Autonomous power source: recommendations for choosing an autonomous power source. What is an Uninterruptible Power System? Gas generators for supplying electricity at home

autonomous power supply
-
[Ya.N. Luginsky, M.S.Fezi-Zhilinskaya, Y.S.Kabirov. English-Russian Dictionary of Electrical Engineering and Power Engineering, Moscow]

  • electrical engineering, basic concepts
  • self-contained supply
  • self-contained power supply

Technical translator's guide. - Intent. 2009-2013.

See what "autonomous food" is in other dictionaries:

autonomous power supply- savarankiškasis maitinimas statusas T sritis radioelektronika atitikmenys: angl. self contained supply vok. Einzelspeisung, f, unabhängige Stromversorgung, f rus. autonomous power supply, n pranc. alimentation individuelle, f… Radioelektronikos terminų žodynas

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TPA- (Digital Theater System, DTS), a multichannel digital sound reproduction system for cinematography. By 2001, DTS had become one of the world standards for cinema sound quality, faithfully reproducing studio recordings in the cinema. Quality ... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema

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PACEMAKER- (from the electric Greek kardia heart and Latin stimulo I adjust, excite) an electronic device for replenishing the nervous energetic. f tions of the heart muscle. E. generates pulses with an amplitude of 5 6 V, duration 1 1.2 ms with a frequency of 60 70 pulses in 1 ... ... Big Encyclopedic Polytechnic Dictionary

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Autonomous power supply
autonomous food autonomous food - [YN Luginsky, MS Fezi-Zhilinskaya, YS Kabirov. English-Russian Dictionary of Electrical Engineering and Electric Power Engineering, Moscow] electrical engineering, basic


Nutrition Al - what does it mean? All about types of food

Food types are a fairly broad concept. They can mean the consumption of energy sources and nutrients in general, the peculiarities of human eating, as well as certain points - types of food in hotels, airplanes, etc. In this article we will try to disassemble all the classifications in detail and answer some questions. Nutrition Al - what does it mean? What kinds of it can there be? What does autonomous power mean? Let's consider many other nuances.

Nutrition at the scale of the biosphere

Nutrition is the process of consuming substances and energy, which is characteristic of absolutely all organisms that inhabit the globe. It is divided into two large groups - autotrophic and heterotrophic nutrition. Internally, they have smaller-scale varieties.

Autotrophic. This is the ability to create organic elements from inorganic ones - carbon dioxide, mineral salts and water. Not to be confused with autonomous power supply. The latter concerns power supply. Autotrophic "skill" characterizes plants, some protozoa, bacteria. Autotrophs are, in turn, divided into two categories:

  • Phototrophs use the energy of the Sun for the biosynthesis of substances. These are plants, cyanobacteria.
  • For the formation of organic elements, chemotrophs use the energy of chemical reactions resulting from the oxidation of inorganic compounds. These include nitrifying, hydrogen, sulfur and iron bacteria.

Heterotrophic. These are organisms that consume ready-made organic substances, since they themselves are not able to form them from inorganic ones. These are the majority of bacteria, viruses, fungi, animals, including you and me. These living things are classified according to two criteria:

You can also highlight creatures such as mixotrophs. They can both consume ready-made organic substances and synthesize them on their own. These include euglena algae, carnivorous plants etc.

Types of human nutrition

In light of recent trends, human nutrition is divided into the following categories:

Omnivorous. This type of food has historically characterized us. This means a person who eats the most diverse, but at the same time admits fast food, products containing preservatives, dyes in his modern diet.

Separate (healthy, proper) nutrition. What is meant by this term? What means " proper nutrition"? This is a strict combination of various types of products, time of food consumption, calorie content of dishes.

Vegetarianism, including lacto-vegetarianism, ovovegetarianism. Faithful to this type of diet, people refuse to eat animal flesh. However, dishes made from fish, shellfish, eggs, milk and its derivatives are not taboo for many of them.

Veganism. Vegans only eat herbal products... Like vegetarians, they allow heat treatment food.

Raw food diet (including vegan raw food diet, lacto-raw food diet, raw mono diet, etc.). People who adhere to this type of diet are in many ways a certain worldview, consume only plant foods and only raw - without heat treatment. It is important to note the fruitorians here: they exclude plant seeds (beans, seeds, nuts, etc.) from their diet, eating only fruits and vegetables.

The very last stage is the so-called state of Bigu (sun-eating, prano-eating, breatharianism) - "non-eating", refusal from solid and subsequently liquid food. It goes without saying that it is achieved through long-term spiritual practice.

The main categories of food in hotels

Now let's take a closer look at what this means - food Al, FB, RO, BF, etc.

