Uninterrupted power supply(UPS)

An uninterruptible power supply, also known as uninterruptible power

source, UPS or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power
to a load when the input power source or mains power fails. A UPS differs from an auxiliary
or emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide near-instantaneous
protection from input power interruptions, by supplying energy stored in batteries, supercapacitors,
or flywheels. The on-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short (only a
few minutes) but sufficient to start a standby power source or properly shut down the protected
equipment.
A UPS is typically used to protect hardware such as computers, data
centers, telecommunication equipment or other electrical equipment where an unexpected power
disruption could cause injuries, fatalities, serious business disruption or data loss. UPS units range
in size from units designed to protect a single computer without a video monitor (around 200voltampere rating) to large units powering entire data centers or buildings. The world's largest UPS, the
46-megawatt Battery Electric Storage System (BESS), in Fairbanks, Alaska, powers the entire city
and nearby rural communities during

Common power problems

The primary role of any UPS is to provide short-term power when the input power source fails.
However, most UPS units are also capable in varying degrees of correcting common utility power
problems:
1. Voltage spike or sustained overvoltage
2. Momentary or sustained reduction in input voltage
3. Noise, defined as a high frequency transient or oscillation, usually injected into the line by
nearby equipment
4. Instability of the mains frequency
5. Harmonic distortion, defined as a departure from the ideal sinusoidal waveform expected on
the line

Ups unit are divided into categories based on which of the above problem they address.

Technologies
The three general categories of modern UPS systems are on-line, line-interactive and standby. An
on-line UPS uses a "double conversion" method of accepting AC input,rectifying to DC for passing
through the rechargeable battery (or battery strings), then inverting back to 120 V/230 V AC for
powering the protected equipment. A line-interactive UPS maintains the inverter in line and redirects
the battery's DC current path from the normal charging mode to supplying current when power is
lost. In a standby ("off-line") system the load is powered directly by the input power and the backup
power circuitry is only invoked when the utility power fails. Most UPS below 1 kVA are of the lineinteractive or standby variety which are usually less expensive.
For large power units, Dynamic Uninterruptible Power Supplies (DUPS) are sometimes used. A
synchronous motor/alternator is connected on the mains via a choke. Energy is stored in a flywheel.
When the mains power fails, an eddy-current regulation maintains the power on the load as long as
the flywheel's energy is not exhausted. DUPS are sometimes combined or integrated with a diesel
generator that is turned on after a brief delay, forming a diesel rotary uninterruptible power
supply (DRUPS).
A fuel cell UPS has been developed in recent years using hydrogen and a fuel cell as a power
source, potentially providing long run times in a small space

Offline/standby
The offline/standby UPS (SPS) offers only the most basic features, providing surge protection and
battery backup. The protected equipment is normally connected directly to incoming utility power.
When the incoming voltage falls below or rises above a predetermined level the SPS turns on its
internal DC-AC inverter circuitry, which is powered from an internal storage battery. The UPS then
mechanically switches the connected equipment on to its DC-AC inverter output. The switchover
time can be as long as 25 milliseconds depending on the amount of time it takes the standby UPS to
detect the lost utility voltage. The UPS will be designed to power certain equipment, such as a
personal computer, without any objectionable dip or brownout to that device.

Line-interactive
The line-interactive UPS is similar in operation to a standby UPS, but with the addition of a multi-tap
variable-voltageautotransformer. This is a special type of transformer that can add or subtract
powered coils of wire, thereby increasing or decreasing the magnetic field and the output voltage of
the transformer. This is also known as a Buckboost transformer.
This type of UPS is able to tolerate continuous undervoltage brownouts and overvoltage surges
without consuming the limited reserve battery power. It instead compensates by automatically
selecting different power taps on the autotransformer. Depending on the design, changing the

