Advanced Battery Management
Related Information
Power Problem Solutions
Harmonic Distortions
Which UPS Is Right for You?
Advanced Battery Management
Power Management
Batteries are the most critical component in the reliability of any UPS, but they face three fundamental challenges:
All Batteries Need
Charging
But extended charging significantly shortens
battery life. Most batteries are
charged with a trickle-charging process
(a constant voltage feeding a low current
to the battery). This method dries the
electrolyte and corrodes the plates,
reducing potential life by up to 50%.
Batteries Take Time To
Recharge
Users can’t wait. During prolonged power
outages, the UPS batteries will discharge
and not recharge until the power returns.
When there is a subsequent power failure
before the batteries recharge, the computer
will not have full backup time.
Overly rapid charging can cause premature
battery failure, so the trick is to
charge at the fastest rate that is safe for
the battery.
All Batteries will Eventually Fail
The question isn’t “Will it happen?” but
“When will it happen?” Because UPS
batteries are valve-regulated, sealed lead
acid, there has previously been no practical
way to provide the user with any
meaningful advance notice that batteries
need to be replaced. In the past, the only
way to know when the batteries were
dead was when the power failed and
took your computer down with it. Until
now, typical UPS batteries have required
replacement every two to three years.
Powerware’s exclusive ABM technology
solves these UPS battery problems. It
doubles the life of UPS batteries (see
Figure 1), provides the fastest safe
recharge time, and provides reliable
advanced notice when the batteries need
replacement. By doubling battery life and
virtually eliminating this major cause of
surprise load crashes, Powerware is able
to offer the industry’s longest and most
inclusive warranties on all of its products
that incorporate ABM. No other manufacturer
can make this statement.
