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Technical Comparison of On-line
vs. Line-interactive UPS designs

White Paper 79
Revision 1


by Jeffrey Samstad




                                                              Contents
    > Executive summary                                       Click on a section to jump to it

                                                              Introduction                       2
    UPS systems below 5000 VA are available in two basic
    designs: line-interactive or double-conversion on-line.   Application considerations         2
    This paper describes the advantages and disadvan-
    tages of each topology and addresses some common          UPS options                        6
    misconceptions about real-world application require-
    ments.                                                    Comparison summary                 10

                                                              Conclusion                         11

                                                              Resources                          12
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs




Introduction     Most of the factors that go into deciding which UPS to purchase are visible and easily
                 understood: battery back-up time, cost, size, manufacturer, number of outlets, manageability,
                 etc. But there are also less visible factors that are not so easy to understand. One of the
                 least understood, yet most discussed, is topology. The topology (internal design) of a UPS
                 affects how it will operate in various environments.

                 Selecting the right topology can be complicated by claims that certain topologies are superior
                 and absolutely necessary for mission-critical applications. Because these claims typically
                 come from manufacturers trying to sell their so-called “superior” topology, it is difficult to
                 make an informed decision based on such claims alone. The goal of this paper is to speak
                 objectively about the advantages and disadvantages of the two most common topologies:
                 line-interactive and double-conversion on-line.

                 At the high and low ends of the power spectrum there is little debate about the relative merits
                 of these two topologies. 1 Above 5000 VA, line-interactive has historically been impractical
                 due to its larger size and greater cost. At the low end, below 750 VA, double-conversion on-
                 line is rarely considered because other topologies (including line-interactive) are more
                 practical for smaller loads.

                 Debate regarding double-conversion on-line vs. line-interactive topology usually focuses on
                 the power range between 750 VA and 5000 VA. This is where the functional and economic
                 advantages of one topology over the other are not so clear and depend upon the particulars
                 of the installation. While line-interactive has become the most commonly manufactured and
                 deployed topology in this power range, advancements in semiconductor technology and
                 manufacturing techniques have brought down the price premium of double-conversion on-line
                 over line-interactive, making the choice between the two harder than in the past. Selecting
                 the best topology in this “overlap” range requires an understanding of the tradeoffs associ-
                 ated with each topology.




Application      Before making any decision about UPS topology, it is important to understand the require-
                 ments of the equipment to be protected and the environment in which the UPS will be
considerations   installed. Knowing these basic requirements is essential to an informed decision on the UPS
                 topology that will best serve the application.



                 IT equipment and AC power: The switch-mode power supply (SMPS)
                 Electricity is generally distributed as alternating current (AC) power from utilities and backup
                 generators. AC voltage alternates between positive and negative — ideally as a perfect sine
                 wave — passing through zero volts twice per cycle. It may not be noticeable to the naked
                 eye, but a light bulb connected to utility voltage actually flickers 100 or 120 times per second
                 (for 50 or 60 cycle AC) as the voltage crosses zero to change polarity.

                 How does IT equipment use AC electricity to power its processing circuits? Does it also “turn
                 off” 100 times or more per second as the line voltage changes polarity? Clearly, there is a
                 problem here that IT equipment must solve. The way that virtually all modern IT equipment
                 solves this problem is with a switch-mode power supply (SMPS). 2 An SMPS first converts

                 1 At very high power — 200,000 VA and greater — a different debate focuses on the relative merits of
                  double-conversion on-line vs. delta-conversion on-line. See APC White Paper 1, The Different Types
                  of UPS Systems, for a comparison of these two on-line topologies (link located under Resources).
                 2 “Switch-mode” refers to a feature of the power supply’s internal circuitry that is not related to this
                  discussion.


                 APC by Schneider Electric                                                   White Paper 79       Rev 1     2
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


                             the AC voltage with all of its non-ideal components (voltage spikes, distortion, frequency
                             variations, etc.) into flat DC (direct current). This process charges an energy storage
                             element, called a capacitor, which stands between the AC input and the rest of the power
                             supply. This capacitor is charged by the AC input in bursts twice per AC cycle when the sine
                             wave is at or near its peaks (positive and negative) and discharges at whatever rate is
                             required by the IT processing circuits downstream. The capacitor is designed to absorb
                             these normal AC pulses along with anomalous voltage spikes continuously over its entire
                             design life. So, unlike the flickering light bulb, IT equipment operates on a steady flow of DC
                             instead of the pulsating AC of the utility grid.

                             This is not quite the end of the story. Microelectronic circuits require very low DC voltages
                             (3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V, etc.) but the voltage across the capacitor just mentioned can be as high as
                             400 V. The SMPS also converts this high-voltage DC to tightly regulated low-voltage DC
                             outputs.

       Link to resource      In doing this voltage reduction, the SMPS performs another important function: it provides
       APC White Paper 9     galvanic isolation. Galvanic isolation is a physical separation in the circuitry that serves two
Common Mode Susceptibility   purposes. The first purpose is safety — protection against electric shock. The second
of Computers                 purpose is protection against equipment damage or malfunction due to common-mode
                             (ground-based) voltage or noise. Information about grounding and common-mode voltage is
       Link to resource      available in APC White Papers 9 (Common Mode Susceptibility of Computers) and 21,
       APC White Paper 21    (Neutral Wire Facts and Mythology).
Neutral Wire Facts and
Mythology                    Figure 1 shows a piece of IT equipment (a server in this example) that is protected by a UPS.
                             The internal components of the server, including the SMPS, are also shown.


                                                                                                 Server


                                                                                                 DC       Motherboard

                                    Utility
Figure 1
                                                 AC                      AC
                                      or                     UPS                    SMPS         DC        Hard Disk
Typical UPS application:
UPS and server                    Generator
                                                                                                             Other
                                                                                                 DC
                                                                                                          Electronics




                             In the same way the SMPS “rides through” the intervals between peaks of the AC input sine
                             wave, it also rides through other anomalies and brief interruptions in the AC supply. This is a
                             feature important to IT equipment manufacturers because they want their equipment to
                             function even in cases where a UPS is not present. No IT equipment manufacturer wants to
                             stake their reputation for quality and performance on a power supply that cannot endure even
                             the slightest AC line anomaly. This is particularly true for higher-grade networking and
                             computing equipment, which is therefore typically built with higher quality power supplies.

                             To demonstrate this ride-through ability, a typical computer power supply was heavily loaded
                             and then its AC input was removed. The power supply’s output was monitored to determine
                             how long acceptable output voltage continued to be delivered after the loss of AC input. The
                             results are shown in Figure 2. The waveforms displayed are the power supply’s input
                             voltage, input current, and DC output voltage.