autotransformer tap can cause a very brief output power disruption, [6] which may cause UPSs
equipped with a power-loss alarm to "chirp" for a moment.
This has become popular even in the cheapest UPSs because it takes advantage of components
already included. The main 50/60 Hz transformer used to convert between line voltage and battery
voltage needs to provide two slightly different turns ratios: One to convert the battery output voltage
(typically a multiple of 12 V) to line voltage, and a second one to convert the line voltage to a slightly
higher battery charging voltage (such as a multiple of 14 V). The difference between the two
voltages is because charging a battery requires a delta voltage (up to 1314 V for charging a 12 V
battery). Furthermore, it is easier to do the switching on the line-voltage side of the transformer
because of the lower currents on that side.
To gain the buck/boost feature, all that is required is two separate switches so that the AC input can
be connected to one of the two primary taps, while the load is connected to the other, thus using the
main transformer's primary windings as an autotransformer. The battery can still be charged while
"bucking" an overvoltage, but while "boosting" an undervoltage, the transformer output is too low to
charge the batteries.
Autotransformers can be engineered to cover a wide range of varying input voltages, but this
requires more taps and increases complexity, and expense of the UPS. It is common for the
autotransformer to cover a range only from about 90 V to 140 V for 120 V power, and then switch to
battery if the voltage goes much higher or lower than that range.
In low-voltage conditions the UPS will use more current than normal so it may need a higher current
circuit than a normal device. For example, to power a 1000-W device at 120 V, the UPS will draw
8.33 A. If a brownout occurs and the voltage drops to 100 V, the UPS will draw 10 A to compensate.
This also works in reverse, so that in an overvoltage condition, the UPS will need less current

Online/double-conversion
In an online UPS, the batteries are always connected to the inverter, so that no power transfer
switches are necessary. When power loss occurs, the rectifier simply drops out of the circuit and the
batteries keep the power steady and unchanged. When power is restored, the rectifier resumes
carrying most of the load and begins charging the batteries, though the charging current may be
limited to prevent the high-power rectifier from overheating the batteries and boiling off the
electrolyte. The main advantage of an on-line UPS is its ability to provide an "electrical firewall"
between the incoming utility power and sensitive electronic equipment.

The online UPS is ideal for environments where electrical isolation is necessary or for equipment
that is very sensitive to power fluctuations. Although it was at one time reserved for very large
installations of 10 kW or more, advances in technology have now permitted it to be available as a
common consumer device, supplying 500 W or less. The initial cost of the online UPS may be
higher, but its total cost of ownership is generally lower due to longer battery life. The online UPS
may be necessary when the power environment is "noisy", when utility power sags, outages and
other anomalies are frequent, when protection of sensitive IT equipment loads is required, or when
operation from an extended-run backup generator is necessary.
The basic technology of the online UPS is the same as in a standby or line-interactive UPS.
However it typically costs much more, due to it having a much greater current AC-to-DC batterycharger/rectifier, and with the rectifier and inverter designed to run continuously with improved
cooling systems. It is called a double-conversion UPS due to the rectifier directly driving the inverter,
even when powered from normal AC current.

Supply (UPS): Basic Circuit Diagram

The circuit drawn pertains to a regular industrial UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), which shows how
the batteries take control during an outage in electrical supply or variation beyond the normal limits of the
voltage line, without disruption on the operation providing a steady regulated output (5 Volts by LM7805)
and an unregulated supply (12 Volts).
The input to the primary winding of the transformer (TR1) is 240V. The secondary winding can be raised
up to 15 Volts if the value is at least 12 Volts running 2 amp. The fuse (FS1) acts as a mini circuit breaker
for protection against short circuits, or a defective battery cell in fact. The presence of electricity will cause
the LED 1 to light. The light of LED will set off upon power outage and the UPS battery will take over
The circuit was designed to offer more flexible pattern wherein it can be customized by using different
regulators and batteries to produce regulated and unregulated voltages. Utilizing two 12 Volt batteries in
series and a positive input 7815 regulator, can control a 15V supply.
Industrial UPS are generally categorized as:
Standby battery backup and surge protection

Line Interactive variable-voltage transformer and regulates the input AC voltage

Online supplies all or at least a part of the output power

Basic Block Diagram Of UPS

References
"Electricity storage: Location, location, location and cost - Battery storage for transmission support in
Alaska". Ei.gov. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

High reliability single-phase

uninterruptible power
Supply
INTRODUCTION
If we need to supply clean and uninterrupted power to equipment in critical
applications, under essentially any normal or abnormal utility power conditions,
including outages for up to 15 min, we will use an uninterruptible power supplies
(UPSs). Such critical applications are: Computers, industrial controls, life support
systems, etc. In order to be able to supply power in the absence of input to the
power source, the UPS employs some form of bulk energy-storage mechanism. Most
UPS systems use batteries, usually lead acid, as bulk energy-storage mechanism.
Other schemes may employ the mechanical inertia of a large flywheel coupled to
the shaft of a rotating machine or the stored magnetic energy in the field of a superconducting coil. The most widely used storage devices are maintenance free gel
batteries because of their portability and low maintenance requirements .The
conversion process between ac and dc storage is typically electronic consists of a
rectifier/charger a battery set, an inverter, and a static switch (bypass). Figure 1
shows the block diagram of a typical on-line UPS. UPS systems are classified into
three types: Static, rotary, hybrid static/rotary. The most commonly used are static
UPS systems. The main types of the static UPS systems are: On-line, off-line, and
line-interactive configurations. An ideal UPS should be able to deliver uninterrupted
power while simultaneously providing the necessary power conditioning for the
particular application. Comparing the three types of UPS systems (on-line, off-line,
and line-interactive), the most expensive and less reliable are on-line UPS systems.
In spite of these disadvantages, on-line UPS systems are irreplaceable in some
applications. In applications that need the input electrical energy to be continuously
provided, without any interruption, on-line UPS systems are the only one
appropriate because their transit time is null. This paper presents a method to
increase reliability and reduce the cost at the same time, for a single-phase on-line
low power UPS system, that could provide as output high quality electrical energy,
with low total harmonic distortion (THD). A single-phase on-line UPS system is
composed of the following electronic circuits: A single-phase rectifier/charger, a
battery set, an inverter