Nutrition Al - what does it mean? All about types of food
See the article on healthy eating and sports. Healthy recipes and exercise. News, photos and videos.


Autonomous power supplies

Probably everyone has faced the situation when the power is cut off. And sometimes there is no electricity at the most inopportune moment. V country houses problems with the power supply are also not uncommon. But what if such situations arise quite often?

Modern technologies have developed so well that a way out of this situation was found - these are autonomous power supplies that can be bought from us.

Voltage drops? Autonomous sources of electricity will help!

Backup power supplies also relevant when it is simply impossible to stretch the power line or the power supply is simply of poor quality. To every owner country house I want to relax and have a great weekend, and in such situations, one simply cannot do without electricity. Constant and systematic voltage drops, accompanied by "blinking" lighting fixtures, adversely affect the equipment, significantly reducing their service life. Too strong surges can damage microcircuits and power supplies.

Functions of autonomous power supplies.

In order for all the equipment to work for a long time and without interruption, it is better to use autonomous sources of electricity. Their main task is to ensure the normal, correct shutdown of electrical appliances in the event of an unexpected power outage. Also, they must reliably protect equipment from all types of interruptions that occur in electrical networks, namely:

  • voltage surges,
  • high voltage surges,
  • so-called "sagging" voltage,
  • in case of power failure,
  • replanting,
  • overrun frequency.

Today, almost every home has a personal computer. According to research, it is he who is exposed to about 120 abnormal situations every month, the cause of which is precisely the voltage drops.

Uninterrupted power supply helps to completely forget about all of the above problems. The tasks of the UPS are as follows:

  • absorb a small amount of short-term voltage surges,
  • filter the supply voltage, reduce the noise level,
  • provide a backup power supply to the load for a certain amount of time after a power failure in the network,
  • protect devices connected to the network against overload and short circuit.

But in order to provide full protection, backup power supplies must be connected to the network. The devices themselves are already connected to them. UPSs convert the power flow in such a way that it is optimal for full-fledged work devices.

A personal power supply system is the best option for a country house.

Autonomous sources of electricity are relevant if it is simply unprofitable for a person to conduct a power line and connect to centralized power supply networks. For example, if you have a cottage that is located too far from the centralized power supply networks, and you go to rest in these places as far as possible, it is better to create your own autonomous power supply system. It will be able to provide you with a number of advantages, namely:

  • no need to pay for connection to the network,
  • You will not be dependent on electricity prices,
  • You will generate electricity when you need it.

What should the system include? autonomous power supply?

  1. Energy source. As a rule, there can be several sources at once or one. It can be a photovoltaic battery, a liquid-fuel generator ZhTK, running on gasoline or diesel fuel, or a wind power plant. The main one can be any of the above sources, others can be used as additional.
  2. The storage battery is a necessary element in the autonomous power supply system. Even despite the fact that the main source of energy is available in the system, the presence of a battery will allow it to be turned on for a certain amount of time, and electricity will be supplied continuously.
  3. Inverter. It is a device that switches direct current into alternating current. It is necessary in cases where the equipment located in the house consumes 220 V voltage or if consumers are located at a considerable distance. In this case, so-called interferences and losses occur.
  4. Battery charge controller. Needed in order to prevent overdischarge and overcharge. Quite often, such a controller is built into an inverter.
  5. Load. When connecting all kinds of devices to an autonomous power supply system, you need to know that the devices must be energy efficient. An example is fluorescent lamps. They are recommended for the reason that incandescent lamps consume 4 times more electricity.

If you want to forget about voltage problems once and for all, extend the service life of devices installed in your cottage or house, autonomous power supply systems, sources uninterruptible power supply and power generators are what you need.

Sometimes it is very difficult to find a company that can offer everything at once. But if you did not find what you were looking for, it is enough to contact our consultant, who will give answers to all your questions.

With us, your devices will work stably even with strong voltage surges, and in the event of a complete power outage, you will have the opportunity to correctly terminate a personal computer session and have time to save all the data that could be lost.

Autonomous power supplies
Autonomous power supplies are a guarantee of stable and durable operation of your equipment!



Both private users and large industrial enterprises are striving for the opportunity to have an autonomous source of power supply today. This is primarily due to possible difficulties from power supply organizations with uninterrupted power supply. Prolonged power outages not only lead to financial costs, but can also pose a threat to human life if outages occur in medical institutions or in hazardous and hazardous technological industries.

The main reasons for the presence of independent power supply sources

Poor quality of current (sharp surges, drops, fluctuations, etc.) received from the power supply organization,

The presence of consumers of a special and first category requiring continuous power supply,

Lack of connectivity to existing power grids.