                             APC by Schneider Electric                                        White Paper 79       Rev 1   3
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs




                                                                                                   DC output collapses
                                             Input voltage
                                                                              18 ms
Figure 2                                     Input current

Power supply ride-through


                                                                            AC input interrupted




                                                              After the AC goes away, a heavily loaded computer power
                                                               supply’s output collapses, but only after a significant delay.



                            Before being removed, the input voltage is the sine wave at the left in Figure 2. The input
                            current — the spiked trace under the smooth voltage curve — consists of a short pulse at the
                            positive peak of the input voltage and another short pulse at the negative peak. Only during
                            these current pulses is the capacitor of the SMPS charged. The rest of the time, power is
                            being drawn from the capacitor to provide power to the processing circuits. 3 DC voltage at
                            the output of the SMPS is the top trace in Figure 2. Notice that the output voltage remains
                            tightly regulated for 18 milliseconds after the AC input is removed. APC by Schneider
                            Electric has tested a variety of power supplies from different computer and other IT equip-
                            ment manufacturers and found similar results. If the supplies are lightly loaded, the ride-
                            through time will be much longer because the capacitor will be discharged more slowly.



                            International standards for UPS compatibility with SMPS loads
                            We have seen that an SMPS must ride through brief power disturbances just to be able to
                            draw power from sinusoidal AC input voltage. But what does “brief” mean?

                            Figure 3 shows the specifications from IEC 62040-3, an international standard. It defines
                            limits on the magnitude and duration of disturbances in the UPS output voltage that are
                            acceptable to an SMPS load. As the shape of the shaded “comfort zone” shows, the smaller
                            the magnitude of the transient, the longer it may be present in the UPS output. Note that this
                            standard allows for the continuous presence of a rather wide range of voltage variations —
                            nominal +10% to –20%. In other words, UPS output voltage can vary within that range for an
                            indefinite length of time with no ill effect on SMPS operation; this is because similar stan-
                            dards for SMPS require ride-through over a range of input anomalies even broader than the
                            range allowed for UPS output. 4




                            3
                                Some SMPS perform power factor correction (PFC) — discussed later — and draw input current as a
                                sine wave. They too have a high-voltage capacitor that performs the same ride-through function.
                            4
                                The related SMPS standards, defining the range of anomalies an SMPS must accept are the
                                “ITI/CBEMA curve” and IEC 61000-4-11.




                            APC by Schneider Electric                                                       White Paper 79      Rev 1   4
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


Figure 3
From IEC standard 62040-3: magnitude and duration of
acceptable AC voltage anomalies for compatibility with
SMPS loads
                         Voltage
                         Variation (%)
                    Double
                    Line Voltage




                                                                                              Overvoltage transient zone



                   Nominal
                                             "Comfort zone"
                   Line Voltage              All transients with
                                             magnitudes and time
                                             durations within this zone
                                             are acceptable to
                                             compliant power supplies.

                                                                                             Undervoltage transient zone

                     Zero
                     Voltage



                                                                     Transient Duration (ms)

                                   Voltage disturbances (” transients”) whose magnitude and duration lie within the green “comfort zone”
                                   are allowed to be present in UPS output that is connected to SMPS equipment; all others are not.



                                   Using Figure 3, the compatibility requirements for a UPS with 120 VAC nominal output are as
                                   follows:

                                      • For durations up to 1 millisecond, the UPS output voltage can go as high as 240 V.
                                      • For durations up to 10 milliseconds, the UPS output voltage can be zero!
                                      • For durations up to 100 milliseconds, less severe swings (either up or down) can be
                                         present — allowable duration depends on the severity of the disturbance.
                                      • For durations greater than 100 milliseconds (includes continuous operation), the UPS
                                         output voltage must remain between 96 V and 132 V.


                                   In most areas of the world, except in some                 > Myth vs. reality
                                   emerging-market countries, the power is                    MYTH: Zero UPS transfer time is required
                                   relatively stable. On a typical day one might              by mission-critical equipment — for
                                   see voltages that vary, at the most, 5% above              example, to prevent lock-up and/or packet
                                                                                              loss in network switches.
                                   or below nominal — well within the allowable
                                   voltage variations shown in Figure 3.                      REALITY: SMPSs are the power supplies
                                   Because an SMPS can draw power from an                     found in virtually all mission-critical
                                   AC source with these characteristics, it                   equipment. They must have a “ride-
                                                                                              through” time of 10 milliseconds or more to
                                   provides the ruggedness required to interface              comply with international standards (see
                                   reliably with typical utility voltage.                     Figure 3). Any electronic equipment that
                                                                                              cannot sustain such a ride-through time is
                                                                                              generally considered to be of inferior
                                   In summary, SMPSs have the following                       design or extremely rare — most likely a
                                   advantages:                                                specialized application (i.e. not computer or
                                                                                              IT equipment).
                                      • They can accept wide variations in input

                                   APC by Schneider Electric                                               White Paper 79      Rev 1    5
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


                                  voltage and frequency without degradation in performance.
                               • They have built-in galvanic isolation between their AC input and DC outputs, eliminating
                                  the need for upstream common-mode (neutral-to-ground) isolation.
                               • They can accept an appreciable amount of input voltage distortion without degradation
                                  in service life or reliability.
                               • They have a built-in “ride-through” time to tolerate brief power interruptions.




UPS options                  APC White Paper 1, The Different Types of UPS Systems, describes the following five main
                             UPS topologies in use today along with their performance characteristics:

                               • Standby
       Link to resource        • Line-interactive
       APC White Paper 1       • Standby-ferro
The Different Types of UPS     • Double-conversion on-line
Systems
                               • Delta-conversion on-line

                             In the power range of 750 VA to 5000 VA, nearly all UPSs sold for use in today’s IT applica-
                             tions are either line-interactive or double-conversion on-line. Other topologies are uncommon
                             in this range for reasons beyond the scope of this paper.



                             Line-interactive UPS
                             A line-interactive UPS conditions and regulates the AC power from the utility, generally
                             using only one main power converter. Figure 4 shows the standard description of this
                             topology from IEC standard 62040-3.




