Alison Campbell-Boreham is the editor of The Power Protection Guide and provides PR services to Riello UPS Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Riello UPS (RPS S.p.A). For more information visit the Riello UPS - uninterruptible power supplies website.
Business processes these days increasingly rely on technology, which by default relies on a clean and reliable source of electricity. As more and more industries turn to computerization, mechanization and automation, an unprecedented strain is being placed on already overworked electricity infrastructures around the world. It has taken the developed world by surprise. Managers are now faced with the real prospect of energy rationing and power supply issues. If any part of their business cannot continue without electricity, they have to find alternative ways of securing supply and/or generating their own. Making the correct choice of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is now more important than ever.
What’s an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)?
A UPS sits between the mains supply and ‘the load’ (equipment and systems in a building or datacenter that need a continuous source of electricity). At its simplest, a UPS conditions electrical current, converts it from AC to DC, and negates potentially harmful power problems including sags, surges, brownouts and fluctuations. In the case of a total mains power outage, the UPS powers the load from its back-up battery until another energy source starts up. Put simply, an uninterruptible power supply can mean the difference between life and death for some businesses.
Different types of UPS
There are three primary types of uninterruptible power supply:
• Online or Double Conversion
• Line Interactive
• Offline (or Passive Standby).
An Online or Double Conversion UPS maintains voltage and frequency variations within prescribed limits so output is independent of supply fluctuation. As well as conditioning mains power to negate problems, this is the only UPS solution that provides break-free supply to the plant or datacenter during a power outage.
A Line Interactive UPS uses built-in passive electronic regulation devices to stabilize and regulate voltage fluctuations. When mains supply power is present, the output frequency of the UPS tracks the input of the mains. Line Interactive and On-Line UPS use tower or ‘rackmount’ case formats and sit next to their respective loads, typically in a datacenter or computer room.
An Off-Line or Passive Standby UPS is a compact device designed for desktops or wall mounting, which uses its own output to track voltage and frequency variations in the mains supply power.
Extended UPS benefits
As well as obvious continuity and power conditioning advantages for a datacenter or computer room, larger uninterruptible power supplies can work in parallel to improve system resilience, MTBF (mean time between failure) and availability.
For a network-sized uninterruptible power supply, the installation of an external UPS maintenance bypass enables routine or emergency maintenance to be carried out (without supply disruption) during normal working-hours.
Extended runtime (the time a load is running on back-up power) can be provided by a combination of extra battery packs and an external standby power source such as a generator or fuel cell.
The transformer-based UPS system
While many UPS are transformerless, organizations reliant on larger datacenter and voice networks, industrial processes, security or hospital applications, often require transformer-based uninterruptible power supply. This gives greater robustness, albeit with slightly lower efficiency and greater heat and noise generation.
Essential protection against power outage and rationing
As well as industrial processes, uninterruptible power supplies may be used to protect large site-wide installations. From the smallest desktop units to the largest parallel redundant installations, a correctly sized, reliable UPS system, provided by an established manufacturer such as Riello UPS Ltd, offers essential protection against the growing risks of power outage and power rationing.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Uninterruptible Power Supplies Uk: Backbone of Life
- Uninterruptible Power Supplies- Maintain Continuous Power Supply
- Choosing Between Different Types of Uninterruptible Power Supply
- Uninterruptible Power Supplies: No Risk Of Power Fluctuation
- Uninterruptible Power Supply - Electricity Generation & Distribution
- An Overview on Uninterruptible Power Supply
- Knowing About Uninterruptible Power Supplies
- Comparing Transformer-based and Transformerless Uninterruptible Power Supplies
Unlock iPhone 3GS
By: Carrie Sommer | 09/07/2009Unlock iPhone 3GS -Easiest and most effective unlocking service found This impressive website offers the ultimate Unlock iPhone 3gs solution. Its ainformative pages outline details and resources available and provides comprehensive advice on the options available. With over 1 million units sold, its popularity is down to a simple premise, simplicity of use, user friendly appeal, safe and cost effective. The unlock solution ensures that any iPhone is unlocked without any loss of service, functio
Ranking Favorite Movies With DVD Collection Database Software
By: Maxim Smirnov | 09/07/2009If you've ever wanted to be a movie reviewer, giving the thumbs-up or five stars which encourage a person to go see a movie, you are not alone. However, since these positions can be hard to come by, maybe you simply need to become the movie reviewer within your own...
