5 Interesting Facts About Uninterruptible Power Supplies

by Isaac Prakash April 14, 2022

Whether you would like to learn more UPS facts to help you specify a commercial system or you are wondering why you might need a UPS system at home, you are sure to find the information in this article of interest. We have gathered together 5 UPS fun facts that will help you to learn about the basics of UPS systems.

They do a lot more than power your PC in a blackout

Most people buy a UPS because they want to make sure they can shut down their equipment safely in the event of a blackout. However, UPS systems also smooth out voltage spikes/sags and can resolve frequency differences too. A UPS is a great investment if you want to provide your computers and other electronic equipment with a smooth and reliable power source.

The first UPS systems used a flywheel

While modern systems use rechargeable batteries, one of the lesser-known UPS fun facts is that the first units employed a flywheel to provide power for a short time. A flywheel is designed to store rotational energy and in the case of a UPS, to convert this energy into DC power when needed.

There was no single inventor of UPS systems

Unlike many recent inventions, no individual was responsible for developing the first UPS. UPS systems use various technologies and are based on theories developed by several different scientists. John Hanley patented the first UPS, but he could not take credit for inventing it.

The biggest UPS provides 46 megawatts of power

One of the most interesting UPS facts concerns the very largest system ever built. The biggest UPS in the world can be found in Fairbanks, Alaska, in the United States of America. Delivering a massive 46 megawatts of power, it is capable of keeping the whole city and surrounding villages supplied with electricity during main outages.

Batteries are responsible for almost all UPS failures

While many people worry about the electrical components in UPS systems, it is the batteries that are responsible for the vast majority of failures. Whether you buy a new UPS in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne or Adelaide, looking after the batteries should be your top priority.

We hope these UPS interesting facts have helped you to learn something useful about uninterruptible power supplies. If you would like to learn more about the basics of UPS systems, you can check the FAQs on our website. Additionally, if you would like more details about specific UPS solutions and what we do, the industries we serve, the projects we have completed, and why we are the supplier of choice for so many organisations in Australia, please contact us by phone or email.