The main advantage of autonomous power supply is considered to be uninterrupted operation. technological equipment... Standalone sources can be used both as the main one and in the role backup source... The emergency source is equipped with an ATS device capable of supplying voltage to a de-energized section of the power grid in a few fractions of a second.

Varieties of autonomous sources

The source electrical energy may be:

Diesel or gasoline generators,

Engines in power plants can be used both gasoline and diesel. The former, as you know, are more economical, easier to start, and are characterized by a more significant motor resource. But their cost is about 2-3 higher than gasoline ones of similar power. Therefore, diesel power plants are recommended to be used in cases where power outages occur quite often, which requires prolonged operation of the station. Otherwise, it is more advisable to use gasoline generators.

Solar panels are today installed in private houses and summer cottages, as a home power plant, and can be used as a main or backup source of power supply. They do not require significant costs for generating electricity; electricity generation in them occurs practically "for nothing". The disadvantages of these devices include a large amount of start-up financial investments, besides, the peculiarities of saturation with the energy of the sun create some difficulties in their operation. This is due to the fact that the sun is able to shine not all year round, but only in the daytime and only in clear weather, therefore, complete with photovoltaic batteries, batteries are used to accumulate electricity, and converters are devices that transform direct voltage from batteries into alternating voltage 220V, 50Hz.

Wind and hydro generators are equipment that has been used to generate electricity for a long time. Their use is limited by different wind activity of the area and the presence of reservoirs with an active moving water flow. Also, their efficient operation is associated with the use of additional equipment(batteries, converters, etc.).

Almost 100% reliability of the power supply system is ensured by parallel operation with external power grids. Own generator set provides energy independence, which allows to increase the motor resource, the duration of the equipment operation period by 25-30%.

Autonomous power supply sources
Autonomous sources of power supply Both private users and large industrial enterprises are striving to be able to have an autonomous power supply. This is due, in

Construction in a sparsely populated area is accompanied by a number of difficulties. On the one hand, living on the outskirts is a guarantee of peace, tranquility and a positive environmental situation. At the same time, in such places there are problems with infrastructure and communications. The lack of electricity is the main problem that needs to be addressed first. pad electric line it is expensive from the central network, therefore, an autonomous power supply of the site will be an economically viable solution.

Advantages and disadvantages of introducing autonomous power supply

The indisputable advantages of switching to your own power grid are:

  • Complete independence from centralized power supply.
  • Lower cost of 1 kW of electricity when using alternative energy sources.
  • Power supply stability.
  • Possibility of selling excess generated electricity to the grid.

Having at your disposal an autonomous power supply system at home, you can uninterruptedly receive electricity even in those moments when those around it are temporarily deprived of it due to renovation works on power lines. Autonomous systems also have disadvantages. These include:

  • Expensive equipment.
  • Loss of usable space required to accommodate equipment.

Alternative energy sources to power your home

Now the development of technologies allows the following systems to be used as a source of electricity:

  • Gasoline and diesel generators.
  • Solar powered power plants.
  • Wind power stations.

All these types of equipment have different cost as well as profitability. In addition, their installation requires compliance with certain conditions, which is not always possible in some cases. This primarily depends on the location of the site and other factors.

Gasoline and diesel generators

These generating sets are the most reliable and cost less than other systems. Unfortunately, the very cost of generating 1 kW of energy is very high. This equipment is an internal combustion engine that is connected to a coil that generates electricity. The motor spins it up, and it, in turn, creates electricity.

The most compact are gasoline generators. They are very light, but in this design, in terms of power, they are able to provide energy only for a few weak household appliances, such as lighting. More serious generators provide enough energy to fully utilize all the appliances in the home. Eins are quite efficient to power serious consumers such as, or.

The most bulky, but also advantageous in terms of the ratio of fuel costs and energy received, are diesel generators. But they, like gasoline equipment, are rarely used as full-fledged self-contained food. The high cost of obtaining energy forces them to be used only as a backup source at the time of interruptions with the central power grid.

The consumption of a diesel generator to obtain 1 kW per hour is 250 g of fuel. Thus, even if the generator is used to power only the TV, and approximately a liter of diesel fuel will be burned in an hour. It is absolutely unprofitable to constantly pay such a price for such a small amount of electricity.

In addition to the high cost, such equipment is not without other disadvantages:
  • Noisy at work.
  • The need for manual periodic refueling of the tank.
  • The impossibility of round-the-clock continuous operation, since the equipment needs cooling.
  • Difficulty starting during cold seasons, especially diesel generator machines.

