Back-up uninterruptible power system

Abstract

A back-up uninterruptible power system has a power supply path from input terminals connected to AC power system lines to normally supply power to a load. Upon the occurrence of a line fault, a static switch in the power supply path interrupts the connection between the AC power lines and the load and an inverter is turned on to provide power derived from an auxiliary battery through a transformer to the power supply path to supply AC power to the load. By using the static switch, switching from line connection to backup power can be done quickly, within a half cycle, so that substantially no interruption of the output waveform is observed. The inverter can be operated to provide a commutation pulse to the SCRs in the static switch to commutate an SCR which might otherwise continue conducting after the triggering signals to the gates are cut off and before the inverter supplies the AC power to the load. A relay connected between the input terminals and the static switch is controlled to open relay contacts after the static switch has interrupted the current flow to the load, thereby providing positive electrical isolation of the AC power system from the uninterruptible power system while allowing the mechanical relay contacts to switch only during times of no current. Line fault detection is carried out by creating a digital waveform composed of an average of prior cycles of the AC input waveform, converting the stored waveform to an analog signal, and comparing it with the present input signal in phase lock therewith to detect deviation of the input signal from the reference waveform.