Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)

An uninterruptible power supply, also uninterruptible power source, UPS or battery/flywheel

backup is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power
source, typically mains power, fails.
Types of UPS:
1. Offline UPS:
The OFFLINE UPS supplies (or routes) the incoming mains supply directly through to the output
usually through a relay contact. Some high frequency noise filtering and surge suppression may
be included in this path. The UPS switches on its inverter as soon as mains supply failure is
detected or below the normal load and simultaneously switches the output relay to the inverter
side to supply battery sourced power to the load. This transition involves a delay on account of
the time to reliably detect mains failure and switch over a relay, and the output is broken for this
period (usually for 2 to 12msec).
OFF LINE UPS are usually the least expensive as compared to the other two.
The Block diagram of inverter section of offline ups is shown:

2. Line Interactive UPS

The true LINE INTERACTIVE design is in fact a combination of OFFLINE & ONLINE, in
which the inverter plays a dual role of charging the battery when mains supply is present as well
as regulating the output voltage and working as a normal inverter in absence of mains supply, so
to the user it appears like an ONLINE System. Line Interactive UPS offers enhanced power
protection over the basic Offline designs by providing additional line conditioning.

3. Online UPS
An ONLINE UPS is the one in which the inverter always supplies power to the protected load
and hence the same quality of power is ensured all the time. When mains supply is present, the
inverter derives its power from thee mians supplied rectifier and the backup batteries are also
kept in charged state. When the mains fail, the sources of DC power for the inverter section shifts
to the battery without any break whatsoever in the output to the Inverter. It also bears all the
vagaries and noise borne out of the mains supply and insulates the secure bus supply from it.
An ONLINE UPS is especially useful for sensitive and critical equipments/devices.

Working of UPS:
The major modules of a common UPS are as following
1) An AC to DC power converter (Rectifier) with PFC control circuit
2) A DC to AC power high frequency inverter
3) An Intelligent Battery Charger

4) A bank of stationary maintenance-free batteries

5) A DC to DC push/pull converter control circuit
6) A Static Bypass Loop
7) Input & Output EMI Filter

Block Diagram

Working of a UPS can be explained with the help of below diagram. Summery guide to the UPS
operating modes against the Utility AC Power Source conditions is shown in the table below.