Figure 1. Block diagram of a typical on-line UPS system.

On-line uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

The charger continuously supplies the DC bus with power and its power rating is
required to meet 100% of the power demanded by the load as well as the power
demanded for charging the battery bank. The inverter is rated at 100% of the load
power because it must supply the load during the normal mode of operation but
also during the backup time. The main advantage of the online UPS systems is that
there is no transfer time associated with the transition from normal mode to stored
energy mode. The static switch provides redundancy of the power source in the
case of UPS malfunction or overloading. The AC line and load voltage must be in
phase in order to use the static switch. This can be achieved easily by locked-phase
control loop. There are three operating modes related to this topology: Normal
mode, stored energy mode, and bypass mode.

Normal mode of operation

During normal mode of operation, the power to the load is continuously supplied
via the rectifier/charger and inverter; a double conversion, that is, AC/DC and DC/AC
takes place . It allows very good line conditioning. The AC/DC converter charges the
battery set and supplies power to the load via the inverter, therefore it has the
highest power rating in this topology, increasing the cost. In this mode of operation,
the step-up voltage converter is not functional, but the single-phase rectifier, the
single-phase voltage inverter, and the step-down voltage converter are functioning.
Stored-energy mode of operation
The duration of this mode is the duration of the pre-set UPS backup time or until the
AC line returns within the pre-set tolerance. The inverter and the battery maintain
continuity of power to the load when the AC input voltage is outside the pre-set

tolerance (Popescu et al., 2004). When the AC line returns, a phase-locked loop
(PLL) makes the load voltage in phase with the input voltage and after that the UPS
system returns to the normal operating mode. In this mode of operation, the singlephase rectifier and the step-down voltage converter are not functioning but the
single-phase voltage inverter and the step-up voltage converter are functioning.
Bypass mode of operation
In case of an internal malfunction such as over-current, the UPS will operate in this
mode. This mode is also used for fault clearing. The output frequency should be the
same as the AC line frequency in order to ensure the transfer of power. In some
cases, there can be a maintenance bypass as well. A manual switch usually
operates it. The main advantages of on-line UPS are very wide tolerance to the input
voltage variation and very precise regulation of output voltage. In addition, there is
no transfer time during the transition from normal to stored energy mode. It is also
possible to regulate or change the output frequency. The main disadvantages of this
topology are low-power factor, high THD at the input, and low efficiency. The input
current is distorted by the rectifier unless an extra power factor correction, but this
adds to the cost of the UPS system. The on-line UPS cannot efficiently utilize the
utility.
Concept of reduced-parts converters applied to single-phase on-line UPS
systems
A typical single-phase on-line UPS system based on full bridge converters is shown
in Figure 2. If we replace in the single-phase on-line UPS system based on full-bridge
converters presented in Figure 2, the S2, S3 active switches of the RFC rectifier, the
S7, S8 active switches of the inverter and their command circuits with C1, C2
capacitors will obtain a more reliable and cheap single-phase on-line UPS system.
Applying the concept of reducing the number of switches to the UPS system , based
on full-bridge converters naturally leads to the UPS systems based on half-bridge.
The UPS system based on full-bridge converters has some advantages over the one
based on half-bridge converters: Better utilization of the DC-link voltage, two times
lower voltage stresses across the switches, and an option of zero state for the
switches, which allows using more advanced control strategies. These advantages
make the UPS system from Figure 2 the preferable choice for medium and highpower applications. The disadvantage is that it has a large number of switches. It
also requires an isolation transformer at the back-end, which is bulky, heavy and
expensive. This is why the UPS system based on half-bridge converters from Figure
3 is the preferable choice for low-power applications. It not only has two times lower
the number of switches than the UPS topology from Figure 2, but it also has a
common neutral for the input and the output, eliminating the need for an isolation
transformer. One of the most important features of UPS systems is their reliability
and availability. The component that influences these characteristics most
considerably is the battery. There are two options for connecting batteries in UPS

