Online UPS: Ensuring Quality Voltage Output for Sensitive Electrical Devices
There are many electrical devices that are highly susceptible to even small variations in frequency and voltage and may start to malfunction or get completely damaged. There are variety of power protection solutions available in the market that provide varying degree of protection against common power problems encountered such as brownouts, blackouts, harmonics, voltage surge, sags or spikes. However, only online UPS is capable of handling all the power problems mentioned above. In the UK, mission critical processes make use of online UPS systems in conjunction with generators to safeguard sensitive electrical devices.
Depending on the topology, which is contingent on the environment in which a power system is needed to operate, UPS systems could be broadly divided into three major categories: Offline (VFD type), Line Interactive, and Online. All of these three types differ from each other in terms of design, working mechanism, load type handled, power factor correction ability, output voltage quality, power protection capability, and cost. Depending on the power requirements and the associated electrical load sensitivity, any one of these systems could be used.
When it comes to Offline and Line-interactive UPS systems, the transfer of load from the mains to the UPS is completed with the help of power transfer switches. On the other hand, on-line UPS system with the purpose of providing near instantaneous power transfer does not make use of power transfer switches and always have rectifier, battery and inverter connected together. Both, Line-interactive & Online uninterruptible power supply systems are extensively used in the UK for industrial projects.
When the mains power is present, online uninterruptible power supply system lets it pass through the rectifier to the power factor correction (PFC) circuit which reduces the harmonics present in the signal and ensures that the sinusoidal current waveform is in phase with the voltage waveform. The inverter then changes the DC back to the sinusoidal AC which is then fed to the attached load. During this time the battery continuously gets charged through the battery charger circuit.
In the event the mains power is absent or is out of the specified voltage range, the rectifier automatically goes out of the circuit and the battery starts to power the inverter that changes the DC into AC and provides near instantaneous sinusoidal voltage to the attached load. Once the mains power is back on, the rectifier comes back to the circuit and the battery starts to get charged through the charger circuit.
Depending on the topology, which is contingent on the environment in which a power system is needed to operate, UPS systems could be broadly divided into three major categories: Offline (VFD type), Line Interactive, and Online. All of these three types differ from each other in terms of design, working mechanism, load type handled, power factor correction ability, output voltage quality, power protection capability, and cost. Depending on the power requirements and the associated electrical load sensitivity, any one of these systems could be used.
When it comes to Offline and Line-interactive UPS systems, the transfer of load from the mains to the UPS is completed with the help of power transfer switches. On the other hand, on-line UPS system with the purpose of providing near instantaneous power transfer does not make use of power transfer switches and always have rectifier, battery and inverter connected together. Both, Line-interactive & Online uninterruptible power supply systems are extensively used in the UK for industrial projects.
When the mains power is present, online uninterruptible power supply system lets it pass through the rectifier to the power factor correction (PFC) circuit which reduces the harmonics present in the signal and ensures that the sinusoidal current waveform is in phase with the voltage waveform. The inverter then changes the DC back to the sinusoidal AC which is then fed to the attached load. During this time the battery continuously gets charged through the battery charger circuit.
In the event the mains power is absent or is out of the specified voltage range, the rectifier automatically goes out of the circuit and the battery starts to power the inverter that changes the DC into AC and provides near instantaneous sinusoidal voltage to the attached load. Once the mains power is back on, the rectifier comes back to the circuit and the battery starts to get charged through the charger circuit.