature of the beast, as far as uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is concerned, is power protection. Load connection to the source of uninterrupted power must be secure and provision needs to be made for power distribution to essential loads.

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) emit alarm signals (audible and visual) to alert operators to fault conditions or a change in operating environment. A primary function of uninterruptible power supplies is to monitor the power supply and respond when it is no longer present, or if it fluctuates to extremes outside of predefined boundaries.

Increasing the resilience of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) often entails installation of a configuration known as Parallel UPS when the outputs of two or more modules (capable of parallel operation) are connected to supply the load via a common ac busbar.

Automatic Transfer Switches (ATS) are designed to provide resilience in power continuity planning and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) implementations below 10kVA, where UPS cannot be operated in parallel.

Within any uninterruptible power supply (UPS) installation that also distributes electricity, it is imperative to accurately select the correct cable size and type alongside the most relevant installation and routing methods. For uninterruptible power supplies, it is recommended the same cable sizes be installed for the UPS input and output to assist in the balancing of both.