UPS presents three major innovation directions

Whether it is mobile communication or wired communication, the amount of information is increasing dramatically, which puts higher requirements on the reliability and accuracy of communication. Since power supply is the basis for ensuring smooth communication, any error will lead to serious consequences. Therefore, the construction of the power supply system cannot be underestimated.

UPS system problems highlighted

With the vigorous development of global computer networks, the trend of networking and integration is affecting our lives with unprecedented depth and breadth. However, the current concept of system integration is mainly reflected in the integration of computer network equipment, and the integration of other equipment is not considered enough.

The integration of UPS power systems in communication network systems is often overlooked. Lai Shineng, an expert who has been engaged in power supply work for many years at Guangdong Telecom Research Institute, said that traditional UPS systems have the following problems:

The failure rate of a single machine is high and often affects the continuous operation of the supported system. Traditional single-machine UPS has no backup lines or emergency plans, and all power supply lines are single-line. Once a problem occurs, power supply interruption is inevitable.

Poor scalability. The configuration of traditional UPS is fixed and cannot be upgraded. If the information system is upgraded and the power supply capacity is required to be increased, the only option is to purchase a new UPS system.

Poor manageability. All batteries or battery packs have no difference in function and use. When one of the batteries fails, the UPS management system cannot shut down or replace it in time. It can only report a system failure and then the management personnel will manually replace it.

High maintenance cost. The maintenance of traditional UPS systems requires a high level of technical skills. Take Guangdong Telecom as an example. Even the most common battery replacement requires professional technicians to complete it. It is impossible for ordinary users to do it independently.

Three major innovations to support reliable operations

Professor Li Jianming, director of the AC Power Supply Professional Committee of the China Power Supply Society, pointed out: "The computer room power supply system is a key system in the data center and a basic guarantee system for the safe and reliable operation of the information computer room. From the perspective of the proportion of electricity distribution in the computer room, the power consumption of the power supply system itself currently accounts for about 15% of the total energy consumption of the computer room. Therefore, the efficiency of the power supply system will significantly affect the energy consumption indicators of the information computer room. At the same time, the traditional UPS in the power supply system will also generate a large amount of power harmonics, causing harmonic pollution to the power system and generating a large amount of additional losses." Therefore, how to build a safe, reliable, green and energy-saving power supply system is an important part of building a new generation of energy-saving data computer rooms.

Chu Shaoguang from Shenyang Unicom Operation and Maintenance Department said that the UPS using the latest technology is not only an uninterruptible power supply safety and management device, but also an intelligent power supply system. In addition to the rectification, filtering, charging, discharging, inverter, etc. of general uninterruptible power supplies, it also has microprocessor control, automatic identification of load types, battery detection, LCD status display, automatic inverter adaptation adjustment, fan speed detection, remote monitoring system, etc. In order to improve the reliability of the power supply, the concepts of UPS series connection and parallel redundancy are also proposed, which not only improves the load capacity of UPS, but also improves its reliability.

Secondly, while UPS provides uninterrupted power supply for computers and devices in the network, equipment managers also require convenient and fast detection, control and management of UPS usage. According to different application needs, UPS power supply can be turned on and off at a scheduled time, alarm for mains failure, and automatic shutdown of network servers and other key equipment. Xiao Danyang of Jiangsu Unicom pointed out that these requirements require UPS monitoring software to adapt to various modern computer network platforms. Through the management program, the network can query and detect the status parameters of any UPS in the wide area network, transmit them back to the network station in the form of SNMP, and convert them into graphics to display on the screen.

Finally, UPS should be integrated with the application environment. In power systems with a high degree of automation, such as computer rooms and intelligent buildings, fire alarm signals, temperature detection signals, security systems, etc. can be connected to UPS contact signals. "When a fire occurs, the alarm signal is activated and the UPS is shut down urgently. Other signals can also take different measures for the UPS accordingly. In this case, UPS should be able to provide a contact signal interface to ensure the power safety requirements of the entire system." said Long Lijun of Hunan Unicom.

UPS industry is developing rapidly

Wang Qiying, deputy director of the AC Power Supply Professional Committee of the China Power Supply Society and leader of the expert group, said that my country's communications power supply industry has made great progress in recent years. Among them are manufacturers that are wholly foreign-owned, those that introduce technology through domestic and foreign cooperation, and those that independently develop and produce products domestically. This has completely changed the situation where only a few manufacturers previously controlled the supply of products.

Communication power supply technology has also developed rapidly, from the thyristor rectifier in 1963 to the triode DC converter in 1965, but there was no major breakthrough in technology until the 1980s. The reform and opening up in the 1990s injected new vitality into the communication power supply industry, and circuit technology has developed rapidly. Zero current (ZCS) and zero voltage (ZVS) switching technology have been widely adopted, and advanced components such as MOSFET , IGBT , fast diodes , high-frequency magnetic components, and high- frequency capacitors have also been widely introduced into circuits, which has brought China's communication power supply technology to a higher level and laid a solid foundation for the smooth development of China's communication industry.

Choice is as important as effort

For the safety of people and machines, all countries have formulated corresponding safety standards, such as UL in the United States, CSA in Canada, TV in Germany, and CE in Europe. In the absence of national standards, there should also be corresponding industry standards, and the scales of these standards are basically the same. "If the power supply does not have the mark or instructions that meet these standards, it should not be used." Wang Qiying said.

Wang Qiying pointed out that the components used in a regular power supply are all products of regular manufacturers, and even small components are clearly marked. The entire product, from the shell to the wiring, gives people a refreshing and standardized feeling. Generally speaking, the quality of such products is reliable, and of course their prices are also corresponding; those products with many "three no" situations from circuit boards to components, although they are acceptable and can be used at the time, their performance is difficult to guarantee, but the price is competitive, and it is also an opportunity for users who put price first.

Xiao Danyang also said that for operators to choose UPS products, one is the manufacturer and the other is reputation. Generally speaking, the products of regular manufacturers are always better. Large manufacturers with a certain history have a longer continuity of products, which guarantees the supply of spare parts for future maintenance. However, the service of regular manufacturers is not necessarily good, and it is also uneven, so it is necessary to consider comprehensively. Some manufacturers have very good service attitudes, but due to poor product quality, failures continue, which is also what users do not want to see. Therefore, both must be properly possessed.

It can be seen that with the development of power supply technology, the relationship between UPS power supply system and network system has become closer, and it has become an indispensable link in system engineering projects. System integrators should fully consider the integration of UPS power supply and other equipment in project implementation, so that the management of UPS power supply and other network equipment such as computers can be integrated, which can not only ensure the power supply safety needs of system projects, but also meet the manageability and easy maintenance of the power supply system of system projects.