Invest in an Ergonomic Chair, doing all sorts of tasks on your computers
By: sudesh | 09/07/2009Do you spend most of your time in front of your desk, doing all sorts of tasks on your computer? Did you know that an average office worker is expected to spend 70,000 hours of his or her lifetime seated on a chair? Isn’t it just right that you spend all those hours in comfort?
10 Tips For Quality Web Design
By: Seomul Evans | 09/07/2009SEO experts understand the importance not only of relevant and important content on a website, but also the design of the website itself. Websites are ranked by their importance and relevance to the topic they claim to be providing information about, but search engines also rank pages based on usefulness....
Make your PC faster – 3 things to note while using registry cleaner for Windows XP
By: Sarah Jones | 09/07/2009Can you imagine a wardrobe where you store each and every single item that you wear starting from new clothes, old boots, accessories or items, which you cannot even remember you have bought? Now imagine opening this stuffed wardrobe only to get crushed under all these items.
Basic fundamentals of Internet Security
By: Sarah Jones | 09/07/2009Within a very few days Internet has become one of the most popular platform of business and communication. Internet unlike any other medium of communication has given on globalized or international dimension to the whole world.
12 Free IPhone Applications
By: Seomul Evans | 09/07/2009As a business owner, chances are you're sitting on the cutting edge of technology, and what could be more cutting edge than an iPhone? The only thing more fun than showing your friends all the cool things your phone can do is actually using it to grow your business. We're...
How to get rid off Internet Antivirus
By: Sarah Jones | 09/07/2009If you are tired and sick of all those fake pop up ads and false security scans which are the commonest features of the Internet Antivirus Pro then your PC must have infected with Internet Antivirus, which is a rough spyware. As soon as you get the trace of this spyware in your PC you should remove it.
Uninterruptible Power Supplies; a Simple Guide to Location
By: Alison Campbell | 30/04/2008 | ComputersSuccessful uninterruptible power supply installation can mean the difference between maintaining and losing business continuity. As so often in business, choosing the right UPS location takes good planning, a clear understanding of power protection objectives, the best possible uninterruptible power supply for the budget, and professional installation.
Centralised V Distributed Uninterruptible Power Supplies (ups)
By: Alison Campbell | 30/04/2008 | ComputersAnyone working in data centre or mainstream computing environments will be familiar with the terms ‘distributed’ and ‘centralized’ computing and the advantages and disadvantages of each for specific applications. For small to mid-sized computer rooms, the choice between centralised and distributed Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) holds similar considerations.
Sizing Uninterruptible Power Supplies for Energy Efficiency
By: Alison Campbell | 30/04/2008 | ComputersSizing an uninterruptible power supply is more than simple math. Done badly, it can be costly. On the one hand, oversizing can add to installation and running costs. On the other, under-sizing will lead to dangerous overload situations. So, how do you correctly size a UPS system? This article explains.
Ups Maintenance Contracts
By: Alison Campbell | 30/04/2008 | ComputersIf you want something mechanical or electrical to keep working it requires regular maintenance. Uninterruptible power supplies are no different. Users rely on them when mains power fails but often fail to maintain them. This article outlines the importance of regular UPS maintenance and highlights what should be included in a maintenance contract.
Energy Efficiency in Uninterruptible Power Supply Design
By: Alison Campbell | 30/04/2008 | ComputersEnergy efficiency in uninterruptible power supply design is now more important than ever. This is particularly true for datacentres where the need to protect ever more power-hungry equipment is as critical as the need to cut costs. This article touches on the different approaches taken to energy efficiency in the datacentre and the hidden vulnerabilities of some of the more radical ones.
Ups Batteries – Taken for Granted Too Long!
By: Alison Campbell | 13/04/2008 | ComputersUPS batteries play a vital - and often taken-for-granted - role in the correct operation of an uninterruptible power supply and the continuity of protected loads. Despite the importance of UPS batteries for providing runtime and dc supply to the inverter in the event of mains failure, routine checks and maintenance are easily and often overlooked, which is not good practice.
Choosing Between Different Types of Uninterruptible Power Supply
By: Alison Campbell | 13/04/2008 | ComputersUninterruptible power supply is becoming increasingly important as business managers struggle with the reality that mains electricity may not be reliable enough to support today's dynamic business environments. But what is a UPS and what's the difference between one and the next? This article outlines the basics:
Choosing a Ups Provider is About More Than Just Hardware
By: Alison Campbell | 29/02/2008 | ComputersThe relationship you have with your UPS provider can be as critical to the success of your installation as the hardware itself. Choose the right provider and you could be in for a smooth ride towards cost-effective power protection. Choose the wrong one and the cost could be high in terms of both investment and reputation.