                                    AC input             Power                                                AC output
                                                        Interface
Figure 4
Line-interactive UPS
topology, from IEC 62040-
                                                                Normal mode                  Inverter
3 block diagram showing a
power interface and one                                         Stored energy mode
main conversion block


                                   IEC 488/99
                                   62040-3© IEC:1999
                                                                                                    Battery




                             When AC input is present, the “power interface” block in Figure 4 filters the AC power,
                             suppresses voltage spikes, and provides sufficient voltage regulation to operate well within
                             the specifications discussed earlier. This is most often accomplished with passive filter
                             components and a tap-changing transformer. The main power converter (the “inverter” block)
                             redirects some of the input AC power to keep the batteries fully charged while the AC line
                             voltage is present. This typically requires less than 10% of the UPS power rating, so the
                             components stay cool while in this mode of operation. For example, the inverter block in a
                             3000-watt line-interactive UPS operates at only 300 watts (1/10th of its capacity) or less while



                             APC by Schneider Electric                                        White Paper 79       Rev 1   6
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


charging its batteries. Many components sized for full load operation can run just above the
outside ambient temperature when AC is present — the most common mode of operation.
When the AC line voltage falls outside the input range of the power interface, the inverter
supplies AC output with power from the battery. The input voltage range of the power
interface is usually a fixed window, typically -30% to +15% of nominal. For example, a line-
interactive UPS with 120V nominal output voltage will keep its output between 107 V and
127 V while the input varies from 84 V to 138 V.

A subtle but important fact about line-interactive UPS operation is that while it filters and
conditions the voltage being supplied to the load, it does not alter the wave-shape of the
current being drawn by the load. Therefore, if the load has an SMPS with power factor
correction (PFC), 5 the line-interactive UPS will not distort or interfere with the power factor
correction. If the load SMPS does not have power factor correction and draws its current in
peaks (as shown in Figure 2), the line-interactive UPS will not alter or “correct” this waveform
either.

Theoretically, the small number of components and the cool operation of the main power
converter (the “inverter” block in Figure 4) both contribute to long life and high reliability. In
practice, however, reliability is usually determined by other factors as described in the later
section Reliability considerations.

With its low cost and durability, the line-interactive UPS has been used successfully in
millions of IT installations worldwide.

Things to consider (line-interactive): In developing countries or other infrastructure-
challenged areas where the AC line voltage is unstable, fluctuates wildly, or is highly
distorted, a line-interactive UPS may go to battery once or twice a day or even more fre-
quently. This is because the line-interactive design has a somewhat limited ability to keep
large voltage swings and heavy distortion from reaching the load unless it disconnects from
the AC supply and transfers to battery power. Even though the line-interactive UPS will
provide an output voltage within the IEC limits (Figure 3) for as long as battery power is
available, frequent use of the battery will reduce its capacity, leaving less run-time available
for an extended outage. Also, even if the batteries are not discharged to exhaustion, frequent
use can result in the batteries needing to be replaced more often.

Advantages of line-interactive topology:

     • Lower electricity consumption (less costly to operate) – more efficient because less
        power conversion is performed when acceptable AC input is present.
     • Theoretically higher reliability – lower component count and lower operating tempera-
       tures. (See later section Reliability considerations.)
     • Less heat load on the facility – less heat is produced by the UPS.

Things to watch out for: The line-
interactive UPS may not be the appropri-                > Myth vs. reality
ate choice for installations where:
                                                        MYTH: Line-interactive UPSs do not
                                                        condition power – noise and spikes get
     • AC power is unstable or highly dis-              through that wear out power supplies.
        torted, because battery power will be
                                                        REALITY: High-quality line-interactive units
        used too often to keep the UPS out-
                                                        have powerful built-in surge and noise
        put within specifications.                      suppression to keep their output within
                                                        acceptable levels so that the load’s
                                                        reliability is not affected


5
    A device with power factor correction (PFC) draws current from AC input as a smooth sine wave rather
    than in pulses. See Figure 2 for an illustration of non-PFC output.


APC by Schneider Electric                                                White Paper 79      Rev 1     7
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


                              • Power factor correction (PFC) is required and the load equipment does not perform this
                                 function.



                            Double-conversion on-line UPS
                            As its name implies, a double-conversion on-line UPS converts power twice. First, AC
                            input, with all of its voltage spikes, distortion, and other anomalies, is converted into DC. This
                            is very similar to the operation of the SMPS in IT equipment, as described earlier. And, like
                            the SMPS, a double-conversion on-line UPS uses a capacitor to stabilize this DC voltage and
                            store energy drawn from the AC input. Second, DC is converted back into AC that is tightly
                            regulated by the UPS. This AC output can even have a different frequency from the AC input
                            — something not possible with a line-interactive UPS. All of the power provided to the load
                            equipment goes through this double-conversion process when AC input is present.

                            When AC input goes out of a specified range, the UPS draws power from its battery so that
                            the UPS output is not affected. In many double-conversion on-line designs, this transition
                            inside the UPS between AC input and battery takes several milliseconds. Again, it is the
                            capacitor in the “DC link” (see Figure 5) that provides stored energy to the inverter during
                            these transitions. So, even though there is a brief interruption in power going into the “DC
                            link,” the UPS output voltage is unaffected and continuous.

                            In modern designs, an additional battery-charging circuit is almost always included in the
                            topology, so a double-conversion on-line UPS typically has at least three power conversion
                            stages. Figure 5 illustrates this topology based on IEC standard 62040-3.



                                 AC Input            Bypass (prime or standby)

                                                                                                        Bypass         AC Output
                                                                                                        Switch
Figure 5                         AC Input                              DC Link
                                                 Rectifier                         Inverter
Double-conversion on-line
                                                                        Battery
UPS topology, from IEC                                                   to DC
                                                                       Converter
62040-3 block diagram
                                                 Battery
showing four converter          AC Input
                                                 Charger
                                                                                        Normal mode
blocks                                          (optional)                              Stored energy mode

                                                                                        Bypass mode
                                                             Battery                                             IEC 487/99
                                                                                                                 62040-3© IEC:1999




                            In addition to performing AC-to-DC conversion, the rectifier section also provides power
                            factor correction (PFC), which means it draws current from the AC line as a smooth sine
                            wave rather than in pulses (see Figure 2 for an illustration of non-PFC input current).
                            Because PFC “corrects” the input current waveform, less current is drawn — including
                            reductions in high-frequency harmonics. This happens even if the IT equipment being
                            powered by the UPS draws current in a pulsed (non-PFC) fashion. See APC White Paper 26,
                            Hazards of Harmonics and Neutral Overloads, for more about power factor correction and
      Link to resource      neutral harmonics.
      APC White Paper 26
                            When operating at full load, the range of acceptable AC input voltage of a double-conversion
Hazards of Harmonics and
Neutral Overloads           on-line is similar to that of a line-interactive. Unlike a line-interactive, however, a double-
                            conversion on-line can operate with much lower input voltage if the UPS is not fully loaded.
                            For a typical 120 V double-conversion UPS, this means it might be able to operate from AC
                            power at very light loads even if the input voltage is as low as 50% of nominal (60 V). While
                            this is an interesting attribute of the on-line topology, it is rarely useful (other than for


                            APC by Schneider Electric                                                 White Paper 79       Rev 1     8
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


demonstration) because extended disturbances of this magnitude are extremely rare and
because load conditions, in practice, are variable.

