Building an Uninterruptable Power Supply Might Be Wise
Ask anyone on the street about the importance of “UPS” and their mind will immediately show them images of a brown truck on overnight delivery. However, ask someone working with electrical equipment, and the image that will pop into their head is completely different. Anyone working with high-end equipment dependent on power understands the benefits of having an uninterruptible power source or UPS. The reason for this is because the unexpected happens. You would not want that to happen to your equipment or affect the production of your factory.
What is a UPS?
A UPS is equipment that provides emergency power when your main power supply fails. It offers near-instantaneous protection switching to DC current batteries and associated electronic circuitry when your AC power supply is interrupted. For those using high voltage equipment and require a constant flow of electricity, a UPS might need diesel generators. A UPS doesn’t usually run for a long period of time, but it should be designed to run long enough for an auxiliary power source to kick in and provide a stable source of power to all electrical motors and equipment required to run your operation.
UPS Benefits
Power Failure: This is the complete loss of input voltage, which can be temporary or last long periods of days or even weeks. Power failures are caused by natural weather phenomena like ice, rain and wind; by animals that come in contact with power lines; or by human error during maintenance activities. Power failures can also be caused by electric transmission lines that can be damaged, a power station fault, short-circuit, electricity mains overloading or substation failures.
Power Spike: Defined as a dramatic increase in voltage, a power spike can last for only a few milliseconds. These are short, high voltage excursions that can be caused by power outages, short circuits, lighting strokes, tripped circuit breakers or power company malfunctions.
Power Surge: A power surge is longer and comes with a lower voltage than a power spike. It is a short or sustained increase in the main voltage. High-powered equipment that needs a lot of energy to turn off and on motors and compressors can be hit with a surge of voltage. Switching creates a quick and momentary demand of power that upset the steady voltage flow in the electrical system. Power surges can be caused by downed power lines, faulty wiring or utility company equipment problems.
Power Sag: The direct opposite of a power surge, a power sag is a sustained or momentary reduction in the input voltage. It often involves voltages anywhere between 80% and 85% below normal for short periods of time. It can be caused by large electrical motors that have been started and draw power away from your main supply of power reserves.
Noise: Talking about the proper functioning of electrical machinery, noise is defined as a random and unwanted electromagnetic static or electrical energy that degrades the quality of data and signals. Most circuits come with an intended signal quality, but when the voltage is measured, fluctuations can be seen. Such fluctuations are called electrical noise. In many cases, noise is brought about by electrical signals from equipment nearby.
Frequency Instability: Known as temporary changes in the frequency mains, frequency instability usually results from a mismatch between energy demand and supply on a particular power network. When the supply of power is not enough to meet the demand, your system frequency will decrease. When supply goes beyond demand, frequency increases. A line reactor manufacture will address these instabilities with a piece of equipment that stabilizes the flow of power.
Indeed, custom electrical transformers offer so many benefits for increased productivity as well as safety. UPS units can range from a single machine designed to protect one computer to large power conditioning equipment to be used for the entire building. Contact transformer manufactures in NJ for more information on UPS units, and how to choose the right one for your specific needs.
