UPS on lithium-ion batteries: understand the pros and cons of the example of Schneider Electric products
With global technological progress, things remain that have not changed for decades. These are, for example, lead-acid batteries for uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), which have been used in the manufacture of these devices for decades, and the technology itself was invented back in 1859. But progress still does not stand still, and more advanced technologies take their toll. So, Schneider Electric, which manufactures uninterruptible power supplies under the ARS brand, has been offering a number of UPS models with lithium-ion batteries since 2015. We will tell you how such UPSs differ from traditional ones, and what is their advantage.
Are the differences significant?
Lithium-ion batteries are now used almost everywhere - in portable electronics, electric cars and other devices. Before acid-lead, they have a number of advantages that are very important for UPSs installed in server, data centers, industrial processes or critical infrastructure. Among them:
Significantly smaller weight and size . With the same physical volume, lithium-ion batteries have a higher level of energy density. They can accumulate more than three times more energy per kilogram of weight than lead batteries. Consequently, you can significantly save space in the server or data center, which is especially important for small and medium businesses.
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No noticeable memory effect . The battery does not require a full discharge before the charge cycle, which is especially important for the UPS, since when the equipment is powered without supplying power from the network, they are far from always completely discharged. Of course, lithium-ion batteries have a minimal memory effect. However, it is so small that, according to scientists, we are talking only about the fundamental presence of the effect, and not about its any significant impact on the operation of the battery.
Wide operating temperature range . Lead batteries lose about half the power when the temperature rises every 10 degrees at temperatures above +25 degrees Celsius. This means that in the room where they are used, you need more powerful cooling. At the same time, lithium-ion batteries are much less sensitive to temperature fluctuations, such changes have almost no effect on battery life. They can be used at temperatures up to +50 degrees Celsius without noticeable changes in performance. The only place where lead batteries still benefit is temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius.
High current levels when charging and discharging . Lithium-ion batteries can both quickly and receive large amounts of energy. This makes them a more productive solution for powering energy-intensive equipment.
Large number of charge / discharge cycles . The average indicators for lead batteries are 700 cycles, whereas for lithium-ion batteries, 5000 cycles. For UPSs, this indicator is not very important, since they only work occasionally.
Long period of operation . But this figure is just very important for the batteries used in the UPS. For a lead-acid battery, the service life (without exceeding the permissible amount of charge / discharge) is 3 years, while lithium-ion batteries have been operating for more than 10 years.
Very low self-discharge . On average, this figure does not exceed 2% of the initial charge per month.
Advanced condition monitoring . Lithium-ion batteries are equipped with an advanced condition monitoring system. It, for example, allows your smartphone not only to show how many percent of the charge remains, but also to show which application consumes and how long the remaining charge of energy is enough to complete discharge, as well as the “health status” of the battery. In lead batteries, this is almost impossible to implement. And for the UPS, this function is critical, as it allows you to know about the status of each device and, in the event of a problem, quickly replace it.
Against this background, the only significant drawback of lithium-ion batteries is their price. It is really much higher than the cost of lead, so UPS based on such batteries is more expensive. However, over time, the difference is leveled - spending on new batteries and maintaining existing ones will be much less and less, which in the long run makes acquiring a UPS with lithium-ion batteries even more profitable from a financial point of view - you will spend a lot of time, but you will forget for a long time about such an item of expenditure. By looking at where lithium-ion batteries are used, savings of 10 to 40% can be achieved over their lifespan compared with traditional UPSs. You can calculate the long-term benefits of UPS on lithium-ion batteries with a special calculator .
Solution from ARS
In the arsenal of Schneider Electric, there are three series of uninterruptible power supplies under the brand ARS, in which the use of lithium-ion batteries is possible. The configuration of these models allows both to immediately purchase solutions on lithium-ion batteries, as well as to replace the lead battery with a lithium-ion battery after the end of its service.
Galaxy 7000
Energy efficient solutions with three-phase UPS protection with high adaptability to meet the needs of medium and large data centers, buildings and critical infrastructure. In the model range are available six devices of different capacities .
Galaxy VM
One of the simplest in its class for the installation and maintenance of devices that have effective protection against overload. The model range is designed for use in medium-sized data centers, as well as at industrial sites. Galaxy VM Series devices have top and bottom cable entries, eliminating the need to install an additional side cabinet. They also provide full access to the front panel and have a modular design that allows you to use several installation options. In the model number there are five devices .
Symmetra mw
This model range is designed for large data centers and critical infrastructure facilities. Devices of the Symmetra MW series have the function of three-phase protection, as well as the internal configuration of the parallel connection, which provides a high level of fault tolerance. There are six devices available in the model range.
