RESOURCES
When the power goes out, you must ensure mission-critical operations stay online. Increasing uninterrupted power supply (UPS) run time can help your facility improve system reliability, disaster recovery and more.
A UPS is an essential device for mission-critical operations, such as field deployments for military personnel or hospital life support apparatus. The total run time is the number of minutes your UPS can support connected devices during an outage, and maximizing that time is essential for protecting your organization and adhering to legal regulations and standards.
This guide explains why highly regulated industries should double UPS running time before an emergency can occur.
What Is the Benefit of Increased UPS Run Time?
The most significant benefits of extending UPS run time include:
- Increased uptime: While standard UPS systems minimize operational delays during critical moments, an extended run time means your operation can withstand prolonged power outages with lower risk.
- Enhanced disaster recovery: Longer UPS run times give your devices extra time to back up critical data and properly complete shutdown processes, which reduces the risk of outage-related data loss or equipment damage.
- Cost savings: A long UPS run time helps to reduce operational downtime and its associated costs. It also places less stress on the generator, and maintenance can become increasingly costly as the unit ages.
It's important to note that while you can increase a UPS's total run time, doing so will not necessarily increase its load capacity. Attempting to support higher loads without increasing capacity will reduce run time due to the high power demand.
What Factors Affect UPS Run Time?
Three main factors contribute to UPS run time:
- Battery capacity: The battery capacity of a UPS directly influences its total run time, as the unit will rely on its battery until the main power system kicks back on.
- Load requirements: The higher the load, the lower the total UPS running time. Load optimization techniques can help you balance demand with availability.
- Environmental conditions: In extreme conditions, standard UPS systems have significantly shorter run times than ruggedized ones. Ensuring your UPS can meet your application's normal demands is critical for maximizing run time in any environment.
While you can adjust your UPS to adapt to any of the above, it's important to understand how your system integrates with other devices to ensure effective results. It's also crucial to identify which systems and devices are mission-critical so you can optimize your UPS to meet their demands.
5 Strategies for Extending UPS Running Time
Longer UPS running times can help you reduce risk by keeping mission-critical operations online through blackouts and brownouts. There are many different strategies for extending UPS run time, including:
1. Choose the Correct UPS
Choosing the right UPS for your system ensures it will be able to withstand typical operating loads and minimize disruptions when outages occur. There are three main types of UPS available for different applications:
- Standby UPS: Also known as an offline UPS, a standby UPS remains in sleep mode until wall power fails. The UPS system then kicks on and supplies power to all connected devices until wall AC power returns.
- Line-interactive UPS: This partial UPS system or power conditioner eliminates incoming power fluctuations by synthesizing missing or distorted portions of AC power and combining it with the current from the main feed wire.
- Double-conversion UPS: Also called an online system, a double-conversion UPS provides constant power to its DC-AC inverter to condition incoming current during normal operation. It stays on when wall power fails, ensuring a seamless transition to UPS power until the outage is resolved.
2. Upgrade Battery Capacity
Investing in additional battery packs will help you increase run time by extending total battery life.
Most UPS systems use either a sealed lead acid (SLA) or a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery to store power for emergency use. Li-ion batteries provide higher energy density and can support high-power needs for short sprints, making them the superior choice for UPS systems.
Regardless of the specific battery type your UPS uses, all additional battery types must be compatible with the existing ones. Incompatibility will result in a system that does not function as intended.
3. Optimize Load Management
Load management techniques such as the following can enhance overall performance and reduce the total demand on a UPS:
- Load shedding: Temporarily cutting power to non-critical systems during outages to ensure critical systems can run uninterrupted.
- Load balancing: Equalizing power distribution among devices to reduce the risk of overloading any one device. Implementing a power distribution unit (PDU) can help you automate load balancing.
- Load forecasting: Using historical load data, you can predict when and where energy demand will be at its peak. This information can help you optimize placement and connections for UPS and PDU systems throughout your facility.
Before implementing any of these techniques, it's essential to conduct a thorough power assessment of your application. Identify and analyze all current requirements and use this information to predict how demand may increase in the future so you can plan accordingly. You'll also want to identify any potential bottlenecks or vulnerabilities that could cause issues in the future.
4. Implement Redundant UPS Systems
Redundancy reduces risk by ensuring a system can continue running even if a UPS fails. To determine the appropriate level of redundancy for your operation, understand the data center N model.
Data centers use various architectures for redundant systems, including N, N+1, N+2, and on. N in this scheme represents the minimum capacity required to maintain stable data center temperatures while at full IT load. It does not include any redundancy, which means any center operating at N capacity has zero tolerance for disruptions.
Implementing a system with at least N+1 UPS redundancy provides a stable source of power through various scenarios, including component failure or maintenance-related downtime.
5. Improve Maintenance Procedures
Preventive maintenance is essential for ensuring your UPS will operate as planned in emergency settings, and taking care of its batteries is especially crucial.
To ensure batteries are operational when needed, you should schedule regular battery replacements and health checks. Some of those health checks may include periodic load testing and run time assessments, where you apply a controlled load to the battery at predetermined intervals to determine its maximum run time and capacity.
Astrodyne TDI Can Help Your Facility Effectively Increase UPS Running Time
If your organization needs more robust protection in disaster situations, UPS equipment from Astrodyne TDI can help you maximize run time. We have decades of experience in developing rugged, high-quality UPS systems for use in demanding industries such as the military, health care and semiconductor fabrication.
Our engineers can also develop custom solutions to meet specific facility or operational requirements. Contact us today to discuss your operational requirements with an expert team member or to request a personalized quote.