Since such an autonomous power supply is used as temporary in case of interruptions in the central power grid, it is often connected to it in parallel. In addition to the generator itself, with an inverter built into it for converting electricity from DC to AC, an automatic start system is also used. She assumes the responsibility of starting the generator when the power is turned off in the central network. The equipment can be adjusted for various parameters. For example, a generator starts up 2 or 3 minutes after a power outage. This eliminates the need for the usual manual start. As soon as the voltage in the central network begins to flow again, the equipment will shut down on its own and the generator engine will stop.

Self-powered solar powered

Such autonomous power supply is much more preferable than fuel generators on internal combustion engines. The most important advantage of such systems is the very low cost of generating 1 kW of energy. The solar battery requires only sunlight, which is free of charge. The principle of such systems is to convert light photons into free carriers of electric charge.

In order for such a system to give out really enough power for the operation of household appliances in the house, it is required that it has large area... One square meter of solar panel surface provides about 100 W of power at voltages up to 25 V. This is very small, and only enough for slow charging or powering light bulbs.

In order for the solar battery to provide an electric current of the required parameters, necessary for the operation of equipment intended for 220 V alternating current, the installation of additional equipment is required:

  • Inverter.
  • Controller.
  • Rechargeable batteries.

Inverter converts direct voltage into alternating voltage, bringing it under identical parameters with electricity at 220V from the central network. In some cases, the solar battery can be connected to equipment that is insensitive to voltage parameters. It can be a heating element heating water for household needs or in the heating system.

To get all the benefits of using a power plant, you need to accumulate excess energy for its subsequent use. Such a source of energy allows you to generate electricity only during the day with a sufficiently bright sunlight... The batteries are completely useless at night. To solve this problem, apply controller charge that recharges the battery. The electricity accumulated on it is completely or partially consumed in the evening and at night, and in the morning the charge is again replenished from solar panels.

At first glance, solar panels are absolutely ideal when cost-effective self-powered power is required at home.

However, such systems are not without drawbacks:
  • The high cost of solar panels and other equipment.
  • The need for periodic cleaning of the surface of batteries from a layer of dust that reduces their effectiveness.
  • Batteries take up a lot of space and need to be placed on sunny side plot.

Many of the disadvantages of solar-powered power plants are completely solvable. Often, problems with the placement of such equipment are solved by installing it on the roof, thereby not taking up the usable space. This immediately solves the shading problem as small fruit trees and outbuildings do not create disturbing shade. As for the high cost of equipment, modern solar panels have a long resource, so they have time to pay off much earlier than they fail. However, it should be borne in mind that such a source of energy implies constant charging and discharging of the battery. From this, its resource is rapidly decreasing. In order to have a sufficient supply of energy at night, the battery will have to be changed periodically.

Self-powered from the wind

In this case, a wind generator acts as a source of energy. This is also quite expensive equipment, but it is more compact than a solar power system. We can say that wind turbines combine design features generators on internal combustion engines and solar panels. Windmills and generators on fuel are similar, but the former receive torque as a result of the blades being pushed by the wind, which is naturally free, and cars on diesel or gasoline extract it from the engine. The similarity of wind turbines with solar panels lies in the need to use similar auxiliary elements - an inverter, a controller and batteries.

TO positive sides wind turbines include:
  • Very low cost of generating 1 kW of energy.
  • Need small area for installation.
  • Maintainability of the system.
As for the shortcomings, there are many of them:
  • Loud operating noise.
  • Instability of energy production in the absence of sufficient wind power.
  • Difficulty of maintenance due to the location of the wind turbine on a hill.
  • Creation of interference affecting the operation of communication facilities.
  • The need for location at a distance within a radius of 20 m from buildings and tall trees.

The hum from the operation of a wind turbine is often unbearable, especially if it has not been serviced for a long time. It is created not only by the bearings, but also by the wind in contact with the blades. As a result, such an autonomous power supply is not suitable in the case when the wind generator needs to be placed close to the house.

Content:

Quite often, a situation arises when the place for building a private house is simply ideal in all respects, but at the same time there is no possibility of connecting to centralized ones. The issue of providing electricity, without which the normal functioning of modern facilities is impossible, is becoming especially acute. Therefore, the best way out of this situation would be autonomous power supply systems that ensure complete independence from central electrical networks, without any harm to the environment.

The use of autonomous systems will cost significantly less than the laying of a new power transmission line, which requires significant material costs. An autonomous power source is fully owned by the owner of the house. With regular maintenance, it will be able to operate for a long time.

Autonomous power supply systems of a private house

Autonomous network engineering widely used in private homes. Own water supply, sewerage and heating systems give complete independence from local utilities. The issue of providing electricity is much more difficult to solve, however, with the right approach using alternative power sources, this problem is relatively easy to overcome. There are several options for autonomous power supply, each of which is the most suitable for specific operating conditions, including solar systems power supply.

