PEE

ROBIN KOFFLER ASSESSES THE MERITS OF TWO DIFFERENT ON-LINE

UPS TECHNOLOGIES
otal power loss can be one of the most
devastating events for any business.
Critical systems can no longer function,
manufacturing ceases and, perhaps worst of
all, crucial data is at risk. The solution is at
T hand however, by specifying a suitable
uninterruptible power system (UPS). But, with so
many different alternatives to choose from, which is
most appropriate for your circumstances?
Nowadays, the traditional transformer-based on-
line UPS is being usurped by the latest transformerless
design, at power ratings below 40kVA. The advent of
sophisticated microprocessor controlled electronics
and advancements in power electronics have allowed
UPS manufacturers to produce ever more capable
devices at lower costs. And, because the latest breed of
transformerless on-line UPSs dispense with
conventional bulky and heavy transformers, they offer
34 I EE POWER ENGINEER I J UNE/J ULY 2003
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Power management
a highly compact and cost-effective solution for many
modern power protection environments.
Make no mistake, in most circumstances these
smaller, lighter and lower cost UPSs offer an ideal
solution for any organisation looking to provide back
up power for their computer and telecoms equipment.
As with most things, however, there is a trade off
between certain characteristics, some of which are an
essential consideration for particular applications,
while others assume a lesser importance.
An average transformerless on-line UPS with a
reasonable specification can provide adequate power
protection for a wide range of critical devices. Because
of the recent proliferation of transformerless UPSs,
most customers will be able to find a suitable device
within their budget, boasting a specification that
appears to meet their needs. However, comparative
specifications can be misleading and users that operate
in high risk mission critical sectors such as telecoms
and military environments, or those operating highly
sensitive equipment such as mobile communications
base stations and file servers, should examine exactly
what they require from their UPS, before committing
to a particular technology
Briefly, a transformer-based on-line UPS boasts
several intrinsic advantages compared to the more
recent transformerless technology For many years,
experienced electrical engineers have been aware of
the fact that transformerless UPS devices are
susceptible to interference from spikes and transients
caused by a variety of devices such as photocopiers,
laser printers and motors. The dirty mains that this
produces can be transferred through a UPS,
and feeds the connected load. This
5
installations (BS-EN 60601 and 61558-2) require that
critical devices be connected through a Galvanic
Isolation transformer, rather than directly to the raw
mains.
Any electrical installation that requires the utmost
reliability needs to deploy proven solutions to
minimise the likelihood of potential equipment
failure. One of the major advantages of transformer-
based UPS devices is their higher mean time before
failure (MTBF). Because these devices use traditional
electrical engineering principles instead of a high
concentration of electronic components, they are
inherently more reliable than a corresponding
electronic circuit board assembly
employ sophisticated electronic
circuitry to mimic the on-line
characteristics of a transformer-
based device, as well as
providing suitable standards /
of mains filtering. As such,
they can be more prone to
failure on sites where
By contrast, transformerless UPSs
,
it can do nothing to improve the quality
of raw mains that can be variable to say the least.
I n contrast, because the transformer itself
constitutes a physical barrier, a transformer-based on-
line UPS completely isolates the load from the worst
vagaries of the mains supply Therefore, in
circumstances where the load is likely to be affected by
a very large variation in its power supply, a
transformer-based UPS provides a safer and more
robust solution than transformerless technology-
simply because its size and construction affords some
inertia between the input and output waveforms, with
no additional electronic filtering required.
Also, because transformer-based UPSs inherently
contain Galvanic Isolation, the power supply fed to the
load is invariably superior to the mains supply itself.
This attribute alone can be a major consideration for a
number of crucial applications and installations. In
fact, the latest electrical standards for medical
within industrial and/or critical environments such as
medical and transportation infrastructure.
However, it should still be noted that, because
transformerless designs use plug-in circuit boards,
they are actually quicker to repair than transformer-
based units. In contrast, faults with transformer-based
designs can be more difficult to diagnose on-site.