Instead of an afterword
The use of lithium-ion batteries in uninterruptible power supplies has not yet become mainstream. Lead-acid batteries dominate the market, primarily because of their low cost. However, now there is a tendency to reduce the gap in price, so we can safely assume that the share of lithium-ion batteries will gradually increase, as they have a number of significant advantages. Among them, long service life, high energy efficiency, a wide range of operating temperatures and other advantages.
Are the differences significant?
Lithium-ion batteries are now used almost everywhere - in portable electronics, electric cars and other devices. Before acid-lead, they have a number of advantages that are very important for UPSs installed in server, data centers, industrial processes or critical infrastructure. Among them:
Significantly smaller weight and size . With the same physical volume, lithium-ion batteries have a higher level of energy density. They can accumulate more than three times more energy per kilogram of weight than lead batteries. Consequently, you can significantly save space in the server or data center, which is especially important for small and medium businesses.
')
No noticeable memory effect . The battery does not require a full discharge before the charge cycle, which is especially important for the UPS, since when the equipment is powered without supplying power from the network, they are far from always completely discharged. Of course, lithium-ion batteries have a minimal memory effect. However, it is so small that, according to scientists, we are talking only about the fundamental presence of the effect, and not about its any significant impact on the operation of the battery.
Wide operating temperature range . Lead batteries lose about half the power when the temperature rises every 10 degrees at temperatures above +25 degrees Celsius. This means that in the room where they are used, you need more powerful cooling. At the same time, lithium-ion batteries are much less sensitive to temperature fluctuations, such changes have almost no effect on battery life. They can be used at temperatures up to +50 degrees Celsius without noticeable changes in performance. The only place where lead batteries still benefit is temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius.
High current levels when charging and discharging . Lithium-ion batteries can both quickly and receive large amounts of energy. This makes them a more productive solution for powering energy-intensive equipment.
Large number of charge / discharge cycles . The average indicators for lead batteries are 700 cycles, whereas for lithium-ion batteries, 5000 cycles. For UPSs, this indicator is not very important, since they only work occasionally.
Long period of operation . But this figure is just very important for the batteries used in the UPS. For a lead-acid battery, the service life (without exceeding the permissible amount of charge / discharge) is 3 years, while lithium-ion batteries have been operating for more than 10 years.
Very low self-discharge . On average, this figure does not exceed 2% of the initial charge per month.
Advanced condition monitoring . Lithium-ion batteries are equipped with an advanced condition monitoring system. It, for example, allows your smartphone not only to show how many percent of the charge remains, but also to show which application consumes and how long the remaining charge of energy is enough to complete discharge, as well as the “health status” of the battery. In lead batteries, this is almost impossible to implement. And for the UPS, this function is critical, as it allows you to know about the status of each device and, in the event of a problem, quickly replace it.
Against this background, the only significant drawback of lithium-ion batteries is their price. It is really much higher than the cost of lead, so UPS based on such batteries is more expensive. However, over time, the difference is leveled - spending on new batteries and maintaining existing ones will be much less and less, which in the long run makes acquiring a UPS with lithium-ion batteries even more profitable from a financial point of view - you will spend a lot of time, but you will forget for a long time about such an item of expenditure. By looking at where lithium-ion batteries are used, savings of 10 to 40% can be achieved over their lifespan compared with traditional UPSs. You can calculate the long-term benefits of UPS on lithium-ion batteries with a special calculator .
Solution from ARS
In the arsenal of Schneider Electric, there are three series of uninterruptible power supplies under the brand ARS, in which the use of lithium-ion batteries is possible. The configuration of these models allows both to immediately purchase solutions on lithium-ion batteries, as well as to replace the lead battery with a lithium-ion battery after the end of its service.
Galaxy 7000
Energy efficient solutions with three-phase UPS protection with high adaptability to meet the needs of medium and large data centers, buildings and critical infrastructure. In the model range are available six devices of different capacities .
Galaxy VM
One of the simplest in its class for the installation and maintenance of devices that have effective protection against overload. The model range is designed for use in medium-sized data centers, as well as at industrial sites. Galaxy VM Series devices have top and bottom cable entries, eliminating the need to install an additional side cabinet. They also provide full access to the front panel and have a modular design that allows you to use several installation options. In the model number there are five devices .
Symmetra mw
This model range is designed for large data centers and critical infrastructure facilities. Devices of the Symmetra MW series have the function of three-phase protection, as well as the internal configuration of the parallel connection, which provides a high level of fault tolerance. There are six devices available in the model range.
Instead of an afterword
The use of lithium-ion batteries in uninterruptible power supplies has not yet become mainstream. Lead-acid batteries dominate the market, primarily because of their low cost. However, now there is a tendency to reduce the gap in price, so we can safely assume that the share of lithium-ion batteries will gradually increase, as they have a number of significant advantages. Among them, long service life, high energy efficiency, a wide range of operating temperatures and other advantages.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/336640/
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