All autonomous systems have a single principle of operation, but differ in the initial sources of electricity. When choosing them, various factors are taken into account, including operating costs. For example, gasoline or diesel generators constantly require fuel. Others, conditionally related to the so-called perpetual motion machines, do not need energy carriers, but, on the contrary, are themselves able to generate electricity by converting the energy of the sun and wind.

All autonomous power supply sources by and large are similar to each other in their general structure and principle of operation. Each of them includes three main nodes:

  • Energy converter. Represented by solar panels or where the energy of the sun and wind is converted into electricity. Their effectiveness largely depends on natural conditions and the weather in a given area - from solar activity, wind strength and direction.
  • Batteries. They are electrical containers that store electricity, which is actively generated in optimal weather. The more batteries there are, the longer the stored energy can be consumed. Average daily electricity consumption is used for calculations.
  • Controller. Performs a control function for the distribution of generated energy flows. Basically, these devices monitor the condition of the batteries. When they are fully charged, all energy goes directly to consumers. If the controller detects a battery discharge, then the energy is redistributed: it partially goes to the consumer, and the other part is spent on charging the battery.
  • Inverter. A device for converting direct current 12 or 24 volts into a standard voltage of 220 V. Inverters have different powers, for which the total power of simultaneously operating consumers is taken. When calculating, it is necessary to give a certain margin, since the operation of the equipment at the limit of its capabilities leads to its rapid failure.

There is a different autonomous power supply for a country house, ready-made solutions of which are complemented by various elements in the form of connecting cables, ballasts for dumping excess electricity and others. constituent parts... For the right choice the unit should be familiar with each type of alternative power supply in more detail.

Generators and mini power plants

Generators and mini-power plants are widely used and provide autonomous power supply to the home, especially where there are no centralized electrical networks at all. Subject to the correct choice of the unit, the output produces a voltage that can fully provide the facility with electricity. The main factor in the normal operation of the equipment is its compliance with the electrical parameters of the connected consumers.

Typically, autonomous power plants perform two main functions. They serve as a source of backup power during a power outage or supply the facility with electricity on an ongoing basis. In many cases, these devices provide more than High Quality than the central network. This is very important when using highly sensitive equipment, for example, gas heating boilers, medical equipment and other equipment.

The power of the generators, their performance and the possibility of continuous operation without shutdown are of great importance. Low-power equipment belongs to the category of electric generators, and more complex and powerful structures are already considered mini-power plants. To devices low power include generators capable of withstanding a load not exceeding 10 kW.

There are different types of generators, depending on the fuel used.

  1. Gasoline. Most often used as a backup power source due to the high cost of fuel and relatively expensive maintenance... The cost of gasoline units is much lower than other analogues, which makes them economically viable precisely as a backup source for the period of a main power outage.
  2. Diesel. They have a significant motor resource, much higher than that of gasoline counterparts. Such equipment can work longer, even under heavy loads. Despite their high cost, diesel generators are in high demand due to cheap fuel and low cost maintenance.
  3. Gas. The reliability and efficiency of these units can well be compared with gasoline and diesel generators. The main advantage is their low price and environmental friendliness during operation.

Each unit consists of an engine and a generator itself. For more convenient operation, all devices are equipped with an ignition switch, a starter and a battery, sockets for connecting consumers, measuring instruments, a fuel tank, air filter and other elements.

Batteries and uninterruptible power supplies

One of the options for the period of a power outage in a country house is an uninterruptible power supply. Their use allows you to solve many problems, especially during short-term power outages. The power supply is regulated by an inverter and a stabilizer. The use of uninterruptible power supplies allows you to save important information on your computer, which can be destroyed in case of an unexpected power outage.

The structure includes a control circuit and an inverter, which is, in fact, a charger. The switching time and ensuring uninterrupted supply of electricity to the consumer depend on its power. Due to this, the autonomous power supply of the country house is provided.

A special role is assigned to the stabilizer, the main function of which is to increase or decrease the supply of current coming from the main network. Therefore, when choosing an uninterruptible power supply, be sure to consider specifications inverter and stabilizer. Standard devices are equipped with a stabilizer that can only lower the voltage.

The positive qualities of UPSs include their relatively low cost. They operate silently and are not subject to heating due to their high efficiency of 99%. The main disadvantage is considered to be long-term switching to its own power supply. There is no opportunity manual setting voltage and frequency of power supply. During battery operation, the voltage output will be non-sinusoidal.

Uninterruptible power supplies have proven themselves well together with computers and local area networks, effectively maintaining their performance. They turned out to be the most the best option for use in this particular area.

Power supply of a private house with solar panels

In private and country houses, solar panels are becoming more widespread, used as the main or backup power sources. The main function of these devices is to convert solar energy into electric.

