1. What is an uninterruptible power supply?
An uninterruptible power supply is an electrical device that provides emergency power to the load when the input power supply or mains fails. Uninterruptible power systems perform three main functions: conditioning incoming dirty power from the utility, providing you with clean, uninterrupted power, providing ride-through power for sags or short-term outages, and enabling a seamless system during complete outages closure.
Application areas: large supermarkets, information industry, IT industry, transportation, financial industry, aerospace industry and other computer information systems, communication systems, data network centers, etc.
2. What size uninterruptible power supply do you need?
Uninterruptible power supplies are rated in volt-amperes (VA) and range from 300 VA to 5,000 kVA. This rating represents the maximum load an uninterruptible power supply can support, but it should not exactly match the load on the power supply you have. To allow room for growth, the best practice is to choose an uninterruptible power supply with a VA rating of 1.2 times the total load you need it to support. If your uninterruptible power supply will support motors, variable speed drives, medical imaging devices, or laser printers, add more VA capacity at your request to address high power surges when these devices start up.
Companies expecting rapid growth should use more than 1.2 times the power. Newer server hardware tends to have higher power requirements than older models, so considering additional VA will consider adding more and newer equipment.
3. Choose the right uninterruptible power supply
Choosing an uninterruptible power supply is more than just deciding what size and form factor you need. SCU uninterruptible power supplies offer additional features that can help you narrow down your choices, from a set of uninterruptible power supplies that protect your equipment to the best uninterruptible power supply solution for your specific application.
Extended Runtime Uninterruptible Power Supply:
Most uninterruptible power supplies are equipped with internal batteries to run their electrical loads for 10 to 15 minutes. However, for some applications, more battery backup is required. An Extended Battery Module (EBM) is an additional battery that can be connected to an uninterruptible power supply to increase runtime. Depending on the percentage of the total load of the UPS you are using and the number of EBMs connected, the UPS can easily reach several hours of runtime.
Generator Compatible with UPS:
If you have space available, pairing a generator with an UPS ensures that your backup power system will last you through every imaginable outage. When an UPS is deployed with a generator, the role of the UPS is to maintain power for one to five minutes, which is the time it takes for the generator to start. Not all uninterruptible power supplies pair perfectly with generators. SCU UPS can work with generators.