An on-line UPS is usually smaller than a line-interactive UPS for any given power capacity.
Even though it has more components (typically three times as many), the components are
smaller. This is especially true for higher power units above 2200 VA and is always true
comparing against a run-time extendable line-interactive UPS.

On-line topology usually includes a bypass circuit that is used if there is an extended
overload or if there is a problem in one of the double-conversion circuits. Transitions
between bypass and inverter operation often drop the output for a few milliseconds, similar to
a line-interactive UPS transferring to battery. As a result, many on-line units rely on the
SMPS to ride through these disturbances to the UPS output. As with line-interactive units,
this does not present a problem as long as the UPS output disruption is within the specifica-
tions shown in Figure 3.

Things to Consider (Double-conversion On-line): The on-line power conversion stages,
which run continuously to provide the tightly regulated output voltage for which they are
known, can carry loads up to their full power rating. There are, however, costs associated
with this increased performance.

Due to its multiple power stages, a typical
                                                      > Myth vs. reality
double-conversion on-line UPS will have
many more components than a typical line-             MYTH: On-line UPSs offer better
                                                      protection against common-mode (CM)
interactive UPS. Because these components             noise.
are continuously processing all of the power
drawn by the load equipment, their tempera-           REALITY: Even though it is possible to
                                                      design both on-line and line-interactive
tures are typically higher than the compo-
                                                      topologies with galvanic isolation, they both
nents in a line-interactive UPS when AC input         typically use passive components to reduce
is present. Theoretically, both constant              CM voltage. Neither on-line nor line-
operation and higher temperatures reduce the          interactive topology offers a fundamental
                                                      advantage in this respect. SMPSs already
reliability of the components in the UPS. In          have galvanic isolation, so external
practice, however, reliability is often deter-        isolation is unnecessary. See APC White
mined by other factors as described below             Papers 9 and 21 for more information (links
                                                      located in Resources section at bottom of
under Reliability considerations.                     paper).

Another factor to consider is the additional
energy needed to operate a double-conversion on-line UPS over time. A double-conversion
on-line UPS continuously operates with efficiency between 85% and 92%, depending on the
particular design, compared to 96% to 98% for a line-interactive UPS. A 90% efficient
1000 W UPS for example, fully loaded, will consume 100 W of power continuously. This
translates into roughly $100 per year in additional utility costs (on average). In addition to the
utility costs, this 100 W of heat must be removed from the environment, incurring additional
cooling costs that will vary depending on the particular cooling system’s efficiency. This may
not seem like a lot, but when considering the sum of all losses over many UPSs across an
enterprise, or even the total lifetime energy consumption of a single UPS, it becomes a
significant factor in the UPS total cost of ownership. In comparison, a similarly loaded line-
interactive UPS will incur less than a third as much energy cost per load power.

Advantages of double-conversion on-line:

  • Operates less often from battery when the input voltage is highly distorted or wildly
     fluctuating
  • Power factor correction (PFC) provided, regardless of load type
  • More compact and lightweight, especially at higher power levels



APC by Schneider Electric                                           White Paper 79      Rev 1    9
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


               • Can regulate output frequency, and
                  even perform frequency “conversion”          > Myth vs. reality
                  from 50Hz to 60Hz (and vice versa)
                                                               MYTH: Tighter voltage regulation improves
                                                               performance and reliability of IT equipment.
             It could be argued that tightly regulated AC
             output voltage is an advantage of the on-         REALITY: All SMPSs convert AC input
                                                               voltage (with its spikes and distortion) into
             line topology. However, an SMPS does              steady DC. This DC is then used to create
             not need tightly regulated AC due to the          clean, well-regulated DC output for all IT
             voltage regulation provided by the SMPS           loads. Input line conditions within their
                                                               rated ranges do NOT affect the quality of
             itself, as described earlier in this paper.       the SMPS outputs or the performance of
                                                               the IT equipment. Otherwise, why would
                                                               an SMPS have this range printed on its
                                                               chassis?
             Things to watch out for:

               • Double-conversion on-line contains more components that run continuously at higher
                  temperatures and, with all other things being equal, have less service life than similar
                  parts found in line-interactive.
               • Double-conversion on-line uses more electricity than line-interactive because it is con-
                  tinuously converting and reconverting power from the input to the output when AC input
                  is present.
               • Double-conversion on-line creates more heat that is released into the IT environment.
                  This heat must be effectively removed to reduce life-degrading effects on other systems
                  and even on the UPS’ own batteries.



             Reliability considerations
             In both topologies, certain aspects of the designs theoretically increase or decrease operating
             life and reliability. For line-interactive, the small number of components and cool operation of
             the main power stage both tend to increase operating life and reliability. For double-
             conversion on-line, constant operation and higher operating temperatures both tend to
             decrease operating life and reliability.

             In practice, however, reliability is generally determined by how well the manufacturer designs
             and builds the UPS and by the quality of the components used, regardless of topology.
             Because quality is vendor-dependent, there can be high quality double-conversion on-line
             designs and poor quality line-interactive designs, and vice versa.




Comparison   The following table summarized the important advantages and disadvantages of line-
             interactive and double-conversion on-line UPS topology.
summary




             APC by Schneider Electric                                          White Paper 79       Rev 1     10
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs


Table 1
Comparison of line-interactive and double-conversion
on-line topologies

                                                   Total cost of
          Topology         Reliability                                              Input                    Output              Size / weight
                                                    ownership
                                  +                         +                           –                       +/–                      –
                             Fewer parts         Lower initial cost (fewer          No PFC                Output frequency           Typically
   Line-interactive
                           Lower operating                parts)                 Extreme voltage           varies within a        larger/heavier
                             temperature          Lower operating cost        distortion can require     configurable range
                                                    (less electricity)       frequent battery usage
                                  –                         –                           +                         +                      +
   Double conversion         Many parts          Higher initial cost (more          Has PFC                Output fixed to a         Typically
                           Higher operating               parts)                Accepts extreme         configurable frequency    smaller/lighter,
   on-line                   temperature          Higher operating cost         voltage distortion                                 especially at
                                                 (electricity and cooling)   without going to battery                              higher power
                                                                                                                                      levels




Conclusion                         In the power range between 750 VA and 5000 VA, both types of UPS adequately protect IT
                                   equipment from power disturbances, so the decision for which topology to use is primarily
                                   based on the specifics of the customer application.

