With businesses and individuals relying heavily on their electrical equipment, the need for uninterruptible power supplies is increasing day by day. Whether it’s a data center containing critical servers, a scientific laboratory with sensitive instruments, or a personal computer for work, leisure and communication, everyone needs seamless and uninterrupted power. This is where an uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, comes into play.
A UPS is a device that ensures a continuous flow of electricity to appliances in the event of a sudden power outage or voltage fluctuation. Among various types of UPS, online and high-frequency UPS are the most reliable and efficient. While these two can be used for similar applications, they differ in several ways.
First of all, online UPS is a kind of backup power supply equipment, which continuously supplies power to electrical equipment through batteries, and rectifies input voltage fluctuations at the same time. This results in clean and stable power quality suitable for sensitive and critical loads such as servers, telecom equipment and industrial machines. In other words, an online UPS provides ultimate protection for equipment by isolating it from the grid and eliminating any electrical interference.
A high frequency UPS, on the other hand, operates by rectifying AC power to DC. Then, a high-frequency switching circuit inverts the DC power back to a stable AC power that can temporarily power the load. The frequency of the high-frequency UPS circuit is much higher than the 50Hz or 60Hz frequency of the grid standard. This results in high efficiency, fast response time and smaller physical size. High frequency UPS is ideal for low to medium power devices such as computers, switches and routers.
Regardless of the type of UPS, the main function of the device is to provide continuous power to ensure that critical processes are not interrupted by power outages. In the event of electrical disturbances, the UPS automatically switches output from mains to battery power, minimizing the risk of power interruption. As a result, equipment is immune to damage and operational downtime, which translates into a vital advantage in an industry where even a small amount of downtime can be disastrous.
All in all, investing in a quality online or high frequency UPS is a wise decision if you plan to protect your appliances or vital processes from power outages. However, it’s important to determine your equipment’s power needs to ensure that the UPS has enough capacity to keep your equipment running for as long as it needs to, and that your investment is wise.