Things to know

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a power supply system that contains a rechargeable battery to provide power to the load equipment in the event of a power outage. Several reasons cause the power fluctuations including power outage, voltage dip, voltage spike, brownout, noise, and frequency fluctuation. The Power Basic Knowledge page explains those causes in depth.

There are three different topologies for Uninterruptible Power Systems; Online, line-interactive, and standby.

Online UPS is also known as a double conversion that accepts AC input and rectifies to DC and then inverts back to 120 V/208 VAC to feed the electricity for load equipment. Since Online-UPS converts the power twice on the circuit, it is called “Double Conversion” and outputs a pure-sine wave which is favorable for the load. On the main circuit board, there is a dual-directional circuit for the rechargeable battery. This rechargeable battery will back up the load equipment during a blackout. There is no power down when the power source transfers from a double-conversion circuit to the rechargeable battery. Online UPS is the most reliable UPS, and it is the reason why many manufacturers have employed SANUPS for highly critical loads in various industries.   

Line-interactive UPS is similar to offline UPS in its circuits but enhanced by the adding a transformer (voltage regulator) to condition the utility power. It slightly improves efficiency and reduces battery usage. Though Line-interactive UPS is not as reliable as Online-UPS, it is still prevalent among the consumer and IT professional markets.

A Standby UPS powers the load directly by commercial power. There is no modification added to the output by the UPS. A Standby UPS only invokes when the utility power fails. In other words, Standby UPS would not protect the load from unfavorable power conditions. This type of UPS does not require as many parts as an Online-UPS, and it is often seen in consumer markets because the capacity demand is small (less than one kVA) and the price is inexpensive.  

Devices such as laser printers, fax machines, copiers, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, and projectors will damage or cause a UPS to malfunction because they tend to create instantaneous overcurrent.

Our Uninterruptible Power Supply (SANUPS) is an Online-UPS. It converts AC input to DC and then inverts back to AC to output a pure sine wave that protects your load devices. Even if a blackout happens, your load device will not get damaged. On the other hand, Line-interactive UPS and Offline UPS do not have a full capability to create a pure sine wave which means power fluctuations such as a blackout may damage your load device.   

You can find a backup runtime graph on our website. The higher the load %, the shorter the backup runtime. Please remember the backup time varies depending on the temperature, load device’s power factor, and age of the battery.

Yes, there is a bypass circuit in our UPS system for even greater reliability. UPS changes the mode from an online mode to a bypass mode when overcurrent happens. The change is instantaneous, and there will be no power down. The system will check if the load has no problem, and then changes the mode back to online mode. This mechanism works in the same way when overload happens. If the UPS is damaged by overcurrent or overload, the output will be stopped.

Hardwire connection type UPS systems require compatible cables. To find out the cable size, please check the user manual.

EPO stands for Emergency Power Off. UPS that include part number 011 are called Type-C, and they have an EPO interface. You can utilize this interface to control (e.g., send a shutdown signal) and communicate (e.g., send a serial signal) with the UPS from the remote device.

Single-Phase power refers to a two-wire Alternating Current (AC) power circuit. Typically there is one power wire and one neutral wire. Those two wires produce AC power similarly to riding a bicycle, two legs are a single-phase system delivering power to your bike. With this system, the power is delivered unevenly, with maximum power when the legs are horizontal and no power when legs are at top and bottom.

Three-Phase power refers to three wire Alternating Current (AC) power circuits. Typically, there are three (Phase A, Phase B, Phase C) power wires (120 degrees apart in each phase) and one neutral wire. Three-Phase systems produce power similarly to riding a bicycle, but with an imaginable third leg and third pedal. It can deliver power continuously to the bike instead of delivering power unevenly as Single-Phase does. The major advantage to a Three-Phase system is that it delivers large power more efficiently, reliably, and smoothly.

In the United States, SANYO DENKI is providing mainly Single-Phase UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems. Please contact Sales for Three-Phase UPS systems.