UPS Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I worry about power problems?
Even small disturbances in the main electricity
supply can cause damage to electronic equipment. Power problems
can
cause unplanned shutdowns and data loss. All these problems
can cost your company a considerable amount of money.
How common are power problems?
A recent Power Quality Study revealed that the average computer
system is subjected to 289 potentially damaging power disturbances
per year.
How can power problems be avoided?
All essential
electronic equipment should be connected to a voltage regulator,
power conditioner or, best of all, a UPS.
A UPS will maintain a steady supply of power irrespective
of the mains supply quality.
We already have a generator…
Generators can not start instantaneously.
It takes less than 1 second without power for a computer
system to fail. A UPS
unit is a "no - break" power supply, giving continuous
power irrespective of the disturbances at the input.
Power Line Problems:
The Facts
In the present day we all rely on the availability
of electricity, whether as an industrial consumer, a public
service industry,
a Government Department, telecommunications or security establishments
or simply a domestic user. Power system reliability is considered adequate for many applications
- after all, it may be inconvenient to a great many consumers
to lose the use of some equipment for a short period,but rarely
insurmountable. However, if you consider the loss of power
in a hospital or a major Defence installation, things look
rather different.
Now that technology has advanced to a stage
where most applications are virtually reliant on computer
or microprocessor based control
or data storage it has become essential to maintain the integrity
of the power supply. With high sophistication of most computer
installation is the reality that many of the world’s
power supply authorities cannot guarantee the quality or availability
of electricity. Therefore an insurance is necessary to maintain
clean power under all circumstances irrespective of the local
power network.
Why
problems occur: the reasons
There are numerous reasons for power
disturbances, many of which are completely outside the control
of the supply authorities, Some areas are prone to load shedding at peak times due to
undersized power installations. Others may suffer from spurious
tripping of protection devices during lightning or violent
storms.
Close proximity to heavy current devices ie elevators, welding
equipment, high power amplifiers, or industrial machinery can
cause voltage fluctuation. Seemingly insignificant loads such
as fluorescent lighting, air conditioners, high technology
telecomms and switched mode power supplies can all cause serious
spikes and subsequent interference to power supplies.
What
are the effects to my critical load?
Apart from inconvenience
and the hidden cost of re-programming,
there are often the real costs of physical damage to be
considered. Computers all react adversely to voltage reductions,
some
also respond badly if subjected to power surge or overvoltages
and the majority of electronic equipment is affected by
frequency drift or instability. Usually the loads react differently to erratic power; however,
you can be sure that all computer based equipment, whether
used for monitoring control, or simply data storage, is going
to be affected in some way.
This inconvenient aspect usually appears during important
programming exercises or on-line data transfer and, at a time
when you can ill afford problems, a disturbance occurs which
corrupts the process. This leads to the hidden costs of the
programme being re-run to a convenient point to re-start or
in the case of an unmanned automatic data transfer, it may
result in the error not being located for several hours or
even days, culminating in many days of in correct processing.
Although easier to access, permanent equipment damage can
be just as inconvenient due to down-time and the cost involved
to replace computer sub-assemblies can be alarming. The high
energy spikes or current surges which usually cause damage
can also weaken components or circuit boards which may already
be running near their capacity - this will result in doubts
as to future reliability of the system.
Where the problems occur: the applications
Industry
and Commerce Banks, money-brokers, stock market and finance houses
Shipping, airline handling and warehousing
Stock and inventory control
Process control and materials handling
Hospitals
Life support systems
Hospital logistics and management
Body and Brain Scanning Machines
Blood analysis equipment and data storage
Essential Public Services
Local Council/Government Offices
Telecommunications and satellite links
Defence installations
Police, Fire and Emergency services
Essential services – electricity, gas, water, etc
What can be done: the solutions
With all these
potential problems and the vast volume of people and industries
that suffer, there is invariably more than one
solution. Diesel generators provide a long term answer, enabling power
to be drawn for as long as the engine has fuel. However, the
major disadvantage is the lack of continuity of power whilst
the machine starts and the inability to combat short-term fluctuations
or disturbances.
