We can source, design and manufacture all types of UPS systems, and portable power supplies. UPS stands for “Uninterruptible Power Supply” and are useful to prevent a computer system from crashing during a “brown out” event. But with the various improvements in technology, comes a new range of products that are useful instead of backup generators. We work with factories on these “state of the art” systems.

To reduce the risk of power supply distortion, a UPS system is often incorporated in electrical networks (UPS stands for uninterruptible power supply). In other words, they are constantly “hooked in” to the electrical grid, and when the power goes out, or there is a spike or brown out, the UPS backup “kicks in” and operates.

Contrary to popular understandings, the electrical lines that service your residential homes are factories are not clean and stable. They have “noise”, interruptions, jitters, and all sorts of voltage drops, and surges, harmonics, or voltage spikes. and current fluctuation. This is known as “Electrical power supply interference” and it can come in a range of forms.

These disruptions can cause serious harm to sensitive electrical equipment, particularly during the critical processing or production stages of an operation at a factory.

Manufacturers of electronic power supplies provide reliable, high-quality power flow for sensitive electrical load equipment. These systems are important and are commonly found in industrial processing applications, medical facilities, emergency equipment, telecommunications, and computerized data systems.

A UPS system can be a helpful tool for ensuring proper power supply performance.

Smoking Lion

We have been working with a number of factories that manufacture these devices. What began as simple back-up systems for personal computers evolved into a wide range of systems that maintains power supplies independent of the public power grid.

As a result we support a range of systems. These systems include such things as…

• UPS systems.
• Home supply backup systems.
• Portable generators with backup battery supplies.
• Power regulation and backup power.
• Cell phone power supplies and recharging systems.
• Custom-made systems for factories and public use.

Different Types of UPS

There are many different kinds and types of UPS systems. Some are large and can power a small town, while others are so small that they are only useful for small consumer appliances, such as cell-phones. Below is a brief overview of the different types of UPS available.

Industrial UPS

For use in industrial/manufacturing situations, such as plant facilities and factories. Industrial uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS Systems) include the primary (core) technologies to cover the unique needs of industrial equipment.

Our systems offer applications ranging from a few hundred watts to massive Multi-Mega Watt Parallel UPS installs inclusive of voltage regulations, voltage correction, sag correction, surge suppression and harmonic mitigation.

Continuity of process control is critical across a wide range of Industrial segments: Water/Waste Water, Biotech / Pharmaceutical, Transportation, Chemical, Food & Beverage, Semiconductor, Automotive, Renewable Energy.

The equipment utilized in these segments is often subjected to harsh environments. These environments include wide temperature ranges or difficult environments such as with elevated moisture and salt content.

We can offer a range of UPS solutions for industrial control applications including communication accessories for dry contact I/O, Modbus and network management.

Medical UPS

Used in hospitals and medical centers, Medical UPS systems are incredibly important, as they support life-support systems and other critical equipment. Modern Medical systems, especially hospital facilities, rely heavily on the continuous, uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to run equipment that saves lives and protects vital electronic data.

Even a brief interruption of electricity can be harmful to patients. Therefore the design of these types of UPS systems are particularly important.

You all might be interested that I was personally involved in the installation of a UPS power supply system in Pago Pago, American Samoa. This was at the American Samoa Medical Center, also known as Lbj Tropical Medical Center. It is a General Acute Care Hospital in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

(Normally, I am on the design and manufacturing end.) The island of Tutuila was amazingly beautiful. I have never seen such vibrant greens, blues and white clouds in my life.

Anyways, these particular units are unbelievably important to the successful operation of the Pago Pago hospital equipment during power outages and transmission problems.

Computer and Communication Systems

Found in server farms and web hosting sites, along with phone companies, computer/communication UPS is probably the most commonly known to the average person, but they range from those made for a home-office to those that  form the back-bone of large telecommunication companies.

These products can be large and involved…

To much smaller systems just large enough to power a cell phone or personal computer as needed…

Military Specification (MIL-SPEC)

Military grade UPS systems are certified for quality under the MIL-SPEC certification.  They are used in military operations throughout the world. Military Power Supplies, DC-DC Converters & DC-UPS Systems. All military power supplies meet or exceed MIL-SPEC reliability requirements, including MIL-STD-1399, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-901, MIL-STD-704 and other critical requirements.

High Temperature UPS Systems

As the name implies these systems are specially suited for high-temperature situations. These systems are designed to work in extreme environments and will operate reliably when the temperatures are either very cold, or outrageously hot. If you need a back up power supply at critical junctures, there is nothing better suited.

UPS Performance Characteristics – Features of a Power Supply

UPS systems may be necessary in situations where power fluctuations or outages frequently occur. That is because they can provide backup power. This is the power and circuitry that keeps vital systems operational in case the power supply is cut off.