There are various ways to use direct current generated by solar panels. It can be used directly, immediately after use, or accumulated in rechargeable batteries and consumed as needed in the dark. In addition, direct current with the help of an inverter can be converted into alternating current with voltages of 110, 220 and 380 volts and can be used for various groups and types of consumers.

All autonomous system solar power supply operates according to a certain scheme. During daylight hours, they generate electricity, which is then fed to the charge controller. The main function of the controller is to control the battery charge. If their capacity is 100% full, then the supply of charge from the solar panels stops. The inverter converts DC to AC with specified parameters. When consumers are turned on, this device takes energy from the batteries, converts it and sends it to the network to the consumers.

Solar energy, depending on the seasons, is not constant and is not always considered as the main source. In addition, the amount of electricity consumed on a daily basis also changes in different sides... Therefore, when the batteries are completely discharged, the home power supply system automatically switches from solar panels to other backup power sources or to the central electrical network.

Solar panels make the owners of the house completely independent from the central power supply. In this case, no connection to electrical networks is required, additional expenses for registration of permits and payment for electricity are excluded. This system does not depend on interruptions in the centralized supply of electricity, it is not affected by the growth of tariffs, there are no restrictions on the connection of additional capacities.

Solar panels can be operated for a long period of time, ranging from 20-50 years. Serious financial investments are made only once, after which the system will work and gradually pay for itself. All battery operation is fully automatic. A significant plus is the complete safety of solar energy for humans and the environment... To obtain the desired economic result, you should choose the right equipment, install and put it into operation.

Wind turbines

Wind energy has been used for a long time. An illustrative example are sailing ships and windmills, left far in the past. Nowadays, wind energy has begun to be used again for doing useful work.

A typical representative of these devices is a wind generator. The principle of operation of the unit is based on the rotation of the rotor blades by the air flow, fixed on the generator shaft. As a result of rotation, alternating current is generated in the generator windings. It can be consumed directly or accumulated in batteries and used in the future as needed. Thus, an autonomous power supply of the facility is provided.

In addition to the generator, there is a controller in the working circuit that performs the function of converting three-phase alternating current into direct current. The converted current is sent to charge the batteries. Household appliances cannot operate on direct current, so an inverter is used to further convert it. With its help, the reverse transformation of direct current into alternating household current of 220 volts occurs. As a result of all transformations, approximately 15-20% of the originally generated electricity is consumed.

Solar panels, as well as gasoline or diesel generators, can be used in conjunction with wind turbines. In these cases, an automatic reserve input (ATS) is additionally included in the circuit, which activates the reserve current source if the main one is turned off.

In order to get maximum power, the location wind generator should be along the direction of the wind flow. The simplest systems are equipped with special weather vane fixed at the opposite end of the generator. A weather vane is a vertical blade that turns the entire device towards the wind. In more complex and powerful installations, this function is performed by a rotary electric motor controlled by a direction sensor.

The energy crisis that resulted from the Moscow accident at the substation in Chagin and overtook Moscow and a number of nearby regions, showed that for our people even such extraordinary events are not at all a reason to be nervous.

For the Ministry of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation, a power outage that occurred in Moscow and neighboring regions of Russia is a unique emergency situation, however, chronic blackouts of both individual houses and entire neighborhoods in various regions of the country are not so rare.

The employees of the Ministry of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation, of course, made the appropriate conclusions and are already reporting to us that “from the whole complex of actions related to the elimination of power outages, an invaluable positive experience will be derived”, but worn-out equipment that has been serving for 40-50 years, cannot be replaced overnight, and while the technical re-equipment of the electric power industry is underway, we can also do something to somehow secure ourselves against such costs of civilization.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

As you know, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS or UPS - Uninteruptable Power Source) are designed rather to prevent an emergency shutdown of the device, and not at all for its long-term operation in the absence of voltage in the mains. Actually, the cost of batteries makes up the most significant share in the total cost of UPS, and the more capacity they have, the more expensive the system is.

Strictly speaking, the numbers that are indicated in the price lists or on the UPS enclosures indicate the so-called apparent power, which is measured in volt-amperes (VA, VA) and is applicable to direct current, or active power measured in watts (W), and battery runtime is non-linear with UPS power.

For switching power supplies for computers, the power in volt-amperes corresponds to the power in watts with a factor of 0.6-0.8, that is, if the UPS indicates 400 V A, then this corresponds to the total power of the connected devices of about 280 W. However, manufacturers recommend choosing a UPS with a 20% headroom for the load, so that the user still has enough time to complete all the final steps before turning off the computer. For example, for modern desktop PCs with 300 W PSUs, choose a 350-360 W (or 514 VA) UPS.

