Updated UPS system serves a great purpose

Improved technologies offer some distinct advantages over traditional double-conversion systems.

At the heart of all critical power systems is the uninterrupted power supply system (UPS system) and its associated battery backup system. Ensuring continuous power availability for computer systems and applications is the primary reason for purchasing a UPS system. Until recently, keeping a watchful eye on the input power factor demand of UPS systems was not high on the list of priorities. That is changing. Today's savvy engineers and managers, looking to do their part to improve company operations--and the bottom line--are educating themselves about the important relationship between continuous UPS availability, efficiency, power factor and harmonics; just take for instance the established UPS system in South Africa.

Becoming more knowledgeable about the newest UPS technologies and design is allowing IT planners and network operators to find the "close-to-perfect" UPS solution. For many, that system combines 99.999% availability for critical IT loads and lowers operating costs, while eliminating poor power factor and harmonics.

IT professionals have long been preoccupied with harmonics, spikes and surges--electrical conditions generated primarily by computers, printers, telecommunications and other electronic or upstream devices. Historically, IT people have not had much of an understanding of or concern for power factor. What has become clear in today's environment of 99.999% availability is that understanding the relationship between harmonics and power factor is becoming as important to IT professionals as it is for them to understand emergency coordination procedures.

High harmonics exacerbate poor power factor problems. If harmonics are not reduced to an acceptable level, a facility engineer may need to install costly harmonics correction devices to improve harmonics and power factor. Dealing with reflected harmonics at the source is the acceptable best option. Since traditional double-conversion UPS systems contain large rectifiers, they become a primary source of reflected harmonics.

If poor power factor and reflected harmonics remain an issue--as a result of UPS system technologies with noisy inputs--facilities and IT professionals will eventually have to face the reality that their only recourse may be to rid themselves of outdated UPS system technology.