Under conditions involving short fluctuations or voltage disruption, the UPS can maintain constant power to keep loads running. Further, if a serious electrical failure occurs, it activates reserve power to keep systems operating until they can be safely shut down.

In addition, these UPS systems can often also reduce the risk posed by harmonic disruptions and line transients. An effective UPS usually includes several of the following features: 

• Regulated output voltage with low harmonic distortion unaffected by input voltage or load changes
• An input current with reduced harmonic distortion
• A low degree of electromagnetic interference and acoustic noise
• Minimal transition times between normal and backup operations
• High levels of reliability and efficiency
• Relatively low cost, weight, and size requirements

Although most individual power supply systems cannot provide all of these features simultaneously, it is usually possible to find a UPS with the characteristics suited to an application’s needs.

Standby UPS

Standby UPS, also known as off-line or line-preferred UPS, typically consists of [1] an AC/DC and DC/AC inverter, [2] a battery, [3] a static switch, [4] a low pass filter to reduce switching frequency from the output voltage, and [5] a surge suppressor.

The standby system operates with the switch setting the AC input as a primary power source, then quickly alternating to the battery and inverter as backup sources in case of primary power failure.

The inverter normally remains on standby, only activating when the power fails and the transfer switch automatically switches the electrical load to the backup units. This type of UPS system provides a high degree of efficiency, small size, and relatively low costs, making it a common option for personal computing.

Standby Ferro UPS

The standby-Ferro UPS relies on a specialized saturating transformer with multiple power connections.

The primary power flows from the AC input, moving through the transformer and on to the output.

If there is a power failure, the transfer switch activates the inverter to pick up the output load. As in normal standby UPS systems, the inverter remains in standby mode, but the specialized Ferro transformer can provide some degree of voltage regulation and control over the output waveform.

Standby-Ferro systems are useful for their reliability and line filtering characteristics, however, their efficiency decreases when coupled with certain kinds of generators or computers, and the Ferro transformer itself carries the risk of voltage distortion and overheating.

Line Interactive UPS

In the line interactive design, the battery and AC power inverter are perpetually connected to the UPS output, and the battery can be charged by operating the inverter in reverse while AC power is set at normal levels.

In case of power failure, the transfer switch can shift electrical flow from the battery to the system output.

Because the inverter is continuously connected to the output, the UPS provides additional filtering and lowers the risk of switching transients. A tap-changing transformer is sometimes included in the line interactive UPS, and this allows it to provide voltage regulation that prevents the UPS from switching to battery power prematurely.

The line interactive design’s high levels of efficiency and reliability, as well as its relatively small size and low cost, make it well-suited for a range of uninterruptible power applications.

Double Conversion

Double conversion UPS systems are commonly used for higher voltage applications and they feature a configuration similar to those of standby units, but with a primary power path focused on the inverter rather than the AC main.

This type of UPS system takes virtually no time to transfer between modes because input AC power failure does not trigger the transfer switch.

Instead, the input AC charges the backup battery, which in turn powers the output inverter. This configuration results in highly efficient electrical power performance, but may cause long-term wear on components and can occasionally interfere with power wiring or standby generators.

Delta Conversion UPS

Delta Conversion is a relatively recent addition to the uninterruptible power supply industry. It was introduced as a solution to alleviate some of the disadvantages presented by double conversion systems.

Like the double-conversion design, the delta conversion UPS has an inverter continuously supplying load voltage, however, it also issues power to the inverter output.

Under power failure or electrical distortions, this UPS acts similarly to a double conversion unit, but provides more efficient energy performance by converting power from input to output rather than cycling between power and battery sources.

It is more compatible with generator systems and produces less heating and component wear. 

How do I size a UPS unit?

Your data center UPS sizing needs are dependent on a variety of factors. Develop configurations and determine the estimated UPS capacity that will meet your current and future needs.

So you need an uninterruptible power supply unit, but you’re having trouble sizing it. How do you figure it out? 

Some uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems are rated in kilowatts (kW) and others in kilo-volt-amperes (kVA). KW and kVA simply mean 1,000 watts (W) or 1,000 volt-amperes.

The basic rule of physics that watts = volts x amps is based on direct current circuits. Alternating current (AC) supplies buildings and equipment with energy. AC is more efficient for power companies to deliver, but when it hits the equipment’s transformers, it exhibits a characteristic known as reactance.

Reactance reduces the useable power (watts) that is available from the apparent power (volt-amperes). The ratio of these two numbers is called the power factor (PF). Therefore, the actual power formula for AC circuits is watts = volts x amps x power factor. Unfortunately, the PF is rarely stated for most equipment, but it is always a number of 1.0 or less, and about the only thing with a 1.0 PF is a lightbulb.

