Power Electronics / Power Management


How do you decide on an uninterruptible power supply?

19 October 2005 Power Electronics / Power Management

A key consideration in deciding on the purchase of a UPS is the degree of protection afforded in mitigating against power variations, power failures, 'brown outs' and, particularly on the Highveld, lightning-induced transients.

Sinetech, based in Randburg, is the sole distributor in southern Africa of Main Power Electronics' UPS products, a range of dependable UPSs designed for high efficiency and reliability. A considerable number of the units are in use in diverse applications such as the business, industrial and telecoms fields. Reliability, in field analysis over the last year is greater than 99,7%.

Users choose the Main Power range largely based on two premises; 'how long do I need cover in the event of a power failure?' and 'can I fit and forget?'. More specific considerations come in the form of; 'what degree of protection do I need?'. For most business and industrial users of UPSs, this largely rules out the bottom end products, which offer little or none in the form of competent protection and these are largely targeted at the small office or home user.

For a true fit and forget, particularly in demanding environments, the top end double-conversion sinewave products guarantee the highest protection level. The increased investment over a bottom- or middle-range unit needs to be considered as an asset investment, improving the life cycle of the protected equipment.

Application areas

While the Main Power range comes in a considerable number of variants, the ones that concern us here are those that appeal to three distinct market areas: IT systems, telecom and industrial. Let us start by looking at the needs of the IT network systems market.

Two avenues are open to us today: either move into a custom-plumbed building for network 'plug and go' and 'clean' power outlets to match; or look at purchasing a high quality UPS system. In this regard, the Main Power MHC/RHC series is a true double-conversion sinewave unit with top end protection. Users have a choice of units that simply give 5-10 minutes backup to save files or, should the need be required, up to several hours with the LH series through battery backup. The series are fully software-managed with RS232 (LAN) communication or SNMP (http) and are all generator-compatible for diesel generator resourced power in the event of a long-term power failure.

Block schematic of a true double-conversion, on-line UPS
Block schematic of a true double-conversion, on-line UPS

Users looking for systems compatible with their telecoms and networking systems should look to the RHC/RHD range; a double-conversion sinewave unit in a 19" rack-mounting panel. These units again provide for either short back up, or a longer duration via battery back up. The units meet and exceed FCC PART 15 and IEEE 587 CLASS A, among other specifications.

Industrial protection

For the right selection for an industrial environment, the exceptional MR/MRD Series delivers the most industrially-reliable uninterruptible power protection. These models are recognised worldwide by users for their true on-line double-conversion topology, highly-efficient operation, true double isolation, near unity input power factor and superior output voltage regulation.

The MR/MRD Series features a wide input mains voltage range, virtually eliminating unnecessary battery discharges, ensuring that they are reserved for true emergency conditions. Its input mains voltage range is between 90-130 V a.c. for 120 V a.c. models and 160-270 V a.c. for 230 V a.c. models. Users have these in service in mines, factories and in areas where extremes of operation are present.

Even in this limited review, it is clear that fitness for purpose can be achieved to meet specific operational needs. This approach to customer demand characterises Sinetech's approach. Customer needs can be 'tailored' to suit the environment required. With some considerable years in the business Sinetech hopes that its experience becomes your solution.

For more information contact Jeff Hollingdale, Sinetech, +27 (0)11 886 7874, [email protected]





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Quality batteries are critical for IIoT
Uniross Batteries Power Electronics / Power Management
Batteries intended for use in industrial operations must indeed offer complete reliability under extreme environmental conditions, resistance to vibration and harsh environments.

Read more...
12 kW hybrid inverter
Power Electronics / Power Management
Sungrow recently unveiled its next-generation residential energy storage solution, expanding its power range from 5 kW to 12 kW with the introduction of the new MG12RL hybrid inverter.

Read more...
40 W and 75 W railway DC/DC converter
Brabek Power Electronics / Power Management
RECOM has announced two new cost-efficient DC/DC converters for the rail market with an ultra-wide 11:1 input range to cover all nominal input voltages from 24 to 110 V DC.

Read more...
Power modules for solid-state transformers
RS South Africa Power Electronics / Power Management
Microchip’s new 3,3 kV silicon carbide modules deliver the required thermal performance and efficiency for SSTs to increase power available for token generation.

Read more...
Solving South African power problems with locally built intelligence
Editor's Choice Power Electronics / Power Management
Smart metering infrastructure in South Africa remains patchy. The rollout has been slow, coverage is inconsistent, and for the most part, granular per-unit measurement simply does not exist.

Read more...
Wide range power module
Power Electronics / Power Management
The latest DC-DC modules from Würth Elektronik are characterised by high resilience to voltage transients on the 24 V bus and an extremely wide input-voltage range from 3,5 V to 38 V.

Read more...
Selecting primary batteries for maximum service life
Uniross Batteries Power Electronics / Power Management
Primary batteries play an important role in IoT applications. Designed for longevity, they have a high-energy capacity and are often used in standalone applications where charging is impractical or impossible.

Read more...
4 kW e-mobility DC-DC converter
Brabek Power Electronics / Power Management
The RECOM RMOD4000 series of compact, plug-and-play DC-DC converters is a cost-effective solution to provide isolated 14 V, 28 V, or 56 V DC network rails from a high input voltage between 180 and 950 V DC.

Read more...
Aluminium case upgrade boosts performance
Vepac Electronics Power Electronics / Power Management
The SQBF Quarter Brick 300 W DC to DC Converter is now available in a newly upgraded metal case designed to deliver improved durability and superior electrical performance across demanding applications.

Read more...
Extending the range of power converters
RS South Africa Power Electronics / Power Management
Power Integrations recently announced a breakthrough in flyback topology extending the power range of flyback converters to 440 W - well beyond the limits that traditionally required more complex resonant and LLC topologies.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved