In today’s increasingly electrified and data-driven world, uninterrupted, high-quality power is essential. Power disturbances from the mains supply, such as voltage dips, surges, transients, and harmonics, can damage sensitive equipment and reduce system efficiency.
An AC Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) actively conditions, stabilises, and cleans the incoming power to mitigate these risks, keeping your operations running smoothly.
There are nine known AC power problems, each of which can impact system performance or damage equipment:
Power Failure - Complete loss of utility power
Voltage Dips (Sags) - Short-term voltage drops
Surges - Short-duration voltage increases.
Undervoltage – Prolonged low voltage
Overvoltage – Prolonged high voltage
Transients – Instantaneous high-energy spikes (e.g. from lightning)
Harmonics – Distorted waveforms caused by non-linear loads
Electrical Line Noise – Interference from nearby devices or electromagnetic sources
Frequency Variation – Deviations from nominal grid frequency
Visual examples of dips, transients, surges and harmonics can be seen below..png)
These disturbances are commonly caused by grid instability, heavy machinery start-ups, switching events, or environmental factors such as lightning. Even momentary interruptions can lead to equipment failure, data loss, or reduced operational efficiency.
A high-performance UPS does far more than provide emergency power. Advanced systems, particularly online double-conversion UPS models, use a three-stage internal architecture to condition and deliver reliable electricity.
Rectifier
Converts incoming AC power to DC
Charges the UPS battery
Inverter
Converts DC to regulated AC
Maintains stable output voltage and frequency, regardless of input fluctuations.
Filters
Isolate the load from electrical noise, surges, and transients
Deliver consistent, clean power to sensitive equipment
Not all UPS types offer the same level of protection. While the majority can address major issues like power failures, dips, and surges, online double-conversion UPS systems provide continuous, real-time correction of all nine power quality problems. This is due to their ability to isolate and regenerate the power supply entirely through their rectifier-inverter chain.
AC UPS systems are a cornerstone of modern power protection strategy. By isolating your equipment from unstable grid power and delivering clean, consistent output, they:
Prevent costly equipment damage
Maintain productivity and data integrity
Improve system efficiency and lifespan
Our experts can design the right system for your power quality challenges.