                                   Because initial cost, operating expense, heat generation, and reliability are primary concerns
                                   in any application, it would appear the default choice should be line-interactive. Line-
                                   interactive has, in fact, become the efficient and reliable workhorse of the typical IT environ-
                                   ment.

                                   Under certain circumstances, however, double-conversion on-line can be the better choice.
                                   In particular, in geographic areas where the AC power is highly distorted and/or has extreme
                                   voltage variations, a double-conversion on-line UPS will go to battery less often to maintain
                                   proper output. Less battery usage preserves battery capacity for extended outages, and
                                   preserves battery service life. In addition, reducing battery replacement cost can offset the
                                   advantage of the lower initial and operating costs of a line-interactive UPS. Other less
                                   common situations that might call for a double-conversion on-line UPS are those that require
                                   power factor correction (PFC), small physical size, or frequency conversion, such as some
                                   types of medical equipment or instrumentation.




                                              About the author
                                          Jeffrey Samstad is Chief Engineer of the Smart-UPS RT product line at APC by Schneider
                                          Electric. He has a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering and 14 years of experience
                                          leading UPS design teams and working with various UPS architectures.




                                   APC by Schneider Electric                                                       White Paper 79     Rev 1      11
Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs




Resources
Click on icon to link to resource



                                        The Different Types of UPS Systems
                                        APC White Paper 1

                                        Common Mode Susceptibility of Computers
         Browse all APC                 APC White Paper 9
         white papers
          whitepapers.apc.com           Neutral Wire Facts and Mythology
                                        APC White Paper 21

                                        Hazards of Harmonics and Neutral Overloads
                                        APC White Paper 26


         Browse all APC
         TradeOff Tools™
          tools.apc.com




                                             Contact us
                                       For feedback and comments about the content of this white paper:

                                           Data Center Science Center, APC by Schneider Electric
                                           DCSC@Schneider-Electric.com

                                       If you are a customer and have questions specific to your data center project:

                                             Contact your APC by Schneider Electric representative




                                    APC by Schneider Electric                                    White Paper 79   Rev 1   12

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WP79 Online vs Line-interactive

