The Power When None Other…

UPS as name suggests Uninterrupted Power Supply has become an integral part of the
Computer Peripherals business. Open any Computer magazine today & you are bound to
find either few advertisements or information pertaining to UPS. Moreover, power failure
due to load shedding has increased its value manifold. This is all the more true for Pune
which is believed to be having more than 250 UPS manufacturers & the number is
growing. Apart from some reputed names who have established themselves in the market
after considerable time, rest of market comprises of new local vendors offering similar
product but it is very difficult to judge their credibility. Since the dealer / reseller segment
Is one of the most important link in the channel business they form the main target to push
the product. With so many UPS manufacturers in the arena, the market has definatly
become very competitive, promotion is aggressive & the marketing techniques applied are
brilliant. But does it disturb the integrity of the product? HOW DO WE SELECT THE
BEST UPS? To find an answer to this question first let us understand UPS: UPS are
available in 3 types: 1. Offline UPS: [Range- 500VA to 2KVA] Named as Offline UPS
because the battery / inverter are not supplying power directly to the load. Only when the
utility fails the switch transfers to the inverter which than stares supplying power to the
load. The total transfer time is less than 8 milliseconds@60Ha & 10 milliseconds at
50Hz.Generally acceptable for most electrical loads. The major problem associated with
off-line technologies the total time required to measure, decide & transfer. During the
required time to make these decision & act, most line voltage deviations pass directly
through the UPS to the critical load without being processed at all. Off-line
[also Called Stand-by ] is a cost effective choice for small , non-critical stand alone
applications for example , isolated PCs & peripherals , while these computers can be
connected to a network , communications are usually not necessary & a stand by UPS
provides sufficient back-up. This type of UPS typically powers the load from the utility
input when available, but switches to the inverter [supplied by the battery] when the utility
fails. Stand by UPS includes a battery charger to maintain the charge. 2. Line Interactive
UPS: [Range – 500Va to KVA] A well designed Line Interactive UPS utilizes the bi-
directional inverter to perform two function namely to run the load & to charge the battery.
As the name implies, the inverter “ interacts ” with the utility to maintain nominal output
voltage to the load .An ability to interact with the utility supply improves the overall UPS
performance over that off line products. Line ineractive UPS devices offer protection
against wide input voltage swings. 3. Online UPS systems:
[Range – 500 VA to more than 500 KVA] Online UPS systems are normally applicable or
higher end utilities. They are generally supplied with metering, which varies from vendor
to vendor, & its purpose is to provide information about various parameters. Line
interactive UPS systems on the other hand are generally supplied without metering.
SALIENT FEATURS OF ONLINE UPS: ~ True Online, double conversation & a good
output crest ratio ~ High input power factor enables use of lower capacity generators. ~
Widest ever input voltage window to save battery & extend their life. ~
Expandable batteries. Three steps charger control design allows customer to use any type
of battery. ~ Wide software compatibility, Novell, Unix, Win/98, NT [Optional].
~ Graceful automatic, unattended system shutdown & start-up. ~ Full fledged display for
battery charge condition. ~ Small footprint saves valuable floor space. ~ Single board
design with diagnostic LED’s enables easy servicing. ~ UPS can be use as a CVCF source
without any modification. ~ Microprocessor controlled UPS, Single chip micro controller
based control with lots features built-in. ~ Mosfet / IGBT Based Inverters. Look for these
options in online UPS systems: - Static bypasses the switch: By using this, whenever the
UPS fails, the load stand-by system: In this arrangement two UPS systems are required.
Whenever one UPS fails, the load is transferred to the other within five milliseconds.
Parallel redundant system: In this arrangement both UPS systems work in parallel,
sharing equal load. Whenever one UPS fails, the load is transferred to other UPS without
any break. Technical Features: Input Voltage: The input voltage of the UPS system is AC
voltage .The input voltage is normally 230V, single – phase & 415V, three phase. Most
popular UPS systems are designed at + 20 per cent of the input range, i.e. these are
capable of working on voltages between 158V & 275V single-phase. For UPS systems up
to 75 KVA, a single-phase UPS is better than three phase. Input Frequency: Frequency is
the number of voltage cycles per second. The normal frequency in India is 50 Hz, while in
the US it is 60 Hz. That is why some of the some of the imported appliances work on 60
Hz. Normally, input frequency variations on mains I between 47 & 53 Hz. When the UPS
system is working on a generator, the frequency variation is much higher, & is dependent
upon the quality of the generator. Most UPS systems designed in India are capable of
working on a generator.
In imported systems, or the ones that use imported PCBs, the systems start working in
battery mode whenever the frequency variation is beyond 47-53Hz. Output Voltage:
Normally, the output of an UPS system is 230V. Output regulation: This is the percentage
of change in output voltage with respect to changes in either the input voltage or change of
load from no load to full load. For e.g. + 1 percent regulation at 230V means the output
voltage should be between 227.7V & 23203V. The output regulation for online UPS
systems is generally 1 percent or a maximum of 2 percent. For line interactive UPS
systems, it is normally + 7 percent on mains mode in most systems. Output frequency is
50 Hz. In the days when AC drives were used, output frequency variation was a critical
factor. Today, however, an output frequency variation up to + 3 Hz does not affect the
functioning of computers. Output waveform: The output waveform of online UPS system
is sinusoidal [sine wave] , & for line interactive UPS systems is generally quasi sine
wave . Output Distortion: The Output distortion is measured generally in percentage. In
the online UPS system the output distortion is generally below five percent, while ina line
interactive UPS system the output distortion is higher because of the type of waveform.
Efficiency: Efficiency is the ratio between output power input power, & is an important
parameter in a UPS system. Higher efficiency means lower losses & electricity
consumption, because of which heat dissipation is also lower. Power factor: This the
capability of system to be able to deliver inductive / reactive load. Power is at ‘ Unity ’
when the liner resistive load is connected. However, in most systems the inductive type
load is between 0.8 & unity, & this power factor takes care of computer loads. Transient
response: Whenever load, is switched on from no load to full load or vice versa, the output
voltage varies. Transient response is the time taken by the system to correct the output
voltage range within the output voltage range. For UPS systems, where the inverter
efficiency is low or bulky filters are used, the transient response is poor. In PWM systems,
since the filters are of a very small size, the output voltage generally remains within 230 V
+ 1 percent & transient recovery is between 3 & 5 Cycles, i.e. less than 60–100
milliseconds. Some UPS systems come with auto shutdown software these days. This
software helps to display the status of power failure, the system communicates with the
computer so that it saves the data & trips the UPS. The warranty period varies from 1 year
to 5 years at the discretion of the vendors. After considering the technicalities & basic
parameters required, selecting the best UPS need not be a big question anymore without
compromising on quality, services or price in the right order.