systems. The first is to connect them directly in parallel with the DC-link capacitors,
which leads to several problems, such as: Space, cost, reliability, and safety issues.
The second is to add a bi-directional DC/DC converter. An on-line UPS system, based
on half-bridge converters using a bidirectional DC/DC converter is shown in Figure 4.
During the normal mode of operation, the buck converter charges the battery bank
and at the same time the power to the load is continuously supplied from the AC
line through the rectifier, to the inverter, and finally to the load. Switches S1 to S5
are active, while switch S6 is idle. The S1, S2 active switches and the L1 inductor
are part of the RFC rectifier which role is to reduce distortions introduced in the
public electrical network by the single phase on-line UPS system. During the storedenergy mode of operation, when the AC input voltage is beyond a pre-set tolerance,
switch Sin disconnects the UPS system from the grid. The DC/AC inverter and the
battery bank maintain continuity of power to the load. Since the battery voltage is
low, it first requires to be boosted to a high DC voltage for proper operation of the
DC/AC inverter. Switch S6 is active during this operation mode as well as the
inverters switches S3 and S4. The rectifier does not work during this mode and its
switches S1 and S2 are idle.
Conclusions
After many simulations with different (R and R-L) resistive
and inductive loads, we concluded that the proposed
single-phase on-line UPS system can deliver at the
output a high quality voltage, and to create at the input a
high power factor, while the number of active switches
was reduced and the transformer was eliminated. The
reliability of the system was improved; the cost, weight
and volume of the system were reduced; and last but not
least, the proposed on-line UPS system despite other
UPS systems has the advantage of a null transit time.
The input AC voltage Vs and current I(L1) in Figure 6
show that the input current I(L1) is a sine wave in phase
with the input voltage resulting in excellent power
factor.
REFERENCES
Lascu D (2004). Techniques and circuits for active power factor
correction, Editura de Vest, Timisoara, pp. 82-83.
Erickson RW, Maksimovic D (2001). Fundamentals of power

Diesel rotary uninterruptible power supply

Most forms of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can be either powered by battery or flywheel
energy. These are ready for immediate use at the instant that the mains electricityfails, but the small

amount of stored energy they contain makes them suitable for a few seconds or minutes of use only.
To get uninterruptible and continuous power supply, a diesel-generator back-up system is needed
Diesel rotary uninterruptible power supply devices (DRUPS) combine the functionality of a
battery-powered or flywheel-powered UPS and a diesel generator. When mains electricity supply is
within specification, an electrical generator with a mass functions as motor to store kinetic energy in
an electro-mechanical flywheel. In combination with a reactor or choke coil, the electrical generator
also works as active filter for all sorts of power quality problems, like harmonics, RFI, and frequency
variations. When mains electricity supply fails, stored energy in the flywheel is released to drive the
electrical generator, which continues to supply power without interruption. At the same time (or with
some delay, for example 2 to 11 seconds, to prevent the diesel engine from starting at every
incident), the diesel engine takes over from the flywheel to drive the electrical generator to make
the electricity required. The electro-magnetic flywheel can continue to support the diesel generator in
order to keep a stable output frequency. Typically a DRUPS will have enough fuel to power the load
for days or even weeks in the event of failure of the mains electricity supply.
The main advantages of DRUPS equipment compared to battery-powered UPS combined with a
diesel-generator are the higher overall system energy efficiency, smaller footprint, use of fewer
components, longer technical lifetime (no use of power electronics) and the fact it does not result in
chemical waste (no use of batteries).[citation needed]
The main disadvantages of DRUPS equipment are a more frequent maintenance regimen due to the
number of moving parts.[1] DRUPS are also typically installed in external buildings due to noise
concerns from the generators.
A DRUPS can provide a ride-through time of 1540 seconds. A flywheel UPS can be installed ahead
of typical UPS battery systems to reduce the effects of lightning & switching transients and to
increase battery life.

References
1.

'UPS systems - A question of UPS architecture: static or rotary?'

2. Jump up^ POWER & COMMUNICATION: 'Flywheel UPS Require Less Maintenance' by Greg
Livengood - February 2010
3. Jump up^ Improving Process Control Immunity To Supply Voltage Sags In Petroleum And Chemical
Industries, Proceedings from the Twentieth National Industrial Energy Technology Conference,
Houston, TX, April 22-23, 1998

APC Smart-UPS
The Smart-UPS is a series of enterprise-level uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) made
by American Power Conversion (APC).[1] Most of the units have a SmartSlot (with the exception of
SC and SMC series) which accepts an optional interface card providing features ranging from
network connectivity to temperature and humidity monitoring.[2] With the exception of RT and SRT
series, Smart-UPS units are line-interactive UPS systems, only running their inverters when the grid
power is unavailable.

Models
There are a few different variations in the Smart-UPS lineup

Model

Smart-UPS

Characteristics

The standard model, with true sine-wave inverter output. Later known as the
Smart-UPS SMT.

A simplified version of the Smart-UPS, based on Back-UPS architecture with

Smart-UPS SC

no SmartSlot expansion and withmodified sine wave output. It is incompatible

with many active PFC PC power supplies.[3]

Smart-UPS SMC

Smart-UPS XL

An economy version of the Smart-UPS SMT, with no SmartSlot expansion and

with a simplified LCD display. It outputs a pure sinewave.

An "extended run" series, with an Anderson Powerpole DC connector allowing

up to 10 external battery packs to be daisy-chained to the main unit.

Smart-UPS RT,

A online/double-conversion variant providing no switchover delay during a

Smart-UPS SRT

power loss.

Smart-UPS VT

Uses three-phase power

Management software

All Smart-UPS units work with APC's proprietary PowerChute software which is available for
a variety of operating systems.

A free alternative to PowerChute is the Free software project APC UPS Daemon (Apcupsd),
which supports Linux, Mac OS X, UNIX and Microsoft Windows operating systems and can run
in stand alone or client-server modes.

Legacy Smart-UPS (Not SMX, SMT, or SURTD series [4]) can also work with Network UPS
Tools (NUT), a third party application, under Linux.[5] The software is designed to safely and
automatically shut down any connected computers before the batteries are depleted.

Data interfaces

As a way to provide UPS management, monitoring and automatic shutdown of attached equipment,
all Smart-UPS models include at least one serial data interface (RS-232 or USB), while most models
also have at least one SmartSlot expansion port, with the larger (and in many cases older) SmartUPS models supporting two SmartSlots. Availability of more SmartSlots in a single Smart-UPS unit
can be achieved via expansion modules such as the AP9600 and AP9604 models. [6][7] Installing an
add-on card into a SmartSlot will provide the UPS with additional features, capable beyond the
default serial data interface.
Early SmartSlot cards, such as the AP9605, provide SNMP functionality and Telnet access.[8] The
AP9606 and later cards add a web interface that can be used to configure and administer the UPS,
as well as email-based alerting. The AP9617 and newer cards add10/100Base-T connectivity,
Secure HTTP, Secure Shell (SSH), RADIUS, SNMP Version 3, PCNS and syslog functionalities.
[9]

The AP9612, AP9618, AP9619 and AP9631 models provide environmental monitoring when used

together with APC temperature/humidity probes.[10][11][12] The AP9618 model also provides out-of-band
management via a modem connection in case the 10/100 Ethernetconnection is down.
SmartSlot cards remain powered by the battery even when the UPS is switched off, allowing the
UPS to be remotely cold-started even in a power loss situation (providing the network infrastructure
is still powered up and functioning). The cards will also continue to work for a short while after the
UPS has been switched off either manually or due to a low battery condition. [citation needed]

Beginning with the 2009 release of the SMT models (and later SMX and SURTD models), the old
RS-232 data interface (a serial port with DB-9 connector) has been replaced with a 10pin RJ50 socket and an RJ50-to-DB-9 cable connecting to the protected computer's serial port
(together with a standard USB interface[13]). Also, SmartSlot interface has been electrically modified
in a backward-incompatible way and appropriately keyed mechanically. As stated by APC, "the new
connection arrangement denotes the new signalling systems." [citation needed] These new serial and
SmartSlot interfaces use the new Microlink signalling protocol which, unlike the previous APC
protocol UPSLINK, as of April 2015 has not been publicly documented. However, using the new
AP9620 interface card, users are able to add support for the previous signalling protocol to the
newer SMT and SMX models. Addition of this card makes the current models backwards compatible
with older software built for the older Smart-UPS series.
As of August 2013, an additional option has been made available in form of new firmware for certain
SMT and SURTD models, adding publicly documented Modbus signalling capability to the
proprietary Microlink protocol, allowing third-party developers to support UPS signalling and control
on the newer Smart-UPS series.[14][15]