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WHY UPS?
10 Reasons for choosing an
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
- Power Failure is responsible for 28% of computer system breakdowns
- Over one third of companies take more than a day to recover from the disruption caused by a power failure. 10% take more than a week
- Because of a power failure, 33% of companies lose between £10 000 and £250 000, 20% lose between £250000 and £1 million, 15% lose over £1 million
- Out of 450 leading companies surveyed, each suffered an average of 9 computer failures each year. (Source: Find FVP/Fortune 1000 companies)
- Following a power failure it can take up to 48 hours to reconfigure a network system or a multi terminal
- It can take days, weeks or even months to re-input lost data. Sometimes data is lost forever, for instance in CAD or graphics applications where original work can never be recreated
Ten consequences of computer
breakdowns:
- Loss of business
- Backlog of work/loss of production
- Deterioration of customer service
- Loss of customer account management
- Loss of financial Control
- Loss of goodwill
- Inability to pay staff
- Financial Loss
- Loss of operational data
- Loss of customers
- Loss of market share, damage to a companies reputation, and loss of goodwill are not covered by insurance following a computer disaster
- Insurance claims take a long time to settle - well after the disaster has occurred
- 90% of all companies that experience a computer disaster and don't have a survival plan go out of business within 18 months (Source: Price Waterhouse)
Uninterruptible Power Supply Technologies Explained
Offline, Online and Line-interactive
What's the difference, and which technology is right
for you? There a three different types of UPS all suitable for different
tasks, and supporting different types of load. Here are explanations of
the different technologies, which may help you decide which type of UPS
is suitable for you:
Offline-Standby Technology
During normal operation, the power flows straight
through the unit and hence only RFI filtering is usually provided. When
the input voltage fails or fluctuates outside of a pre-set tolerance window,
the UPS detects this and a relay will close, allowing the UPS to start feeding
battery power via the inverter. The inverter is then switched on and either
a square, step or sine waveform output is supplied. Upon the return of mains
power, the output is switched back onto mains and the inverter is turned
off. Typically there will be a break of between 4-10 ms during the transfer
to and from the battery mode.
Line-Interactive Technology
A line-interactive UPS operates in a very similar
fashion to an offline UPS, except with the advantage of better filtering
and output voltage boost/reduce features. Whilst not eliminating mains-borne
interference, line-interactive technologies reduce the impact of spikes,
surges and sags by ‘clipping’ the peaks and valleys, boosting power or switching
to battery back-up. As with offline UPS, when the input voltage fails or
fluctuates outside of a pre-set tolerance window, the UPS detects this and
a relay will close allowing the UPS to start feeding battery power via the
inverter. The inverter, in a good line-interactive UPS, will supply a sinewave
output. Upon the return of mains power, the output is switched back onto
mains and the inverter is turned off. As with offline UPS, typically there
will be a break on the transfer to and from battery mode, though usually
this will be shorter than with an offline UPS.
Some manufacturers will try to pass their line-interactive UPS off as online
models by calling them ‘digital online’, ‘inline’ or ‘online interactive’
– make sure you know what technology the UPS you are buying actually uses.
Online Double Conversion Technology
An uninterruptible power supply using true online
double conversion technology provides the highest level of power protection
available. The UPS converts the 230V input AC mains supply to DC power which
is then used to charge the battery. The DC current flow is then fed through
an inverter stage which reconstructs the 230V AC mains output. Because the
AC output is completely regenerated, it will be completely free from any
mains-borne interference such as spikes and voltage variations.
The output voltage and frequency is controlled precisely, thus ensuring
a clean and stable sinewave power output. Online UPS are able to withstand
large fluctuations on the input voltage before transferring to battery power
(typically 276V-184V) thus eliminating unnecessary battery discharges. Upon
mains failure, transfer to battery power is seamless – no break. Online
UPS also have various failsafe and self-diagnostic features that will instantly
transfer the load onto mains power if there is a failure within the UPS
hardware, or if the UPS is overloaded.