  • 1. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs White Paper 79 Revision 1 by Jeffrey Samstad Contents > Executive summary Click on a section to jump to it Introduction 2 UPS systems below 5000 VA are available in two basic designs: line-interactive or double-conversion on-line. Application considerations 2 This paper describes the advantages and disadvan- tages of each topology and addresses some common UPS options 6 misconceptions about real-world application require- ments. Comparison summary 10 Conclusion 11 Resources 12
  • 2. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs Introduction Most of the factors that go into deciding which UPS to purchase are visible and easily understood: battery back-up time, cost, size, manufacturer, number of outlets, manageability, etc. But there are also less visible factors that are not so easy to understand. One of the least understood, yet most discussed, is topology. The topology (internal design) of a UPS affects how it will operate in various environments. Selecting the right topology can be complicated by claims that certain topologies are superior and absolutely necessary for mission-critical applications. Because these claims typically come from manufacturers trying to sell their so-called “superior” topology, it is difficult to make an informed decision based on such claims alone. The goal of this paper is to speak objectively about the advantages and disadvantages of the two most common topologies: line-interactive and double-conversion on-line. At the high and low ends of the power spectrum there is little debate about the relative merits of these two topologies. 1 Above 5000 VA, line-interactive has historically been impractical due to its larger size and greater cost. At the low end, below 750 VA, double-conversion on- line is rarely considered because other topologies (including line-interactive) are more practical for smaller loads. Debate regarding double-conversion on-line vs. line-interactive topology usually focuses on the power range between 750 VA and 5000 VA. This is where the functional and economic advantages of one topology over the other are not so clear and depend upon the particulars of the installation. While line-interactive has become the most commonly manufactured and deployed topology in this power range, advancements in semiconductor technology and manufacturing techniques have brought down the price premium of double-conversion on-line over line-interactive, making the choice between the two harder than in the past. Selecting the best topology in this “overlap” range requires an understanding of the tradeoffs associ- ated with each topology. Application Before making any decision about UPS topology, it is important to understand the require- ments of the equipment to be protected and the environment in which the UPS will be considerations installed. Knowing these basic requirements is essential to an informed decision on the UPS topology that will best serve the application. IT equipment and AC power: The switch-mode power supply (SMPS) Electricity is generally distributed as alternating current (AC) power from utilities and backup generators. AC voltage alternates between positive and negative — ideally as a perfect sine wave — passing through zero volts twice per cycle. It may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but a light bulb connected to utility voltage actually flickers 100 or 120 times per second (for 50 or 60 cycle AC) as the voltage crosses zero to change polarity. How does IT equipment use AC electricity to power its processing circuits? Does it also “turn off” 100 times or more per second as the line voltage changes polarity? Clearly, there is a problem here that IT equipment must solve. The way that virtually all modern IT equipment solves this problem is with a switch-mode power supply (SMPS). 2 An SMPS first converts 1 At very high power — 200,000 VA and greater — a different debate focuses on the relative merits of double-conversion on-line vs. delta-conversion on-line. See APC White Paper 1, The Different Types of UPS Systems, for a comparison of these two on-line topologies (link located under Resources). 2 “Switch-mode” refers to a feature of the power supply’s internal circuitry that is not related to this discussion. APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 2
  • 3. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs the AC voltage with all of its non-ideal components (voltage spikes, distortion, frequency variations, etc.) into flat DC (direct current). This process charges an energy storage element, called a capacitor, which stands between the AC input and the rest of the power supply. This capacitor is charged by the AC input in bursts twice per AC cycle when the sine wave is at or near its peaks (positive and negative) and discharges at whatever rate is required by the IT processing circuits downstream. The capacitor is designed to absorb these normal AC pulses along with anomalous voltage spikes continuously over its entire design life. So, unlike the flickering light bulb, IT equipment operates on a steady flow of DC instead of the pulsating AC of the utility grid. This is not quite the end of the story. Microelectronic circuits require very low DC voltages (3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V, etc.) but the voltage across the capacitor just mentioned can be as high as 400 V. The SMPS also converts this high-voltage DC to tightly regulated low-voltage DC outputs. Link to resource In doing this voltage reduction, the SMPS performs another important function: it provides APC White Paper 9 galvanic isolation. Galvanic isolation is a physical separation in the circuitry that serves two Common Mode Susceptibility purposes. The first purpose is safety — protection against electric shock. The second of Computers purpose is protection against equipment damage or malfunction due to common-mode (ground-based) voltage or noise. Information about grounding and common-mode voltage is Link to resource available in APC White Papers 9 (Common Mode Susceptibility of Computers) and 21, APC White Paper 21 (Neutral Wire Facts and Mythology). Neutral Wire Facts and Mythology Figure 1 shows a piece of IT equipment (a server in this example) that is protected by a UPS. The internal components of the server, including the SMPS, are also shown. Server DC Motherboard Utility Figure 1 AC AC or UPS SMPS DC Hard Disk Typical UPS application: UPS and server Generator Other DC Electronics In the same way the SMPS “rides through” the intervals between peaks of the AC input sine wave, it also rides through other anomalies and brief interruptions in the AC supply. This is a feature important to IT equipment manufacturers because they want their equipment to function even in cases where a UPS is not present. No IT equipment manufacturer wants to stake their reputation for quality and performance on a power supply that cannot endure even the slightest AC line anomaly. This is particularly true for higher-grade networking and computing equipment, which is therefore typically built with higher quality power supplies. To demonstrate this ride-through ability, a typical computer power supply was heavily loaded and then its AC input was removed. The power supply’s output was monitored to determine how long acceptable output voltage continued to be delivered after the loss of AC input. The results are shown in Figure 2. The waveforms displayed are the power supply’s input voltage, input current, and DC output voltage. APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 3
  • 4. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs DC output collapses Input voltage 18 ms Figure 2 Input current Power supply ride-through AC input interrupted After the AC goes away, a heavily loaded computer power supply’s output collapses, but only after a significant delay. Before being removed, the input voltage is the sine wave at the left in Figure 2. The input current — the spiked trace under the smooth voltage curve — consists of a short pulse at the positive peak of the input voltage and another short pulse at the negative peak. Only during these current pulses is the capacitor of the SMPS charged. The rest of the time, power is being drawn from the capacitor to provide power to the processing circuits. 3 DC voltage at the output of the SMPS is the top trace in Figure 2. Notice that the output voltage remains tightly regulated for 18 milliseconds after the AC input is removed. APC by Schneider Electric has tested a variety of power supplies from different computer and other IT equip- ment manufacturers and found similar results. If the supplies are lightly loaded, the ride- through time will be much longer because the capacitor will be discharged more slowly. International standards for UPS compatibility with SMPS loads We have seen that an SMPS must ride through brief power disturbances just to be able to draw power from sinusoidal AC input voltage. But what does “brief” mean? Figure 3 shows the specifications from IEC 62040-3, an international standard. It defines limits on the magnitude and duration of disturbances in the UPS output voltage that are acceptable to an SMPS load. As the shape of the shaded “comfort zone” shows, the smaller the magnitude of the transient, the longer it may be present in the UPS output. Note that this standard allows for the continuous presence of a rather wide range of voltage variations — nominal +10% to –20%. In other words, UPS output voltage can vary within that range for an indefinite length of time with no ill effect on SMPS operation; this is because similar stan- dards for SMPS require ride-through over a range of input anomalies even broader than the range allowed for UPS output. 4 3 Some SMPS perform power factor correction (PFC) — discussed later — and draw input current as a sine wave. They too have a high-voltage capacitor that performs the same ride-through function. 4 The related SMPS standards, defining the range of anomalies an SMPS must accept are the “ITI/CBEMA curve” and IEC 61000-4-11. APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 4
