Is there a UPS/backup battery to install on a circuit?

mcvane

Hi There.

We tend to have a lot of brown outs and power interuptions that tend to reset computers and appliances (like clock radios and VCRs) in some rooms in our house.

I have a UPS for my main computer, but I have several, and instead of investing in more UPS'es, I would like to possibly install something on the main circuit panel that is even a 30 second battery backup - it doesn't have to be long...just so that computers don't reboot and VCRs don't reset in the 1/2 second of time when power is cut and reestablished.

Is there such an item out there that is available for consumer purchase?

Thanks

elkangorito

There is such a device bit it only works if the supply is relatively stable ie supply fluctuations that only last for 1 or 2 cycles (1 cycle equals 16.7 milliseconds). The device is a ferroresonannt transformer aka a constant voltage transformer.

Normally these devices are used to overcome small transients in an otherwise stable supply. A typical application would be protecting sensitive electronic equipment. The problem is that they are expensive & you may not find one big enough to supply your whole house. I guess the biggest economical size would be about 10kVA.


Stick with your UPS units. If they are the "online" type, all the better. A UPS to supply your house would cost a small fortune.

Another alternative is an AVS (Automatic Voltage Stabilizer). They are more suited for extreme supply fluctuations and are priced according to size. At a guess, a typical family household would have a demand not exceeding 20kW. An AVS of this size would also be very expensive.

Attached Files

Types of UPS.zip (9.8 KB, 9 views)

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Switchboard design engineer & Licensed Electrician (Australia).

elkangorito

I just had another thought.....


In underdeveloped countries where the power is crap, many people use inverters & a battery bank. I think this is your cheapest option but be careful...some appliances don't like the waveform that the inverter supplies. Most inverters put out a 'modified sine wave', which can upset some sensitive electronic equipment. If you wanted to avoid this problem, you could use a 'true sine wave' (or 'pure sine wave') inverter but they are more expensive.

The size of the inverter & the number (& type) of batteries needs to be calculated for your needs. It's best to use deep cycle batteries & provided that they are not discharged more than 50% of their total charge on any occasion, they should last for years.


The inverter & batteries will need to be installed by an electrician.

__________________
Switchboard design engineer & Licensed Electrician (Australia).