Avoid Power Outages With an Uninterruptible Power Supply System
Unexpected power outages cost American businesses around $150 billion yearly and put them at risk of losing efficiency and profitability. Businesses can strengthen their operations with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). These electronic devices operate as backup power sources to keep your most important operations running smoothly. Integrating these tools into your contingency plan will give you the confidence you deserve.
COMMON REASONS FOR POWER LOSS
Power outages occur for many different reasons, including:
- Storms
- Animals
- High demand
- Car accidents
- Earthquake
- Lightning
Power outages put business operations at risk and can cause costly project delays. UPS systems allow your workflow to continue as usual during an outage, powering your heat, equipment and other necessities to remain productive and profitable. During long-term blackouts, you can count on these systems to give you enough time to convert to an alternate power source.
WHAT IS AN UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM?
UPS systems provide critical backup power to keep essential equipment operating and decrease the risk of downtime. Unlike traditional power sources such as generators, these machines switch on seamlessly and eliminate any effect of power interruption. These tools are available in various models and can take unique shapes, such as a desktop system responsible for securing your personal computer or a facility-wide power source relying on mega-ton or megawatt configurations.
You will typically find battery-based systems in smaller operations like home computers or offices and the flywheel configuration in bigger systems that power large facilities. The bigger systems provide reliable electricity within seconds by using a combination of a switchgear and power transformers. Each UPS configuration is a filter to protect against outages and other anomalies, providing critical operations with clean, stable and consistent power.
HOW DO UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS WORK?
The different types work differently, but they all aim to store and supply power when needed. In a data-driven world, even a momentary glitch with the power has the capacity to result in lost data, zapped systems, missed changes, corrupt files and lost production.
A flywheel or battery-powered UPS plugs into a power source, draws energy and stores it. Often, it filters and refines the energy as well. The three main uninterruptible power supply systems are standby, interactive line and online.
- Standby UPS System: Standby UPS systems are offline devices that quickly switch to battery power following an unexpected power outage to deliver a steady supply of short-term electricity.
- Line-Interactive UPS System: This UPS type provides superior filtering capabilities with a battery and inverter that are always connected to the output. If power fails, a switch changes the electrical flow.
- Double Conversion UPS System: Double conversion UPS system configurations receive incoming alternating current (AC) power and convert it to direct current (DC) before converting back to AC to eliminate noise, spikes or surges.
Uses of UPS Devices
Keeping a steady stream of clean power is important anywhere you have operations that can’t stop. Using a UPS can protect data and maintain a high level of efficiency, abilities required throughout various applications, including hospitals, data centers, universities and other facilities. Types of UPS systems include:
- Data: A UPS for applications such as a server farm or communication center.
- Temperature: Some people need a UPS that will withstand hotter climates.
- Industrial UPS System: These power systems are geared toward use in manufacturing and other types of plants and factories.
- Medical: Hospitals and other medical settings use a UPS to ensure continuous operation of critical equipment like life support.
- Military: These systems are certified for quality under military specifications.
Costs Associated With Your UPS System
UPS devices are often built in various configurations to meet specific facility demands. They commonly come in single- or triple-phase designs, powered by either a set of batteries or a flywheel component. These differences will alter your required investment, potentially totaling thousands of dollars.
However, an efficient, Energy Star-rated UPS system can help reduce general energy loss by as much as 55%. For example, a 1,000-kVA UPS used in a data center application could save as much as $18,000 per year in energy costs.
You should also be prepared to pay an electrician for anything more than the basic installation of the smallest system. Hobbyists and the inexperienced should know that attaching a UPS and its associated hardware is a job for professionals. Most UPS systems need a cool, dry, dust-free place to exist. If you choose a battery-based system, know that the batteries last about 5–10 years and must be disposed of properly according to environmental standards.
ADVANTAGES OF USING AN UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM
UPS systems provide exceptional reliability and protection and keep critical systems running. They refine the quality of the power as it reaches your building, office and equipment, providing unrivaled protection against short- and long-term power outages. Experience benefits of UPS such as:
- Continuity: Experience no outages to critical equipment like computers to factory production lines.
