Phoenix Contact DC UPS

More Information about Phoenix Contact DC UPSs

The tough design and long-lasting constitution of Phoenix Contact DC uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) make them perfect for the harsh industrial world. They perform at their best in the kinds of temperatures, with the amount of noise, and through the shakes and shudders that are common in factories, plants, and anything that we put the "industrial" moniker on. Moreover, these long-lasting systems have a long service life, and they work hard during the time they are with us.

Very often, these DC UPS devices can be smoothly incorporated into already-existing power infrastructure. As a result, they are easy to install and don't require a lot of disruption to the system when doing so. They can be used in a variety of wiring applications, and are often paired with batteries that have a long backup time. A lot of them can be mounted close to the end-use load (with or without the use of a battery closet). Flexibility in backup runtimes, mounting arrangements, and wiring practices are all reasons why the DC UPS is often the best choice for an emergency power solution in today's world.

Ensuring safety and protection is a top priority for Phoenix Contact DC UPSs. They have many protective devices built into them, the most important of which include overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, and short-circuit protection. This means that if any of these conditions exists, the UPS itself will not be damaged, and the loads it supports will also be protected from related electrical problems.

AC UPS vs DC UPS

An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) is an electrical device that provides backup power via a battery to a load when regular utility power has been lost. Depending on the UPS, some can provide protection against voltage spikes or power surges that help protect any equipment that is connected to the UPS. UPSs are not intended to be used for long periods of time. Typically, they are only used for short periods of time to provide critical backup power until an alternative power source can be provided.

When using an AC power supply, everything that is downstream of the UPS will be on battery backup in the event of a power failure. In many cases, the AC UPS will be wired somewhere at the beginning of the power distribution circuit to ensure that almost everything in the panel has battery backup in the event of power loss, including the DC power supply and all DC related hardware. Anything upstream of this UPS, will not have battery backup and will not function during a power failure.  

When using a DC UPS, the same principle will apply. Everything downstream of the DC UPS will remain energized in the event of a power failure, however, if the control panel has any AC powered devices, they will not receive any kind of battery backup in the even of a power failure. So in general, an AC power supply will protect more components within the panel. With that said, in most cases, AC UPSs are much larger and can take up a great deal of space in a control panel. Also, it is common to see control panels that have almost all of the critical hardware using DC power.  So, if space allows and there are various AC powered devices that need to remain running in the event of a power failure, an AC UPS would make a lot of sense. Conversely, if space is limited and there are no essential pieces of hardware requiring AC power, a DC UPS might be the better option.