Choose the required UPS power supply from five aspects

When determining the UPS power, many users, due to financial troubles and lack of understanding of UPS power, often choose the UPS power based on the capacity of the current equipment in the computer room, which will result in the UPS power capacity being the same as or slightly larger than the load power. In fact, this choice is unwise. When purchasing a UPS power supply, it is necessary to determine the UPS power supply that meets the needs based on factors such as the conditions of the power grid, the power environment, the natural environment, the special requirements of the power equipment, the application and maintenance level, etc. It is recommended that users determine the selected UPS power from the following aspects.

1. Determine the type of UPS you need

1) Determine whether to choose online, online interactive, backup, sine wave, square wave and other types of UPS based on the load's requirements for output stability, switching time, and output waveform. The output stability and instantaneous response capability of online UPS are stronger than the other two types, and it is also more adaptable to nonlinear loads and inductive loads. Online UPS is required for some more sophisticated equipment and more important equipment. In some areas where the mains power fluctuation range is relatively large, avoid using interactive and backup types. If you want to use a generator with a short-delay UPS, an online UPS is recommended.

2) As a basic power supply device, the most important thing about UPS is reliability. Generally speaking, the MTBF (mean time between failures) of a larger UPS is much higher than that of a smaller UPS. Therefore, a larger UPS should be selected for reliability.

3) From the perspective of investment cost or capacity expansion, it is recommended that users adopt a one-time investment and one-time payment approach based on construction funds, business development in the next 3 to 5 years, etc.; or choose upgradeable and expandable UPS products while growing, to avoid losses from repeated investments due to insufficient funds or inadequate business development forecasts.

2. Determine the required UPS capacity

If there are no special industry standard requirements, it is recommended to consider the following options:

1) Calculate the total load (S=S1+S2+…+Sn), unit: VA; UPS capacity ≥ S÷0.8 (consider UPS's anti-shock capability and expansion needs)

2) The backup full-load power supply time shall not be less than 30 minutes.

After determining the power value of the UPS power supply, you also need to consider the UPS backup time: standard type, the backup time is 5 to 10 minutes; long delay, the backup time is 1 to 8 hours to ensure long-term operation; arbitrary configuration, can be customized according to user's special needs.

3. Consider the performance of power-off protection and battery backup time

UPS power supplies can be divided into standard and long-delay types according to the backup time. The backup time of standard UPS is 5-15 minutes, and the backup time of long-term UPS is 1-8 hours, or even longer. If your device only needs to save and exit when the power is off, it is recommended to use a standard UPS; if your device still needs to run for a long time when the power is off, you must use a long-term UPS.

4. Additional functions

In order to improve the reliability of the system, it is recommended to use a UPS hot backup system. You can consider serial hot backup or parallel hot backup. Small-capacity UPS (1-2KVA) can also use redundant switches. You can use a remote monitoring panel to monitor and control the UPS remotely. You can use monitoring software to achieve intelligent management between computers and UPS. You can use a network adapter to achieve network management of UPS (based on SNMP). In some rainy and thundery areas, lightning arresters can be used. You should also consider whether the network can be used and the peripherals can be protected. Because peripherals are becoming more and more complete (such as printers and scanners), these devices also need protection. Does it have cable surge protection and data line surge protection functions? Can the system be automatically shut down when unattended? In addition, because users' commercial desktop UPSs are mostly placed next to them, the design style and manufacturing process of the product also need to be considered.

5. Service capabilities

Each user's network characteristics and power environment are different, and the power protection requirements also change accordingly. The various problems that users may encounter when using UPS are also different. Users hope that they purchase products and services that are completely suitable for their actual needs, and they are concerned about the short-term and long-term return rate and investment risks of equipment investment. However, the reality is that most users lack professionals in this field, so a high-quality service system and a proactive service attitude have also become an important factor that users must consider when purchasing UPS power supplies.