Comparing Rotary and Online UPS Power Supply Types

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Online UPS systems

More than ever, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems of today need to possess high levels of reliability and security. They should deliver optimum performance, making sure that power supply to loads is steady and regulated. As high-end computer and telecommunication equipments continue to rely on these systems for nonstop operation, the UPS power supply industry must continue to evolve their designs and provide consumers with the safest and best systems available. Two of the best UPS systems at present are said to be the rotary and online types.

Rotary UPS systems came into the limelight in the recent years. These are mechanical uninterruptible power supply machines that convert kinetic energy to electric energy to make systems run. Its design competes with static online UPS systems of today and boasts improved efficiency. Manufacturers say that rotary uninterruptible power supplies even achieve higher MTBF (Mean Time between Failures) values and generate fewer harmonic than online types. Lesser harmonic levels are good because harmonics can be as damaging to critical loads as sudden partial of complete power cut off. Keeping harmonic levels to a minimum thus help in protecting equipments from hardware failure or data corruption. MTBF, meanwhile, is one of the standard indicators of UPS power supply reliability because it stands for the mean operational time (in hours) between system power-up and shut down due to failure. Rotary UPS systems are also believed to be suitable for loads with leading power factors (i.e. high-end servers) because they have superior fault clearance capabilities.

However, rotary UPS systems have their share of disadvantages. For one, because they are mechanical devices, they have complex installation and maintenance procedures. They also require lubrication, which can be difficult. Equipments can become sensitive to working temperatures, which may result to more frequent maintenance. Rotary UPS usually have high MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) values and it may take days to replace or repair a broken uninterruptible power supply unit. Meanwhile, installing them is complex work because mechanical devices often have noise, vibration, and exhaust gas issues. Another disadvantage of rotary UPS systems is their bulkiness. Their huge size and weight generally demands larger areas than static online UPS and so expanding systems may prove to be a hassle.

Rotary UPS systems

In comparison, static online UPS systems are typically easy to install and are far less expensive than rotary types. They can be effortlessly configured in parallel and redundant designs, if there is a need for more security and reliability. Though rotary uninterruptible power supplies have the edge in terms of MTBF and harmonics values, online UPS try to keep up by incorporating rectifiers and filters in new device designs. They also attempt to develop better systems so that loads with leading power factors can be accommodated. Modularity and flexibility of online uninterruptible power supply systems is one of its great advantages as well because expanding them is straightforward and hassle-free. Ripping out and replacing noisy rotary units is almost always bothersome. Expanding static online UPS power supply types is also cost effective.

Source:  http://EzineArticles.com

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