Uninterruptible Power System

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) 

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that allows a computer to keep running for at least a short time when the primary power source is lost. It also provides protection from power surges. 

A UPS contains a battery. that “kicks in” when the device senses a loss of power from the primary source. If you are using the computer when the UPS notifies you of the power loss, you have time to save any data you are working on and exit gracefully before the secondary power source (the battery) runs out. When all power runs out, any data in your computer’s random access memory (RAM) is erased. When power surges occur, a UPS intercepts the surge so that it doesn’t damage the computer. 

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can range from a 9 volt battery all the way to an extremely large and costly battery system. The UPS sits between a power supply such as a wall outlet and a device like a computer to prevent undesired features that can occur within the power source such as outages, sags, surges, and bad harmonics from the supply to avoid a negative impact on the device. There are several types of UPSes as they strictly relate to computers. The standby UPS is a battery backup to fill in the void of power loss, while the ferroresonant stand by couples the battery back up with the power supply by a transformer, where the transformer acts as a buffer from the power supply to the stand by supply. The line interactive UPS uses an inverter converter only, with a power supply the stand by battery is charged up, and with a loss of the primary power supply, the inverter converter switches over to the battery back up with a much quicker switching time that the stand by UPS. 

UPS History 

No one really knows who created UPS, when it was created, and where it was created. There are no definitive answers to that question. In fact, industry insiders say that no one person can claim to have created a UPS device. A number of scientists had theories and conducted research on the subject. The idea had existed in the community for quite some time before it was given form. 

The first UPS was patented by a scientist named John Hanley, only it wasn’t called an Uninterruptible Power Supply at the time. Hanley gave the device the lofty name of Apparatus for Maintaining an Unfailing and Uninterrupted Supply of Electrical Energy. We think that’s an apt definition of UPS but a rather cumbersome name, but the acronym would’ve been cheeky and hilarious. Imagine calling a UPS an AMUUSEE-it would be rather amusing. 

Modern UPSs are a far cry from the devices that existed back in the day. The very first UPSs consisted of a flywheel that would provide short bursts of backup power. This rotary system was inefficient and wouldn’t have been able to support modern servers and databanks. After all, the rotary UPS only provided backup. It didn’t offer much surge protection. 

Some Small Facts about UPS 

If you plan to purchase a UPS, it’s a good idea to know a little more about it. Here are some facts that would help you make the right purchase decision. 

• There are three different types of UPS available in the market, including online double-conversion, offline-standby, and line-interactive. 
• The batteries of the online double-conversion UPS are always connected to your inverter. This means that there’s no need for power transfer switches. This is the most expensive UPSs available in the market but you get what you pay for. It’s safe to use and protects your devices and systems well. 
• The offline-standby UPS is ideal for homes and small businesses. You just have to make a small investment and get basic features like surge protection and some battery backup. This device is the most affordable of all UPSs available in the market. 
• The line-interactive UPS has a variable-voltage auto transformer and works like the standby UPS. It also offers the basic surge protection and backup you expect from a UPS but it’s slightly more efficient than the offline-standby UPS.