Of course there are some very compelling reasons to
specify a transformerless UPS. Among these is the fact
that conventional transformer-based uninterruptible
power systems are significantly larger than their
transformerless brethren. The main reason for this is
that the transformer itself takes up a large amount of
space within the cabinet, which results in the
transformer-based UPS being significantly heavier,
and therefore not as convenient or portable as the
transformerless variant. +
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Moreover, transformer-based uninterruptible power transformer-based device. This is why several
systems operate typically 10% less efficiently than transformerless on-line UPS manufacturers offer
their transformerless stable mates, as the transformer additional cabinets to house filters and isolation
itself causes heat to build up within the vicinity of the transformers so that their systems can approach the
device, leading to greater care in terms of airflow and benefits required for industrial and heavily polluted
air conditioning. Some transformerless on-line UPSs environments.
also incorporate an extra economy mode to further In addition, a traditional transformer-based UPS
boost efficiency up to 99%. will prove more reliable over an extended period than
The potential anti-social characteristics of the sophisticated but sensitive electronic component based
transformer-based UPSs are heightened by the noise filters. This makes the transformerless UPS more
they can make -frequently a loud and intrusive suitable for circumstances where the incoming mains
hum- which can often be compounded by their cooling supply is less polluted. Equally, they are more suited to
fan noise. In practice this means that modern office-based environments
this type of UPS is often unsuitable for
THE USERS HAVE
where cost and footprint are more
siting in an office or small computer and significant considerations, and where
telecoms rooms, particularly where the TO BALANCE the UPS may be likely to be sited in full
levels of noise and heat emitted might view of employees and visitors alike.
cause a problem for staff.
AND Of course, there are certain situations
Transformerless UPSs are quieter in TERM BENEFITS where a transformerless UPS will have
operation, and run considerably cooler. , , an advantage. For example, where there
Conversely, the heat and noise generated
by transformer-based UPSs makes them significantly
less efficient in operation than transformerless
devices. This makes them more costly to run, with a
higher current drain than the electronic switching
circuitry in a transformerless UPS.
Although transformerless UPSs are more complex
in design, because the majority of components are
electronic, they are cheaper to manufacture than the
transformer-based variety Rather like mass-produced
electronics, many transformerless UPS manufacturers
can take advantage of significant economies of scale in
their manufacturing processes, further reducing the
costs of designing, developing and producing this type
of uninterruptible power supply. Transformer-based
UPS devices differ significantly, in that they are more
specialist electrical items, and therefore cannot benefit
to the same degree from mass produced off the shelf
electronic components. This makes them typically
up to 30% more expensive to purchase than
transformerless devices.
What this suggests therefore is that, while the
transformer-based UPS might be the ideal choice in
certain circumstances, economic considerations,
together with issues of space and environmental
impact, may sway the decision towards a
transformerless model. There is no doubt that
transformer-based devices are ideal for sites
that experience heavily polluted mains supplies -
particularly industrial, rural and complex
infrastructure locations, such as hospitals. In these
circumstances, any UPS would be expected to offer
dependable long-term protection from repetitive
transients and electrical noise.
Despite containing sophisticated electronic circuits
that smooth out such anomalies, transformerless UPSs
cannot fully isolate the load from the mains, unlike a
are sudden step load changes on the UPS,
a transformerless device can react immediately while a
transformer-based unit will take a little time to
respond. Whether this dynamic weakness affects
the load depends very much on its individual
characteristics.
In addition, a transformerless unit can provide
input power factor correction capabilities as an
integral part of its electronic circuitry This is a major
advantage for certain types of load. In this case, power
factor leading or lagging can be caused by the
connected load, which a transformer-based UPS tends
to delay As such, this type of UPS requires a separate
filter or power factor correction device.
The corollary of this is that-because of the
principle of Galvanic Isolation - a transformer-based
unit is incapable of generating DC current that might
be passed to the connected load. In contrast, a
transformerless UPS will pass on the DC current.
Because DC current causes up to a lox heating effect
compared to an alternating current, this inevitably
stresses the unit. Additionally, a transformer-based
UPS will allow a load that has a high neutral current
requirement to take such a current, by simply passing
this through from its input.
In summary, therefore, choosing the most suitable
UPS for your needs is rather like deciding between a
diesel and petrol car. When selecting the right
technology to employ, the user has to balance short and
long term benefits against budget and overall life cycle
costs. Consultation from a supplier that can offer an
impartial recommendation from both technologies
should lead to the adoption of a secure and robust
power solution.
Robin Koffler i s general manager of UPS manufacturer
Riello Galatrek. R.koffler@riello-ups.co.uk
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