What are the best types of UPS?

UPS power supplies are indispensable tools for ensuring operational continuity and protecting sensitive electronic devices from blackouts and voltage drops. The positive aspects of using UPSs do not end here: thanks to their use it is in fact possible to supply power intensity and frequency in a uniform way, improving the efficiency of the entire application as well as prolonging the operational life of the electrical and electronic instruments involved.

There are mainly three different types of UPS and it is essential to know their main characteristics in order to make the most of their positive aspects and mitigate their negative aspects.

How do UPS systems work?

Within an industrial application, uninterruptible power supplies are placed between the mains power supply and the device to be "protected"; in this way the UPS remains in standby, starting in case of unexpected voltage drops. Power factor, backup time, cost-performance ratio and transfer time are some of the characteristics that may vary according to the type of UPS used.

Below are the main differences and indications for use.

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Online UPS

Online uninterruptible power supplies, also called double conversion, guarantee excellent performance as they convert the input alternating current by charging an internal battery to regenerate an alternating current sinusoidal curve and power the dedicated devices.

Voltage variations and current peaks are therefore completely removed and the resulting supply is clean and stable. Thanks to the self-diagnostic functionality, normally present within these devices, it guarantees immediate transfer into the power load in the event of a hardware failure.

Online UPS systems offer the best standards of reliability, can be managed remotely and do not require any particular maintenance activities. However, they are among the most expensive UPS systems on the market and are therefore used for equipment considered critical and indispensable for maintaining business processes, such as high-end servers and data center installations.

UPS interactive line

Interactive line UPSs offer an intermediate quality compared to the other two systems, guaranteeing protection against voltage peaks and drops.

It is therefore an efficient solution with an excellent quality/price ratio which however does not "rebuild" a sinusoidal line from scratch. The switching speed is typically faster than in offline systems and if the power surge recovers, the inverter shuts down and the output is switched back to the source. There will be an outage during the transfer, but it will typically be shorter than an offline system.

Offline UPS

Offline UPS systems are the simplest form of UPS and are in fact primarily used for home computers, consumer electronics and POS systems and are not suitable for configurations deemed vital.

Generally they are very convenient and thanks to their silence and efficiency they are perfect for use at home or in offices. However, they are limited from the point of view of the regulation of the output voltage.

What are the factors to keep in mind when choosing a modern UPS system

Functionalities

The intrinsic characteristics of the final use application are the requirements that cannot be renounced and therefore define the most suitable types of UPS. For example, if you need to install a UPS in an electrically isolated environment, you will almost certainly choose an online UPS system. Line-interactive UPSs, on the other hand, are ideal for applications in which it is useful to tolerate undervoltage or overvoltage sags without reducing the battery charge.

Additional features

Other crucial factors to consider are for example the transfer time, i.e. the time required for the UPS system to supply the power that the application needs. The UPS proposed by Digimax represent the most advanced solutions and react with a transfer time of 2-6 ms. Apparent power (expressed in kVA kiloVoltAmpere) and power factor then complete the requirements to be considered for choosing the right configuration.

Maintenance

UPS maintenance is a very important activity to ensure reliability of the application to which it is associated. There are several ways to manage and monitor a UPS system. Many modern UPS systems will work with the use of an integrated web interface with predictive tracking options for critical functionality. Other systems such as online UPS systems provide LCD displays that you can use to monitor and manage the system.

Budget

Offline UPS systems are among the cheapest choices available on the market. As such, they tend to be preferred for handling non-vital or consumer applications. Interactive online solutions are cheaper than an online UPS system and could be ideal for medium sized SMBs. On the other hand, online UPS systems represent the most expensive and most reliable solutions and for this reason they are often used by companies with larger IT processes where the protection of critical loads is essential.

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