Uninterruptible Power Supply UPS: Selection Operation Maintenance

Introduction

This course provides criteria and guidance in the selection, installation, and maintenance of the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems. The process for identifying the need for a UPS system, selecting, installing, and maintaining the UPS systems are covered. Covered are theory and principles of static and rotary UPS systems, design and selection of UPS, installation, and testing of UPS, maintenance and operation of UPS systems, principles of static and rotary UPS, UPS system rating and sizing selection, operation/maintenance, batteries, troubleshooting, harmonic distortions, grounding, checklists, and acceptance testing.

The course materials are based entirely on the Technical Manual of Uninterruptible power Supply System Selection, Installation, and Maintenance for Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Facilities.

Objectives

The purpose of this course is to provide guidance for the facilities engineers in selecting, installing, and maintaining an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system after the decision has been made to install it.

At the conclusion of the course the student will be familiar with the:

• Principles and configurations of different UPS systems such as the static and rotary UPS systems.
• Design and selection criteria such as the determination of the need, safety, availability and affordability of the UPS systems.
• Installation and testing including the features, location and protection of UPS systems.
• Test and startup and maintenance of UPS systems.
• Describe the basic building blocks of UPS and high reliability power supply systems
• Understand the construction and operation of the major commercial UPS systems
• Detail the operation of the popular UPS Systems
• Maintain and test Lead Acid and Nickel Cadmium Batteries
• Understand how to performance test lead acid and Nickel Cadmium batteries
• Identify the relevant hazards and apply safe working practice for UPS's and Batteries

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

This course is directed at electrical technicians, maintenance professionals, and electrical engineers who would like to expand their knowledge of UPS systems.

Course Outline

Part 1: Overview

• Introduction
• Power quality
• Power quality improvement
• Importance of continuity of electric power supply
• Planning for reliability
• UPS system options
• Static UPS systems
• Batteries
• Charging and discharging performance
• Selection and sizing of batteries
• Maintenance and disposal of batteries

Part 2: Power quality

• Introduction
• Limits on electrical parameters
• What is power quality?
• Power quality indicators
• Power quality problems-effects and mitigation
• Summary

Part 3: Continuity of power and UPS systems

• Introduction
• Needs of equipment
• Understanding failures
• Effect of power interruptions
• Planning for reliability
• Redundancy and automation
• Uninterrupted power supply systems
• Rotary UPS systems
• Advanced rotary UPS systems
• Hybrid UPS system

Part 4: A refresher on semiconductors, rectifiers, and inverters

• Introduction
• Principle of semiconductor devices-Junction diode
• Transistors
• Thyristor
• MOSFET and IGBT
• Rectifiers (Converters)
• Ripple and its control
• Harmonics
• Inverters 

Part 5: Static UPS systems

• Introduction
• General configuration
• Types of static UPS systems
• UPS metering, indications, alarms and protection
• Other types of UPS systems
• Power quality and UPS
• UPS applications to computer loads
• UPS configurations in computer installations
• Rating of UPS systems for computer equipment
• Redundant UPS configuration
• Grounding of UPS derived supplies

Part 6: Basics of Batteries

• Introduction
• Battery and its two basic types
• Secondary cells-construction
• Applications of secondary batteries
• General features
• Battery types and construction
• Chemical reactions in batteries
• Salient features of lead-acid battery
• Salient features of a nickel-cadmium battery
• Main types of lead-acid batteries
• Lead-acid battery-manufacturing process

Part 7: Charging and discharging of batteries

• Introduction
• The need for charging
• Types of charging
• Charging of batteries
• Trickle charging
• Boost charging
• Completion of charging
• Overcharging and undercharging
• Discharging of batteries
• Battery charging equipment
• Nickel-cadmium batteries 

Part 8: Selection and sizing of batteries

• Applicable definitions
• Introduction
• Selection of batteries-basic approach
• Application information
• Sizing procedure
• Calculating the number of cells
• Duty cycle
• Computing the capacity of battery based on the duty cycle
• An alternative method of sizing
• Correction factors
• UPS battery sizing

Part 9: Installation of batteries

• Introduction
• Standards
• Receipt and checking of batteries and accessories
• Storage prior to installation
• Pre-installation planning
• Installation of battery racks
• Handling and pre-installation checks
• Mounting of cells on racks
• Installing flame arrestors and labels
• Making electrical connections
• Checking the integrity of electrical connections
• Making external electrical connections 

Part 10: Battery maintenance, battery failures, and disposal

• Need for maintenance and monitoring
• Major causes of battery failures
• Sulphation and hydration
• Failure modes
• Periodic inspection and maintenance of stationary batteries
• Periodic inspection and maintenance-UPS batteries
• Capacity testing for assessing residual battery life
• Test equipment for capacity/integrity testing
• Documentation
•  Personnel safety during maintenance
• Replacement of defective batteries
• Monitoring of batteries for predicting failures
• Conductance testing-Getting the most from a battery
• Plate polarization measurements
• Disposal and recycling of batteries