The Need for a Medical-Grade UPS with a Generator

Many people in the medical field believe that having a generator as an emergency backup for power outages eliminates the need for a medical-grade UPS or line conditioning. This is a misconception! What most people overlook or simply do not know are critical issues that should be of concern, which are listed below.

A generator will kick in, providing power only when the power grid goes down and stops providing electrical power.

The generator will take 10 to 20 seconds to start. In that time, the critical medical equipment will stop operating unless it has an internal backup power supply, which is a small supply usually meant to keep the medical equipment in question going during this short 10 to 20 seconds or in the case that the generator for some reason does not start will help provide an orderly shutdown of the critical equipment. This small internal backup is also very dependent on the need for good and fresh batteries.

One more thing to remember is that after the generator starts, there is a transfer switch that transfers your facility from the power grid to your generator. This transfer switch will always create a spike, and like a lightning strike, no one can predict where it will strike. It often strikes critical medical equipment, causing extensive damage at the most inopportune time. An additional item to consider with a generator is the “line noise” created by the armature/commutator when generating electricity. This noise can be detrimental to sensitive critical medical equipment’s internal components, such as circuit boards.

With the medical-grade UPS in the system, the backup time is increased to 10 minutes or more, depending on the load and the size of the UPS. This UPS is also a power conditioner that will filter out the spike created by the transfer switch and the noise created by the electric power generator.

One major element to keep in mind with an emergency generator in the line is that it will start providing electric power only after the power is lost from the power grid, which is the only single purpose a generator serves.

The medical-grade UPS monitors the generator and the power grid, continuously correcting power infractions as needed. One infraction is “sagging power,” more commonly known to the general public as a “brown out.” During these times of sagging power, which a generator does not address, your critical medical equipment is struggling to operate on minimal input power, which is creating stress on circuit boards. Eventually, circuit board components will blow, destroying the circuit board and shutting down your equipment, which could happen at a critical moment of operation.

Everyone who works in the medical arena on patients with sensitive critical equipment should note the justification for placing the medical-grade UPS in line with a generator. If you do not have a generator, Accratech has battery cabinets available that, when connected to the UPS, will provide additional run time, fulfilling your backup time requirements.

Accratech’s UL 60601-1 certified UPS meets 3rd Edition standards, offering the highest level of reliable power. This medical-grade UPS provides safe, conditioned, and uninterrupted power for medical professionals using sensitive, critical equipment on patients who require precise procedural outcomes.

Expanding Linear/1 UPS Solutions to New Markets Requiring Reliable Power

Our goal is to expand the Linear/1 market beyond the medical field to include areas such as small server applications, computer systems, manufacturing machinery, and any managerial setting where reliable, clean electrical power is essential.