To cover both short-term disturbances and general power failures,
the most sensible and practical solution is the Uninterruptible
Power Supply or UPS. This type of equipment produces its own
output power by using either the incoming mains or storage
batteries; the transition between the two is made without disturbance
to the load. The UPS also acts as a permanently connected,
high grade power conditioner between the load and the raw incoming
mains to prevent any form of fluctuations, transients or other
disturbance from affecting the critical load.
Justifying the investment: the costs
It follows that a device
that can cope with any power problem, including complete
power failure is going to represent a significant
initial investment. However, when considering any expenditure
it is essential to assess several factors and the associated
costs involved.
Typically computer malfunctions can result in huge costs which
will more than justify the investment in a UPS and some of
these costs are given below:
Equipment down-time
Replacement/maintenance
Re-programming
Supplementary or additional processing
Unused manpower
These items are easily seen, but the problems which also occur
as a result may be even more costly, such as business, processing
backlogs, invoicing delays, incorrect stock control, process
malfunctions. The list is endless and to think that peace of
mind,reliability and reduced maintenance can all be achieved
by the installation of a static UPS from Energy Systems, it
follows that your investment is justified by the insurance
it provides.
Considerations when buying a UPS
As with the computer and
telecommunication industry, the choice of power protection
equipment seems endless but it should always
be remembered that the level of power protection remains
directly related to the investment made, as is usual with
capital equipment.
There are many considerations which can dictate the ideal
level of power protection for a given installation. The following
aspects should be given careful thought before purchasing equipment
New installations
If the installation is new it may be possible to consider
a central back-up system which will eliminate the need for
expensive recabling at a later date. With new installations
it is often wise at an early stage in a new project to involve
a company specialising in power conditioning in order that
the most cost efficient and effective power protection systems
can be co-ordinated between the consultant, the premises manager
and the electrical contractor, if one is appointed.
Existing installations
For existing installations involving processing and telecoms
equipment, it would be relevant to assess the level of power
protection required. As an example, some installations may
demand that every item be supported by an uninterruptible power
supply (UPS) which will provide protection against any form
of power disturbance including computer power failure, whereas
another application may only require a UPS for the central
processor and one or two workstations.
Type of client
The level of automation will often dictate whether a system
requires a UPS or whether a line conditioner or power filter
will be acceptable. The final selection of power protection
device is also governed by the type of application - Emergency
services or financial institutions cannot tolerate power failure
due to the nature of their business. Whereas many industrial
companies are prepared to accept occasional power deficiencies
as an inconvenience not a disaster.
Site
The location of the site may also have considerable bearing
on the products required, since an inner city may be more susceptible
to power fluctuations due to load shedding or power irregularities
in heavily loaded areas. In rural areas the power may be regularly
interrupted due to the effect of prevailing weather conditions
on overhead power lines and some of the more remote areas may
be located at the very end of a power line and suffer from
poor mains voltage regulation.
Energy Systems can provide you with the knowledge and support
needed to ensure your critical applications are protected.
We have expertise and experience gained from over 30 years
supplying quality power management technology.
World leaders in power management technology
Continous investment in R&D is a natural
consequence of Energy Systems's corporate philosophy. A culture
of excellence
pervades the company from the boardroom to the factory floor.
At every level, Energy Systems's staff works incessantly to
improve and enhance products and services. This has resulted
in some of the most advanced power protection and management
products available, with new designs in the process of development
all the time. After completing rigorous testing and trial procedures,
products are released to market with confidence, backed up
by a vast international support network.
Product Portfolio
From household name to family firm, businesses large and small
have come to rely on Energy Systems products. The T2000 three
phase on-line UPS is the current flagship uninterruptible power
supply product, supported by the S2000 three/single phase and
NS2000 single phase on-line UPS. The popular S1000 single phase
on-line UPS continues to do sterling work protecting individual
servers and workstations in a multitude of environments. For
less demanding applications, the SS line-interactive UPS and
Compact-Fit off-line UPS are high quality and efficient power
protection solutions.
Our Main Products and Services:
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Uninterruptible Power Supplies
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