by Powercom UPS Systems

M+H Power Systems is an Australian company with many years of experience in providing & supporting quality power solutions for business, industry and home applications. We continue to supply the large range of Nikko by Powercom and Astrid UPS solutions.
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)

What is a UPS?

A UPS is a device designed to maintain the quality a continuity of power supplied to critical equipment. By “quality” we mean eliminating power surges & sags (or brownouts), electrical noise (like the static across a TV or computer screen when someone is using a power tool), power spikes from lightning and other electrical interference. “Continuity” refers to battery backup that allows you to either work through a blackout or give enough time save what you’re working on and shut the computer down in an orderly fashion. The difference between UPS types and brands is in how well this is done.

UPS Types

A UPS works by converting AC power from the mains (or power point) into a DC voltage - using a rectifier. This charges the UPS batteries. When power fails, the DC voltage from the batteries is changed back to AC by an inverter, which then supplies the connected equipment with power (depending on the size of the load and the size of the UPS, which is what determines how long the UPS will keep any load running when the mains power is off). There are two types of UPS commonly in use today – the On-Line UPS and the Off-Line UPS. Off-Line technology is divided into two main categories – Line Interactive and Standby.

On-Line (no break) Technology

The original UPS Technology. In an on-line UPS, the load is supplied via the inverter at all times, therefore ensuring a pure sine wave at all times. In the event of mains power failure, there is no delay in battery power coming on-line. As the on-line UPS provides a regulated output frequency it is ideal for use in conjunction with backup generators (which generally put out high frequency fluctuations and distortion as well as voltage fluctuations which Line Interactive UPSs aren’t designed to cope with). The Nikko Vanguard (single phase 700VA–20kVA & three phase to single phase 10-20kVA) and Astrid (three phase to three phase 10kVA – 2.4MVA) On-Line UPS ranges provide superior protection over many other brands.

Line Interactive (transfer) Technology

When On-Line UPSs were developed, a UPS could cost as much as a computer and therefore few UPSs were sold. The UPS industry developed a cost compromise technology that was more than sufficient for providing protection and battery backup for fairly robust equipment running on standard mains power. The Line Interactive UPS monitors and regulates mains power (to varying degrees dependant on the brand of UPS) and switches on the inverter when power fails to provide battery backup. This switching or transfer time varies from brand to brand and can mean the difference between effective protection or not. Most devices are not effected by some of the slower reaction times of some UPS brands (between 10 to 50 milliseconds), but more sensitive equipment (and as manufacturers build equipment to tighter and tighter tolerances, equipment becomes more sensitive to power fluctuations) can crash or reset in this time. The Nikko Line Interactive range of UPSs (Black Knight, Imperial Digital & Smart King), have a reaction time of less than 2 milliseconds. As a Line Interactive UPS is only designed to regulate fluctuations in voltage, it is not recommended for use in conjunction with generators.

Standby technology

A basic, economy form of power protection – the standby UPS features protection against power surges only, plus a battery backup. This technology is not generally recommended for use in business applications and products of this type (the Icute, E-Book & WOW UPS ranges) are generally marketed for the home PC market although there is a growing market for POS applications.

Determining the right UPS for the job

The major things to consider when deciding on the correct UPS size and model are:

UPS Type

• The sensitivity of the equipment to be protected. Will the equipment reset or lockup in the 2 millisecond transfer time of a Nikko (Smart King) Line Interactive UPS? If so, a Nikko (Vanguard or Astrid) On-Line UPS is required.

• The overall quality of mains supplied power. If mains supply is generally stable, a Nikko (Black Knight, Imperial Digital or Smart King) Line Interactive UPS will suffice.

• The question of whether the equipment to be protected is connected to a generator backed-up circuit. If a generator is involved, only a Nikko (Vanguard or Astrid) On-Line UPS should be used.

UPS Sizing

• The size of the load to be protected (factoring in future growth requirements).
• The number and location of equipment to be protected - will determine whether a single, central or multiple, individual UPSs may be required. If computers and other devices are spread out over an office or over several floors more than one UPS may be recommended
• The battery backup time required

Please note that when determining a UPS to suit a certain sized load, it is not recommended to load a Line Interactive (and that is any Line Interactive, not only a Nikko model) to more than 80% capacity. Large load capacities and long battery backup times are better suited to the On-Line UPS technology like the Vanguard and Astrid models.

Calculating Extended battery Backup Time

Connecting a load to a larger sized UPS, will provide a longer backup time than if the UPS were fully loaded. For example – putting a 250VA load on a 325VA UPS may provide up to ten minutes of battery backup, but put that same load on a 1000VA UPS and you will get around forty-five minutes. This is because as a UPS gets larger it carries more and/or larger capacity batteries.

Where and When to Use a Particular UPS Model

• The Icute, Standby UPS (385VA , 530VA & 730VA) is recommended for low grade or home applications only where someone is available to monitor the situation.
• The E-Book, Standby UPS (600VA & 800VA) is recommended for low grade or home applications only where someone is available to monitor the situation.  
• The WOW, Standby UPS (300VA, 500VA & 800VA ) is recommended for low grade or home applications only where someone is available to monitor the situation.
• The Black Knight and Imperial Digital King Pro, Line Interactive UPS (400VA to 3000VA or 3kVA) are recommended for use on PC/workstations, some server applications and for short backup times.
• The Smart King, Line Interactive UPS (600VA to 5.1kVA) provides a higher quality of power when it is working on batteries, so is ideal for File Servers, Telephone Systems & long backup times (due to this, the Smart King is the first model in our range to have the facility to add on extra battery packs - which provide even longer backup times - which is generally more economical than just going to a much larger UPS).
• The Vanguard, Single phase On-Line UPS (700 to 20kVA) 3:1 Phase On-Line (10-20kVA)– Used for very sensitive loads, in areas of extremely poor mains power, or in conjunction with generators (which is an essential application because standard Line Interactive UPSs won’t work). Particularly for large loads and long backup times.
• The Astrid, 3/1 or 3/3 Phase On-Line UPS (10kVA to 2.4MVA) – This is the “industrial” UPS range also for very sensitive loads, areas of extremely poor mains power, in conjunction with generators, large loads, long backup times.

Types of UPS

In general, there are three types of UPS's which offer different levels of support and protection. Optional software is available to provide automatic, unattended shut-down of file servers and workstations.

Off Line UPS

An off-line UPS will filter noise, surges and spikes from the utility power before passing it to the load. The battery which stands off-line (and therefore does not see the normal utility power) is charged on a required basis. When power failure is detected switch is activated and the power is supplied from the battery.

Our models Icute, WOW and E-Book 

Line Interactive UPS
Line Interactive UPS combine some of the advantages of stand by units with those of on line units. Normal power passes through the noise filters and surge suppressors before going into an inverter, part of which is on-line all the time. The inverter acts as a battery charger under normal conditions but on power failure will provide battery back-up.

Our Models Black Knight, ImperialDigital and Smart King

On Line UPS
With On-Line systems the input current passes through their major components all the time. A steady nominal output is obtained and if the line falls or goes outside of the input limits, the battery will instantly carry on delivering power to the load. 

Our Models Vanguard

Whatever the application, choosing a Nikko by Powercom UPS or any other Nikko power protection solution, is now that much easier. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.

Nikko Products   

E-book , WOW , Icute , Black Knight , Smart King , Vanguard, Imperial Digital