Long-Term Uninterruptible Power Supply
Technology Summary
UAF researchers have designed and built a long-term Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) engineered to provide highly reliable backup power on the order of days for a few hundred watts of total equipment power consumption. Designed around a double-conversion architecture with no direct AC pass-through, the system features an integrated Power Distribution Unit (PDU), remote monitoring, web-based visualization, and modular scalability for critical remote monitoring applications.
Background
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is known to provide backup power on the order of minutes for electronic systems during main power source outages. However, backup power on the order of days is desirable for some electronic systems and critical field applications.
Description & Key Features
To address this need, the long-term UPS connects directly to high-capacity external batteries and mostly powers equipment running on 12V (10-15V) directly, while also providing regulated 12V and AC outputs. The integrated PDU features latching relays on each output—ensuring that controller failures or system updates do not disrupt power flow—and includes automated monthly self-tests to track and confirm overall battery health.
Applications
- International Monitoring System Stations: Remote seismic, hydroacoustic, and infrasound monitoring arrays.
- Government & Scientific Facilities: Earth observation and monitoring systems operated by the USGS, UNAVCO, NOAA, and CTBTO.