
UPS Power Supply

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) provides backup power when the flow of electricity stops or drops to an inadequate voltage. Backup power can be provided for a specific amount of time, so that generators can be activated or network components can be properly shut down. Three types of UPS systems to choose from are: standby, line interactive and online.
Standby UPS provides short-term power during outages. During an outage, an inverter converts battery power to useable power for attached devices. When the outage is resolved, the UPS switches back to AC power, recharging the battery.
Line-interactive UPS protects devices from power outages, sags and surges, as well as under-voltage and over-voltage situations. In this design, the battery-to-AC power inverter is always connected to the output of the UPS. When the input AC power is normal, the inverter provides battery charging. Once the input power fails, the battery will provide power to the UPS output. This design offers additional filtering and reduces switching transients because the inverter is always on and connected to the output.
Online UPS accepts AC input, rectifies to DC for passing through the battery, then inverts back to 120 V/230 V AC for powering protected equipment. During a power failure, the rectifier will be bypassed and the battery will keep the power steady and unchanged.
UPS capacitors smooth out electrical voltage fluctuations. A typical UPS contains many different sizes and types of capacitors, some of which smooth out power supplied to the UPS processor and some that regulate the power that flows to the protected equipment.
Subcategories
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.
UPSs allow any electrical equipment connected to it to continue to run in the event of a power outage. For example, control cabinets in industrial applications can be kept running, making sure that the critical monitoring and controlling functions are not interrupted. UPSs allow enough time to save data on a computer that might be in jeopardy, due to a sudden power outage. UPSs can also act as a bridge while the backup generator is coming online and synchronizing with the electrical system.
Standby or offline UPSs work with equipment that is typically energized by utility power. When the voltage being received by the UPS falls below a certain level, the UPS switches the connected equipment to the inverter connected on the UPS. At this point, the UPS will begin providing backup power from the battery.
Online UPSs works with equipment that is constantly drawing power from the battery through the inverter, so no switching is necessary. In this case, utility power is only being used to keep the battery charged. This allows for much more seamless power usage during an outage.