According to Wikipedia.com, UPS systems or “an uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, or battery/flywheel backup, is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source, typically mains power, fails. A UPS differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide near-instantaneous protection from input power interruptions, by supplying energy stored in batteries, supercapacitors, or flywheels. The on-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short (only a few minutes) but sufficient to start a standby power source or properly shut down the protected equipment.”
Two Types of UPS Systems
- Standby UPS systems (SPSs). A standby UPS runs the computer off of the normal utility power until it detects a problem. At that point, it very quickly (in five milliseconds or less) turns on a power inverter and runs the computer off of the UPS’s battery (see How Batteries Work for more information). A power inverter simply turns the DC power delivered by the battery into 120-volt, 60-Hertz AC power. (computer.howstuffworks.com)
- On-line or Continuous UPS systems. An on-line UPS avoids these momentary power lapses by constantly providing power from its own inverter, even when the power line is functioning properly. In general, on-line UPSs are much more expensive than SPSs. (webopedia.com)
How To Choose Uninterrupted Power Supply
Installing UPS systems at home or in the office is not an easy thing to do. Call for a Denver Electrician when you are thinking of having either a standby ups system or an on-line ups system installed in order to get the job done right.
