A THEORETICAL APPROACH ON SOLAR BASED UPS MONITORING SYSTEM

Abstract

In telecommunications establishments or
AC DC AC AC
computer centers, a power failure could be
Batter
disastrous. The necessity of providing an un- Utilit y Inverte Transfer
Load
y charge r switch
r
interruptible power supply is increasingly
seen as essential. UPS provides Batter
y
uninterrupted power and can offer protection
from power corruption problems. In
System
specifying an UPS, several features have to logic &
control
be considered. The quality of the incoming
power supply, the ambient conditions in
which the UPS will have to operate and the
The function of the battery/charger is to
load and power backup duration all present
convert the input A.C. power, usually utility
problems which must be solved before
power, to regulated and filtered DC power
installing an UPS. In our work we are trying
that charges the battery and provides input
to increase the UPS battery backup and
power to the inverter section. The battery’s
lifetime by incorporating few of the features
function is to provide DC input power to the
to the existing UPS system. Features
inverter section when the AC input is not
considered for the implementation includes
available to the battery/charger section. The
over voltage protection, short circuit
inverter section will receive the DC input
protection, overload protection, deep
from either the battery/charger or battery
discharge protection and trickle charging.
section and convert to a regulated AC output
Along with these features, in order to use the
that is transmitted to the load or to a static
vastly available solar energy, we are using
switch. The function of the static switch,
this energy to charge the battery.
when incorporated into the configuration, is
UPS SYSTEM to transfer the load without interruption from

An UPS is composed of four basic sections, the inverter output to an alternate A.C.

battery/charger, battery, inverter, and static power in case the inverter section fails or

switch. overloads.
 2. Reverse Transfer Configuration: Here
the commercial line feeds the battery
OPERATION OF UPS
charger / rectifier which in turn feed the
There are basically two configuration
load. When the mains AC fail, the battery
through which UPS operates.
bank supplies the current to the inverter and
1. Forward Transfer Configuration: In hence the inverter continues to feed the load.
this configuration, the UPS is basically used The main advantage of this configuration is
as a hot standby. In normal mode of that the load always receives the power from
operation, the transfer switch connects the the inverter. This is capable of delivering
load to the commercial AC line. The clean power with minimum harmonic
rectifier has to supply only the no load distortion. Therefore, critical loads can be
current to the inverter and it should maintain used in this configuration. This feature
the battery bank in a floating condition. makes it the most widely used configuration.
When the commercial AC line develops a
PROTECTION to UPS
problem, then the transfer switch
1. Battery/Charger
immediately switches the load to the
inverter. The inverter gets its input drive The battery/charger section is a full-wave
from the battery bank. When the type rectifier and usually a phase-controlled
commercial line is resumed, the transfer SCR circuit combined with a regulator to
switch transfers the load back to it. Now the provide voltage and current control of its
battery charger / rectifier get the power from DC output. Over-current protection for the
the mains and supply the no load current to battery/charger should include both overload
the inverter, charging the battery bank. This and short circuit considerations. This starts
is called recovery mode of operation. The with the protective device on the AC input.
main disadvantage of this forward transfer Battery/Charger Diagram
configuration is that the load continues to
get the power directly from the commercial Circuit Input Bridge
Filter
Breaker Xfmr rectifier
AC line most of the time. Hence all the
problems of AC commercial line will be
Voltage
passed on to the load. Therefore only those and
Battery
charging
current
Adt.
loads which can tolerate power line control

