Advice on need for UPS maintenance bypass circuits
A
Riello UPS product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Feb 2, 2001
Advance-Galatrek, the extended runtime Uninterruptible Power Systems supplier, has issued essential advice on the need to provide UPS maintenance bypass circuits
Advance-Galatrek, the UK's leading supplier of extended runtime Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) and DC standby power systems for industrial and mission-critical applications, has issued essential advice on the need to provide UPS maintenance bypass circuits.
According to Advance-Galatrek Chief Engineer Mick Burgoyne, installation of a maintenance bypass should be considered a top priority in any application where even the briefest interruption in the power supply could be catastrophic.
A bypass circuit removes the need to power down the load during routine maintenance or for any capacity upgrades to the Uninterruptible Power Supply.
The maintenance bypass switch is usually wall mounted, adjacent to the UPS itself, enabling the device to be isolated from the load without interrupting power to essential applications.
This allows maintenance to be performed safely during normal working hours, although it is important to ensure that the switch is of the make-before-break variety, to ensure continuity of supply.
Users need to be aware that there are several different types of UPS bypass available.
For example, more sophisticated UPS products, where the battery supports the critical load, often feature internal bypass arrangements.
These give some flexibility for battery tests, but have two major drawbacks.
If the UPS needs to be removed for whatever reason, the critical equipment still has to be powered down.
Additionally, as the UPS cannot be totally isolated, dangerous AC and DC voltages can still be present during maintenance.
The UPS mains supply and the maintenance bypass switch ideally should be connected to separate in phase supplies.
This improves reliability, by ensuring that the critical load is no longer dependent on just a single fuse.
Additionally, volt-free contact signals can be fitted, so that the position of the bypass switch can be remotely monitored.
Further protection can be offered by the installation of a key locking mechanism, to prevent unauthorised operation of the transfer switch.
Finally, Advance-Galatrek recommends that UPS power supplies are either hardwired, or incorporate locking plugs to prevent the supply from accidentally being disconnected.
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