  • 5. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs Figure 3 From IEC standard 62040-3: magnitude and duration of acceptable AC voltage anomalies for compatibility with SMPS loads Voltage Variation (%) Double Line Voltage Overvoltage transient zone Nominal "Comfort zone" Line Voltage All transients with magnitudes and time durations within this zone are acceptable to compliant power supplies. Undervoltage transient zone Zero Voltage Transient Duration (ms) Voltage disturbances (” transients”) whose magnitude and duration lie within the green “comfort zone” are allowed to be present in UPS output that is connected to SMPS equipment; all others are not. Using Figure 3, the compatibility requirements for a UPS with 120 VAC nominal output are as follows: • For durations up to 1 millisecond, the UPS output voltage can go as high as 240 V. • For durations up to 10 milliseconds, the UPS output voltage can be zero! • For durations up to 100 milliseconds, less severe swings (either up or down) can be present — allowable duration depends on the severity of the disturbance. • For durations greater than 100 milliseconds (includes continuous operation), the UPS output voltage must remain between 96 V and 132 V. In most areas of the world, except in some > Myth vs. reality emerging-market countries, the power is MYTH: Zero UPS transfer time is required relatively stable. On a typical day one might by mission-critical equipment — for see voltages that vary, at the most, 5% above example, to prevent lock-up and/or packet loss in network switches. or below nominal — well within the allowable voltage variations shown in Figure 3. REALITY: SMPSs are the power supplies Because an SMPS can draw power from an found in virtually all mission-critical AC source with these characteristics, it equipment. They must have a “ride- through” time of 10 milliseconds or more to provides the ruggedness required to interface comply with international standards (see reliably with typical utility voltage. Figure 3). Any electronic equipment that cannot sustain such a ride-through time is generally considered to be of inferior In summary, SMPSs have the following design or extremely rare — most likely a advantages: specialized application (i.e. not computer or IT equipment). • They can accept wide variations in input APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 5
  • 6. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs voltage and frequency without degradation in performance. • They have built-in galvanic isolation between their AC input and DC outputs, eliminating the need for upstream common-mode (neutral-to-ground) isolation. • They can accept an appreciable amount of input voltage distortion without degradation in service life or reliability. • They have a built-in “ride-through” time to tolerate brief power interruptions. UPS options APC White Paper 1, The Different Types of UPS Systems, describes the following five main UPS topologies in use today along with their performance characteristics: • Standby Link to resource • Line-interactive APC White Paper 1 • Standby-ferro The Different Types of UPS • Double-conversion on-line Systems • Delta-conversion on-line In the power range of 750 VA to 5000 VA, nearly all UPSs sold for use in today’s IT applica- tions are either line-interactive or double-conversion on-line. Other topologies are uncommon in this range for reasons beyond the scope of this paper. Line-interactive UPS A line-interactive UPS conditions and regulates the AC power from the utility, generally using only one main power converter. Figure 4 shows the standard description of this topology from IEC standard 62040-3. AC input Power AC output Interface Figure 4 Line-interactive UPS topology, from IEC 62040- Normal mode Inverter 3 block diagram showing a power interface and one Stored energy mode main conversion block IEC 488/99 62040-3© IEC:1999 Battery When AC input is present, the “power interface” block in Figure 4 filters the AC power, suppresses voltage spikes, and provides sufficient voltage regulation to operate well within the specifications discussed earlier. This is most often accomplished with passive filter components and a tap-changing transformer. The main power converter (the “inverter” block) redirects some of the input AC power to keep the batteries fully charged while the AC line voltage is present. This typically requires less than 10% of the UPS power rating, so the components stay cool while in this mode of operation. For example, the inverter block in a 3000-watt line-interactive UPS operates at only 300 watts (1/10th of its capacity) or less while APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 6
  • 7. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs charging its batteries. Many components sized for full load operation can run just above the outside ambient temperature when AC is present — the most common mode of operation. When the AC line voltage falls outside the input range of the power interface, the inverter supplies AC output with power from the battery. The input voltage range of the power interface is usually a fixed window, typically -30% to +15% of nominal. For example, a line- interactive UPS with 120V nominal output voltage will keep its output between 107 V and 127 V while the input varies from 84 V to 138 V. A subtle but important fact about line-interactive UPS operation is that while it filters and conditions the voltage being supplied to the load, it does not alter the wave-shape of the current being drawn by the load. Therefore, if the load has an SMPS with power factor correction (PFC), 5 the line-interactive UPS will not distort or interfere with the power factor correction. If the load SMPS does not have power factor correction and draws its current in peaks (as shown in Figure 2), the line-interactive UPS will not alter or “correct” this waveform either. Theoretically, the small number of components and the cool operation of the main power converter (the “inverter” block in Figure 4) both contribute to long life and high reliability. In practice, however, reliability is usually determined by other factors as described in the later section Reliability considerations. With its low cost and durability, the line-interactive UPS has been used successfully in millions of IT installations worldwide. Things to consider (line-interactive): In developing countries or other infrastructure- challenged areas where the AC line voltage is unstable, fluctuates wildly, or is highly distorted, a line-interactive UPS may go to battery once or twice a day or even more fre- quently. This is because the line-interactive design has a somewhat limited ability to keep large voltage swings and heavy distortion from reaching the load unless it disconnects from the AC supply and transfers to battery power. Even though the line-interactive UPS will provide an output voltage within the IEC limits (Figure 3) for as long as battery power is available, frequent use of the battery will reduce its capacity, leaving less run-time available for an extended outage. Also, even if the batteries are not discharged to exhaustion, frequent use can result in the batteries needing to be replaced more often. Advantages of line-interactive topology: • Lower electricity consumption (less costly to operate) – more efficient because less power conversion is performed when acceptable AC input is present. • Theoretically higher reliability – lower component count and lower operating tempera- tures. (See later section Reliability considerations.) • Less heat load on the facility – less heat is produced by the UPS. Things to watch out for: The line- interactive UPS may not be the appropri- > Myth vs. reality ate choice for installations where: MYTH: Line-interactive UPSs do not condition power – noise and spikes get • AC power is unstable or highly dis- through that wear out power supplies. torted, because battery power will be REALITY: High-quality line-interactive units used too often to keep the UPS out- have powerful built-in surge and noise put within specifications. suppression to keep their output within acceptable levels so that the load’s reliability is not affected 5 A device with power factor correction (PFC) draws current from AC input as a smooth sine wave rather than in pulses. See Figure 2 for an illustration of non-PFC output. APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 7
  • 8. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs • Power factor correction (PFC) is required and the load equipment does not perform this function. Double-conversion on-line UPS As its name implies, a double-conversion on-line UPS converts power twice. First, AC input, with all of its voltage spikes, distortion, and other anomalies, is converted into DC. This is very similar to the operation of the SMPS in IT equipment, as described earlier. And, like the SMPS, a double-conversion on-line UPS uses a capacitor to stabilize this DC voltage and store energy drawn from the AC input. Second, DC is converted back into AC that is tightly regulated by the UPS. This AC output can even have a different frequency from the AC input — something not possible with a line-interactive UPS. All of the power provided to the load equipment goes through this double-conversion process when AC input is present. When AC input goes out of a specified range, the UPS draws power from its battery so that the UPS output is not affected. In many double-conversion on-line designs, this transition inside the UPS between AC input and battery takes several milliseconds. Again, it is the capacitor in the “DC link” (see Figure 5) that provides stored energy to the inverter during these transitions. So, even though there is a brief interruption in power going into the “DC link,” the UPS output voltage is unaffected and continuous. In modern designs, an additional battery-charging circuit is almost always included in the topology, so a double-conversion on-line UPS typically has at least three power conversion stages. Figure 5 illustrates this topology based on IEC standard 62040-3. AC Input Bypass (prime or standby) Bypass AC Output Switch Figure 5 AC Input DC Link Rectifier Inverter Double-conversion on-line Battery UPS topology, from IEC to DC Converter 62040-3 block diagram Battery showing four converter AC Input Charger Normal mode blocks (optional) Stored energy mode Bypass mode Battery IEC 487/99 62040-3© IEC:1999 In addition to performing AC-to-DC conversion, the rectifier section also provides power factor correction (PFC), which means it draws current from the AC line as a smooth sine wave rather than in pulses (see Figure 2 for an illustration of non-PFC input current). Because PFC “corrects” the input current waveform, less current is drawn — including reductions in high-frequency harmonics. This happens even if the IT equipment being powered by the UPS draws current in a pulsed (non-PFC) fashion. See APC White Paper 26, Hazards of Harmonics and Neutral Overloads, for more about power factor correction and Link to resource neutral harmonics. APC White Paper 26 When operating at full load, the range of acceptable AC input voltage of a double-conversion Hazards of Harmonics and Neutral Overloads on-line is similar to that of a line-interactive. Unlike a line-interactive, however, a double- conversion on-line can operate with much lower input voltage if the UPS is not fully loaded. For a typical 120 V double-conversion UPS, this means it might be able to operate from AC power at very light loads even if the input voltage is as low as 50% of nominal (60 V). While this is an interesting attribute of the on-line topology, it is rarely useful (other than for APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 8