problems can be used under this

configuration.
If over-current protection is not included Batteries for UPS require high current
with the UPS system, the manufacturer values for short time periods. Protection for
should provide rating to allow conduit and batteries begins with over current devices
wire sizing. This protective device, usually a such as fuses or breakers to protect a battery
circuit breaker, will provide protection from system from short circuit currents. Without
internal phase to phase, and phase to ground over current protection a battery can be
faults that can cause extensive damage. severely damaged and the only fuse
Consideration for installation of a fusible protection may be the battery cable.
disconnect switch ahead of AC input breaker Overcharging of battery must be protected
for backup protection is advisable, but care against because it causes 1) loss of water
must be taken to insure proper coordination from the electrolyte, 2) gassing and 3)
with battery/charger input breaker. An pressure build up and temperature rise in
important point that often is over looked in sealed cells. The detrimental effects of
selecting an AC input device, whether a overcharging batteries can be compounded
circuit breaker or fuses, is interrupting with high ambient temperature that adds to
rating. The UPS system will be tied into the the increased temperature resulting from
user’s power distribution and it is important charging. High temperature increases water
that the maximum short circuit current at the consumption by evaporation and the
input AC protective device terminals is resulting increased charging current from
known. This SCC value easily should be high temperature causes more water
detailed in the specification as it can consumption through oxygen and hydrogen
encompass a range from 10000A to 60000A evolution. Acid fumes from lead-acid
depending on input voltage level and power batteries corrode terminals and other
system characteristics. Most of the other equipment in close proximity. Hydrogen
protection required is designed by the evolution can create an explosive
manufacturer and it is incorporated into the atmosphere if the area is not adequately
battery/charger unit. ventilated. Sealed cells can build up
dangerous internal pressure if temperature is
2. Battery
too high. Controlling ambient temperature
Batteries provide the source of DC input to
may be the single best protection for
the inverter section when the DC output
preserving battery integrity and maximizing
from the battery/charger section is lost. The
life.
reliability of the UPS system will heavily
3. Inverter
depend on the battery protection scheme.
The inverter unit is used to convert the batteries, particularly nickel-cadmium
regulated DC input from the battery/charger batteries or nickel metal hydride batteries,
section or batteries to an AC output that have a moderate rate of self-discharge,
supplies the load requirements. The output meaning they gradually lose their charge
will be fed either to the load terminals or the even if they are not used in a device. One
input of the static transfer switch. Protection must be careful, however, that if a battery
for the inverter unit requires an over current regulator is not employed, the charge rate
or control device that senses both overload isn't greater than the level of self-discharge,
and short circuit conditions. Sensing of the or overcharging and possible damage or
input DC current is the most common leakage may occur.
method of monitoring for inverter The difference between a float
protection. The UPS manufacturer’s charger and a trickle charger is that the float
protection scheme for the inverter unit is has circuitry to prevent overcharging. It
generally to protect the bridge SCR’s or senses when the battery voltage is at the
transistors as they represent the component maximum level and temporarily shuts off
most sensitive to high current. The most the charge (floats voltage at zero or a very
generally used protection schemes are to minimal charge until it senses that the
feedback the DC current input monitor battery output voltage has fallen, and then
signal to trip the DC input or AC output resumes charging). You can keep it
breaker or to have fast acting semiconductor connected indefinitely.
fuses in the cathode lead of the SCR’s. A trickle charger, on the other hand,
will charge no matter whether the battery is
In our work we are intended to
implement protections like over voltage fully charged or not. So it needs to be
connected and disconnected periodically. If
protection, short circuit protection, over
left in place too long it'll eventually boil the
voltage protection, deep discharge
electrolyte out of the cells or damage the
protection. Along with these protection
plates. Trickle chargers will work to keep
schemes we are using the trickle charge
the battery charged if used once a month or
technique to charge the battery.
so for a day or 2, but the float chargers can
Trickle charging:
be left connected indefinitely without
Trickle charging, or float charging, potential harm to the battery.
means charging a battery at a similar rate as For example, a 24 volt battery pack,
it is self-discharging, thus maintaining a full comprising 12 2-volt flooded lead-acid cells,
capacity battery. Most rechargeable which has been deeply discharged, would
normally be restored by a boost charge of current loop, while the voltage loop is
approximately 2.4 volts per cell for a short controlled by a robust servomechanism
time (perhaps around 72 hours). Once the controller for the elimination of total
collective cell voltage reaches a surface harmonic distortion in the output voltage.
charge of 28.8 volts (2.4 volts x 12 cells), Surge Protection
the charge rate would be switched to the Any UPS will normally employ a
sustained lower float-charging rate of rectifier in its first operational stage to
typically 2.23 volts. Eventually, with the convert the incoming AC to DC. Batteries
Boost charge removed, the surface charge are usually found in the second stage. The
will diminish slightly and the battery-bank DC output from the rectifier charges the
voltage will stabilize at a preset float batteries as it supplies power to the inverter,
voltage, in the case of the example above to the third basic UPS stage. The inverter
approximately 27 volts (2.23 volts x 12). changes the DC power at its input back into
In low duty-cycle applications, AC at its output. That output, of course,
where a relatively high current or power is dispenses power to its loads. Most UPS
required infrequently, charger costs can be devices employ bypass circuits that allow
minimized by applying trickle-charging their equipment loads to circumvent the UPS
principles. This can be an economy measure and draw AC power directly from the utility.
in cases where the charging method could be Higher end products only make use of their
quite expensive if the full charging rate were bypass lines during maintenance procedures
employed, such as solar-cell installations. or when the UPS is inoperative. However,
Full battery capacity can be achieved at a low end and midrange products exploit them
low charging current over a long period of during their normal operating parameters as
time to provide a high-power load for a short their inverter stages are only intended to
period. power their equipment loads during an
Over load Protection: actual utility power outage. While these
Overload protection is an important UPS products will often utilize small metal
issue for UPS systems. A dual loop control oxide varistors (MOV) on their utility power
structure is proposed for a three phase UPS inputs to support their surge suppression
systems to achieve overload protection as claims, the realized levels of real-world
well as output voltage tracking under load surge protection are minimal.
disturbance, unbalanced load, and nonlinear
load conditions. A discrete-time sliding
mode controller is used to control the
Application [6] TYCO Electronics at
www.corcom.com/catalog/filters/S/schemati
1) Solid state Inverters used for PCs at
c.htm
home. [7] Muhammand Rashid, Power Electronics
2) It is used to power appliances where no Circuits Devices and Applications Third
Edition, 2004
break in power supply is acceptable
viz., Lamps, Water Pumping system,
Tele-communication systems- Radio &
T.V. Sets etc.
Conclusion:

Nowadays UPS systems available in the

market are not guaranteed to be protective.
Along with the UPS systems won’t provide
protection to all the electronic equipments at
the load which can be a computer, lighting
system, telecommunication equipment. Here
we are proposing to implement over voltage
and short circuit protection at the load, over
voltage and deep discharge protection to the
battery and trickle charging of battery,
thereby increases the battery backup time
and increases the battery lifetime.

References:

[1] ANSI/IEEE std. 466 – 1986

Emergency and standby power systems
[2] N. Christenson, UPS FAQ version 2.3.
www.jetcafe.org/~npc/doc/ups-faq.html#06
[3]UPS, the stand by power supply, The PC
Guide
www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/ups/typesS
tandbyc.html
[4] Falcon Electronics, Industry Leader in
UPS Design
www.falconups.com/press02.26.03.htm
[5] The battery station LLC at
www.batterystation.com/ups.htm