Experience shows that a simple home computer with a monitor operates on a 400 V · A UPS for only 5-10 minutes at best. Therefore, in accordance with existing models and a power reserve of the load, it is better to choose a UPS designed for 600-750 V · A. Moreover, if for a 500 VA UPS the operating time is 10-15 minutes, then on a 1000 VA UPS the same set of devices will work for 40 minutes (that is, one powerful UPS works longer than two with the same total power) ... By the way, if the UPS overload continues for at least a couple of seconds, it will simply turn off the entire load.

However, the cost of the UPS depends on the power non-linearly. So, for example, if the popular APC SmartUPS 420 V A UPS costs $ 150, then the APC SmartUPS 700 V A is already $ 250. absence. The prices for such devices are quite affordable - the APC BackUPS 500 VA costs about $ 50-60.

Note also that the battery life in a UPS ranges from 3 to 6 years, and the cost of replacing all batteries in one UPS is, on average, half of the total cost of a new device.

At the same time, inexpensive UPSs are usually low-power. Prices for powerful models from the same APC company, such as the Matrix 300 and 5000 VA, start at $ 3,000. And the price of models such as the Symmetra (APC) with capacities from 8,000 to 16,000 VA, - from 8 thousand dollars

Thus, the use of powerful UPSs at home turns out to be meaningless, and the use of an inexpensive UPS is reduced only to urgently saving all files and turning off office equipment in order to avoid data loss.

Autonomous power supply from UPS

How do we protect ourselves from prolonged power outages? Is it really necessary to buy such expensive and powerful uninterruptible power supplies for this?

Here you can offer two options:

  • connect an inexpensive car battery in parallel to the standard IPS battery (by the way, motorists often have quite efficient batteries, which they do not dare to use in winter, but such devices still hold a charge quite well);
  • for a couple of car batteries, use a voltage converter from 12 to 220 V.

The first option may be quite suitable as a cheap alternative to the expensive replacement of the standard UPS batteries, when the uninterruptible power supply, due to the failure of the standard batteries, begins to work only as a surge protector. However, if a car battery is deeply discharged, using a non-standard battery on the UPS is fraught with serious problems.

After all, the UPS control circuit, as a rule, is designed only for a standard battery. For example, if you decide to replace the standard 12V7AH battery with a new 12V20AH (essentially the same, but more capacious) on the same APC BackUPS 500 V the control controller will fail (or the overcurrent protection in the charging circuit will work and charging simply will not work).

As for a car, much more capacious battery, the average charging current of a slightly discharged battery does not exceed 1/10 of the maximum, so nothing should happen with a shallow discharge. However, after some significant discharge of the additional battery, you will have to disconnect it from the UPS and charge it with a separate charger, which is not very convenient.

What can be done in this situation? First, you can use a separate minimum and maximum voltage controller to connect an additional battery (for example, described at http://battery.newlist.ru/chargers_lvd_01.htm). Then additional circuit automatic load disconnection at minimum and maximum allowable voltage will protect the UPS circuit. You will adjust the response thresholds with potentiometers, and the operating voltage range will be determined by the parameters of the transistors used.

Or, if you plan to use a lead-acid car battery, then the UPS should be chosen not with an alkaline, but with a lead-acid standard battery. Then the UPS charging circuit will be designed to use batteries with similar parameters, therefore, a discharged car battery will not burn the UPS controller. Of course, any charging circuit has a certain current limit, and if you hang an external car battery on a very low-power UPS, the UPS may burn out, especially if you bring the battery to full discharge.

However, you can also use a mixed scheme, when the car battery is charged with a permanently connected charger for car batteries (with overcharge control and other automation) and at the same time the battery is connected to the UPS in parallel with the standard battery. Thus, in this case, the UPS serves only as a voltage converter from 12 to 220 V.

The option with a special 12/220 V voltage converter instead of a UPS is more reliable, but such a voltage converter high power comparable in cost to a UPS, and besides, it will still require the purchase of a sufficiently powerful charger for car batteries. At the same time, the low-power Charger charges for a very long time, and a powerful one is quite expensive and has impressive dimensions (that is, along with the economic feasibility of such a system, it will be necessary to consider its weight and size parameters).

The cost of 12/220 V 600 W car adapters is about $ 80-100. A 12/220 V 1200 W voltage converter will cost $ 200-220, and a 2500-3000 W adapter will cost more than $ 400. you see, even the prices of adapters are already quite comparable with the prices of similar in power UPSs, and we still need a charger for the batteries!