  • 9. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs demonstration) because extended disturbances of this magnitude are extremely rare and because load conditions, in practice, are variable. An on-line UPS is usually smaller than a line-interactive UPS for any given power capacity. Even though it has more components (typically three times as many), the components are smaller. This is especially true for higher power units above 2200 VA and is always true comparing against a run-time extendable line-interactive UPS. On-line topology usually includes a bypass circuit that is used if there is an extended overload or if there is a problem in one of the double-conversion circuits. Transitions between bypass and inverter operation often drop the output for a few milliseconds, similar to a line-interactive UPS transferring to battery. As a result, many on-line units rely on the SMPS to ride through these disturbances to the UPS output. As with line-interactive units, this does not present a problem as long as the UPS output disruption is within the specifica- tions shown in Figure 3. Things to Consider (Double-conversion On-line): The on-line power conversion stages, which run continuously to provide the tightly regulated output voltage for which they are known, can carry loads up to their full power rating. There are, however, costs associated with this increased performance. Due to its multiple power stages, a typical > Myth vs. reality double-conversion on-line UPS will have many more components than a typical line- MYTH: On-line UPSs offer better protection against common-mode (CM) interactive UPS. Because these components noise. are continuously processing all of the power drawn by the load equipment, their tempera- REALITY: Even though it is possible to design both on-line and line-interactive tures are typically higher than the compo- topologies with galvanic isolation, they both nents in a line-interactive UPS when AC input typically use passive components to reduce is present. Theoretically, both constant CM voltage. Neither on-line nor line- operation and higher temperatures reduce the interactive topology offers a fundamental advantage in this respect. SMPSs already reliability of the components in the UPS. In have galvanic isolation, so external practice, however, reliability is often deter- isolation is unnecessary. See APC White mined by other factors as described below Papers 9 and 21 for more information (links located in Resources section at bottom of under Reliability considerations. paper). Another factor to consider is the additional energy needed to operate a double-conversion on-line UPS over time. A double-conversion on-line UPS continuously operates with efficiency between 85% and 92%, depending on the particular design, compared to 96% to 98% for a line-interactive UPS. A 90% efficient 1000 W UPS for example, fully loaded, will consume 100 W of power continuously. This translates into roughly $100 per year in additional utility costs (on average). In addition to the utility costs, this 100 W of heat must be removed from the environment, incurring additional cooling costs that will vary depending on the particular cooling system’s efficiency. This may not seem like a lot, but when considering the sum of all losses over many UPSs across an enterprise, or even the total lifetime energy consumption of a single UPS, it becomes a significant factor in the UPS total cost of ownership. In comparison, a similarly loaded line- interactive UPS will incur less than a third as much energy cost per load power. Advantages of double-conversion on-line: • Operates less often from battery when the input voltage is highly distorted or wildly fluctuating • Power factor correction (PFC) provided, regardless of load type • More compact and lightweight, especially at higher power levels APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 9
  • 10. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs • Can regulate output frequency, and even perform frequency “conversion” > Myth vs. reality from 50Hz to 60Hz (and vice versa) MYTH: Tighter voltage regulation improves performance and reliability of IT equipment. It could be argued that tightly regulated AC output voltage is an advantage of the on- REALITY: All SMPSs convert AC input voltage (with its spikes and distortion) into line topology. However, an SMPS does steady DC. This DC is then used to create not need tightly regulated AC due to the clean, well-regulated DC output for all IT voltage regulation provided by the SMPS loads. Input line conditions within their rated ranges do NOT affect the quality of itself, as described earlier in this paper. the SMPS outputs or the performance of the IT equipment. Otherwise, why would an SMPS have this range printed on its chassis? Things to watch out for: • Double-conversion on-line contains more components that run continuously at higher temperatures and, with all other things being equal, have less service life than similar parts found in line-interactive. • Double-conversion on-line uses more electricity than line-interactive because it is con- tinuously converting and reconverting power from the input to the output when AC input is present. • Double-conversion on-line creates more heat that is released into the IT environment. This heat must be effectively removed to reduce life-degrading effects on other systems and even on the UPS’ own batteries. Reliability considerations In both topologies, certain aspects of the designs theoretically increase or decrease operating life and reliability. For line-interactive, the small number of components and cool operation of the main power stage both tend to increase operating life and reliability. For double- conversion on-line, constant operation and higher operating temperatures both tend to decrease operating life and reliability. In practice, however, reliability is generally determined by how well the manufacturer designs and builds the UPS and by the quality of the components used, regardless of topology. Because quality is vendor-dependent, there can be high quality double-conversion on-line designs and poor quality line-interactive designs, and vice versa. Comparison The following table summarized the important advantages and disadvantages of line- interactive and double-conversion on-line UPS topology. summary APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 10
  • 11. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs Table 1 Comparison of line-interactive and double-conversion on-line topologies Total cost of Topology Reliability Input Output Size / weight ownership + + – +/– – Fewer parts Lower initial cost (fewer No PFC Output frequency Typically Line-interactive Lower operating parts) Extreme voltage varies within a larger/heavier temperature Lower operating cost distortion can require configurable range (less electricity) frequent battery usage – – + + + Double conversion Many parts Higher initial cost (more Has PFC Output fixed to a Typically Higher operating parts) Accepts extreme configurable frequency smaller/lighter, on-line temperature Higher operating cost voltage distortion especially at (electricity and cooling) without going to battery higher power levels Conclusion In the power range between 750 VA and 5000 VA, both types of UPS adequately protect IT equipment from power disturbances, so the decision for which topology to use is primarily based on the specifics of the customer application. Because initial cost, operating expense, heat generation, and reliability are primary concerns in any application, it would appear the default choice should be line-interactive. Line- interactive has, in fact, become the efficient and reliable workhorse of the typical IT environ- ment. Under certain circumstances, however, double-conversion on-line can be the better choice. In particular, in geographic areas where the AC power is highly distorted and/or has extreme voltage variations, a double-conversion on-line UPS will go to battery less often to maintain proper output. Less battery usage preserves battery capacity for extended outages, and preserves battery service life. In addition, reducing battery replacement cost can offset the advantage of the lower initial and operating costs of a line-interactive UPS. Other less common situations that might call for a double-conversion on-line UPS are those that require power factor correction (PFC), small physical size, or frequency conversion, such as some types of medical equipment or instrumentation. About the author Jeffrey Samstad is Chief Engineer of the Smart-UPS RT product line at APC by Schneider Electric. He has a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering and 14 years of experience leading UPS design teams and working with various UPS architectures. APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 11
  • 12. Technical Comparison of On-line vs. Line-interactive UPS designs Resources Click on icon to link to resource The Different Types of UPS Systems APC White Paper 1 Common Mode Susceptibility of Computers Browse all APC APC White Paper 9 white papers whitepapers.apc.com Neutral Wire Facts and Mythology APC White Paper 21 Hazards of Harmonics and Neutral Overloads APC White Paper 26 Browse all APC TradeOff Tools™ tools.apc.com Contact us For feedback and comments about the content of this white paper: Data Center Science Center, APC by Schneider Electric DCSC@Schneider-Electric.com If you are a customer and have questions specific to your data center project: Contact your APC by Schneider Electric representative APC by Schneider Electric White Paper 79 Rev 1 12