- Consistency: A UPS’s electronics enable quick activation and signify when alternate power is needed to eliminate errors or faults and streamline the process.
- Protection: These systems create an extra layer of protection against electrical surges, spikes, dips and even total failure, as they can detect potential threats and take the necessary precautions to avoid damage.
- Filter: A UPS, such as a line-interactive UPS, refines incoming power and adjusts outputs to ensure internal components have unrivaled access to safe electricity.
FLYWHEEL UPS SYSTEMS ARE LEANER AND CLEANER
A Caterpillar® UPS with flywheel technology, available through Warren CAT, provides superior power and the most advanced technology in UPS systems. They feature an exclusive kinetic-energy storage device that functions like a traditional UPS but without batteries and with much less maintenance and hassle.
The complete line of Cat UPS systems offers capabilities that range from 150 kVA to 3.6 MVA. They will carry a facility through an outage or interruption and, depending on the model and technology, they will refine the incoming power so it’s as clean as your system needs it to be. Flywheel-style Cat UPS systems have several advantages, like no-break technology and an infinite life cycle.
THE COMPONENTS OF A FLYWHEEL UPS SYSTEM
- Input contactor
- Static switch
- Line conductor
- Inverter fuse
- Filter inductor
- Utility converter
- Flywheel converter
- Flywheel system
- Bypass and output contactors
Options include cabinets with static bypass, MMU isolation, MMU connection, maintenance bypass and dual output. The flywheel motor compartment contains no permanent magnets and has a magnetic bearing integrated into the field circuit.
ADVANTAGES OF A FLYWHEEL UPS SYSTEM
- Produces superior-quality output
- Eliminates or reduces batteries
- Lowers system maintenance, operating and replacement costs
- Requires less upkeep
- Needs less space at a size that’s about 75% smaller than battery-based systems
- Reduces annual, overall energy costs by as much as 4%
- Provides fail-safe backup power
- Can be optioned for high-temp operation up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit
- Poses no safety hazard to employees or the environment
- Enables easy expansion through modular, scalable architecture
A flywheel UPS addresses both efficiency and environmental considerations. For example, a traditional battery-based UPS of 300 kVA would occupy 40 square feet, weigh about 13,000 pounds, and use about 52,269 BTUs. A Cat UPS 300 kVA system would occupy 14 square feet, weigh 4,475 pounds and use about 25,300 BTUs.
One of the Cat UPS systems is a high-endurance model designed to operate at temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit and as hot as 104 degrees F. You can put monitoring equipment for the Cat UPS system anywhere in the building, with optional Ethernet connections and various choices for computer display.
Caterpillar has mastered the science of using kinetic energy to provide a true, uninterrupted power supply. When power surges, dips, or ceases, inertia keeps the rotor spinning and creates kinetic energy to convert to electricity. The flywheel spins with such low resistance (virtually none), that frictional loss remains very low, thereby creating a super-efficient environment.
Finding the Right UPS System for Your Needs
UPS systems handle intricate power consumption ratings expressed in VA or kVA values. Consulting a professional is the best way to find the most cost-efficient model ready to protect your operations from costly downtime. They’ll have the product knowledge to help you reap the advantages of UPS devices:
- Little electromagnetic interference and acoustic noise
- Reduced-distortion input current (THD)
- Regulated output
- Shorter transitions from regular to backup power
- High efficiency and reliability
Partner With Warren CAT to Create a Consistent Power Source
If you’re looking for a qualified expert to help you explore the different kinds of UPS systems, our team at Warren CAT is ready to help. We employ specialized professionals, such as electricians, engineers and technicians, to support your search. They can translate the language of UPS systems and their many parts, including power generation, transfer switches, distribution panels and mobile or permanent alternative-power sources, as well as provide services or support for all of the above.
We strive to be your trusted partner and leverage more than 50 years of industry experience to pair you with the best UPS for your demands. These capabilities are possible thanks to our participation in the network of Cat dealers and access to all kinds of UPS models. With our cutting-edge products and dedication to providing unrivaled support, you can count on Warren CAT for a robust UPS.
To learn more about power systems and uninterruptible power supplies, contact Warren CAT today.