Ready-made solutions

In principle, the very idea of ​​using car batteries as a source of autonomous power supply is not new, and the Russian industry has several ready-made solutions. So, for example, the firm "MicroArt" (http://www.invertors.ru) offers relatively inexpensive devices MAC "Energia" - converters constant voltage 12 or 24 V AC 220 V (bidirectional inverters) with a power from 0.9 to 12 kW with a built-in intelligent microcontroller that provides automatic control of modes and, if necessary, communication with a computer.

Such a converter simultaneously charges car batteries (one or more) and is used as a source of autonomous power supply: if there is a mains voltage of 220 V, then it simply passes it through itself and, if necessary, recharges the batteries; if the external mains voltage has disappeared, it instantly starts generating 220 V from the batteries. The operating time of such a source depends on the load and capacity of the batteries. So, four 190 Ah batteries will last for 17 hours at a constant load of 500 W (see table). Also, for example, any car can be used as an autonomous power plant on wheels, and the car engine may not even be turned on for some time. Such a converter is much cheaper than a gas or diesel mini-power plant, is miniaturized and lightweight. The price of MAP Energia converters is from 8 thousand rubles. Additionally for 650 rubles. you can purchase a cord, controller and software for connecting this device to a computer (that is, MAC "Energia" is able to completely replace the UPS).

If the power outages are very long or not at all, then such a converter can be used in conjunction with a mini-power plant (gas or diesel), as well as with alternative sources power supply (solar solar plants and wind turbines) for energy storage. In this case, turning on the power plant for only 3 hours a day, you can provide yourself with electricity around the clock!

In addition to using this device as an uninterruptible or autonomous power supply, it can be used both as a 12 or 24 V DC voltage converter (there are two options for devices) into 220 V AC with a frequency of 50 Hz, and as a starting charger for a car.

The device provides protection against overload, short circuit, battery connection with incorrect polarity, overcharge and full discharge of the battery. In addition, it is equipped with an overvoltage protection system for the powered devices and a soft start system, which eliminates high current consumption at the time of startup.

Battery life

Marginal notes

It should be noted that lead-acid vehicle batteries are strongly discouraged from being charged in living quarters, since they give off gases during intensive recharging. In the process of working (discharging), acid batteries are completely harmless. Note that, in particular, this is why batteries for UPS are much more expensive - their design is sealed and they do not have the top ventilation holes... Therefore, it is better to keep the battery economy in a city apartment on the balcony.


- you should know!

Theme " Backup and Autonomous Power Supply - you should know this!

First, let's clarify in terms of backup and autonomous power supply. So, backup power means an auxiliary source of electricity, which, in the event of a loss of the main line, should provide further power supply to power electrical consumers. They can be not only completely independent power supply systems (batteries, and converters powered by them, mini-stations, fuel cells, etc.), but also spare lines of city power supply.

Autonomous power supply by itself means a completely separate power supply system that is capable of generating or delivering accumulated electrical energy to various consumers. Such a system, in the event of a power failure in the main city power grid, must take over the power load of the existing consumers. Although, chemical power sources (including rechargeable batteries) can also be attributed to autonomous power supply. The main idea of ​​this type of electrical source is to supply the load with electricity, provided there is no external power source (ordinary city power grid).

For the most part, these two concepts strongly intersect with each other, which gives reason to consider them one and the same (only in some cases these terms can be used "striking"). The problem of an independent power supply can be solved in various ways, or rather, an autonomous power supply system can be made based on various methods of generating electrical energy. The beauty of electricity is that this power invisible to the human eye is universal. Only the ways of converting one type of energy into another differ.

Where is the term “backup power” mainly used? Where there is a high probability of disconnection of the main source of power supply (which is usually the city power grid), or in the case when blackouts occur extremely rarely, but the very phenomenon of "blackout" is quite critical. In these cases, the main task of the backup power supply is to timely pick up the existing load and then provide electricity to the existing consumer until the main supply from the city network is fully restored.

You can hear more about autonomous power supply in those cases when we are talking about the complete absence of the main power source (city power grid). In this case, this most autonomous power supply acts as the main power supply system (or it is used so often that it reserves the right to be called such). Such cases include the implementation of power supply to a country house (where there are temporary or permanent problems with the supply of the city power grid), places remote from the city (where the city highway was not initially provided), etc.

The role of the main power supply system is played by a complex energy network, the main unit of electricity generation in which is nuclear power plants, thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants. In the case of autonomous power supply, the center of power generation is mini power generating systems that operate on combustible fuel (gasoline, diesel, gas, coal, etc.), wind energy (windmills), sun (solar panels), chemical reactions (chemical sources current - batteries, accumulators, fuel cells).

The specific use of one or another source of electricity generation depends on the existing conditions (terrain, climate, operating modes of autonomous sources, needs, cost, etc.). It should be added that additional parallel power lines, which are powered from the same city power grids, can act as a backup power source.