For years, large UPS systems were designed based on a PF of 0.8, which meant that a 100 kVA UPS would only support 80 kW of real power load.

The majority of large, commercial UPS systems are now designed with a PF of 0.9. This recognizes that most of today’s computing technology presents a PF of between 0.95 and 0.98 to the UPS. Some UPS systems are even designed with PFs of 1.0, which means the kVA and kW ratings are identical (100 kVA = 100 kW). However, since the IT load never presents a 1.0 PF, the actual load limit is the kVA rating for these UPS systems.

Regardless of how the ratings are stated, a 100 kVA UPS will never support an actual 100 kW load in the real world of the data center. The only way to really know how near you are to capacity is to read the UPS display. The Percent Load will tell you how close you are to the maximum in either kW or kVA, but be aware that this percentage will be displayed for the most heavily loaded phase, not for the total UPS capacity.

Large UPS systems are three-phase. In the U.S., you get 120 volts between any one of the phases and the neutral conductor, and you get 208 volts — not 220 or 240 — between any two phase conductors. In Europe, you get 230 or 240 volts between any phase and neutral. Connections aren’t made between phases. Unless the loads on all three phases are close to equal, you won’t be as close to maximum total capacity as the display says you are. You need to further check the loads on all three phases to determine that.

Take, for example, a 100 kVA UPS with a 0.9 PF, or 90 kW capacity. If Phase A is loaded to 95%, Phase B to 60% and Phase C to only 25%, the UPS will still have 40 kVA, or 36 kW, unused. That’s 40% of its capacity remaining, despite the 95% reading.

Neither the kW nor the kVA capacity of the UPS can be exceeded, but because of the higher PF numbers, it is usually the kW rating that governs today. There are, however, some UPS systems on the market that are PF-corrected so that the kW and kVA ratings are the same. 

Nameplate data on UPS systems

The biggest problem when figuring UPS unit sizing is determining their actual load.

Many data hardware manufacturers still provide inadequate or misleading power data on their equipment. Bigger manufacturers are usually linked to or have a configurator on their websites. These tend to give quite accurate information if used correctly.

But no tool can give you accurate total load estimation;  it’s up to you to develop realistic numbers.

Beware of using the nameplate. This is a legality rating and will usually give a much higher volt-ampere rating than the unit will ever draw.

For example, consider a unit with a nameplate that reads 90 to 240 volts at 4 to 8 amps with a 500 W power supply. In the nameplate reading, the numbers are backward. The larger amperage goes with the lower voltage. If you assume a nominal 120 volts at 8 amps, you get 960 VA. A PF of 0.95 would yield 912 W. No power supply is that inefficient, and a power supply almost never runs at full power. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that this device will ever draw more than 500 W of power, but if you want to be really conservative, multiply by 1.1 and figure 550 W of input power.

Don’t get trapped by dual-corded equipment. The power supplies share the load and either one is supposed to be able to carry the full load. Therefore, a unit with two 500 W supplies should still be figured as if it had only one.

UPS sizing capacity ratings

Once you have a realistic load estimate, plan to run a UPS around 80% of actual rated capacity.

That provides headroom for peak operating conditions, gives you capacity to install a duplicate system before you decommission an old one or lets you absorb a little growth before you outgrow the unit. For a planned load of 80 kW, a 1.0 PF UPS rated at 100 kVA/100 kW should be sufficient if you keep your loads phase-balanced within about 5%. A UPS with a 0.9 PF will need a higher kVA rating; 125 kVA would give you a 112.5 kW capacity, which also gives you a little additional headroom.

If you foresee substantial near-term growth, consider a modular UPS.

These come in two flavors: a frame sized for more than you need, but with physical UPS and battery modules installed only as required, or a system of higher total capacity, but with firmware-configured to limit it to a lesser load until you need more. Either way, you only pay for what you need now and buy the additional capacity as it’s required.

The savings are not just capital cost. A UPS unit also runs more efficiently when it’s loaded to higher capacity, so you save in electrical operating costs as well. Of course, with a 2N redundant UPS, you’ll actually run each UPS at half the total load, which makes it even more important to size correctly. It can be very inefficient to run below 40%.

The last consideration for proper UPS unit sizing is generator loading. Different UPS designs present different electrical characteristics to a generator. Your electrical engineer or facilities electrician will need to examine both the UPS and generator characteristics to make sure the generator won’t stall when the UPS load is suddenly switched to it in an emergency.

If you need help in any way for your UPS needs, or wish to purchase a collection of specialized systems for resale, please feel free to contact us. Our goal is to help provide the best mix of products to a welcome and wanting public.