A Cost-Effective, Single-Phase Line-Interactive UPS System that Eliminates Inrush Current Phenomenon for Transformer-Coupled Loads

Sudden voltage drops and outages frequently disturb the operation of sensitive loads for domestic, commercial, and industrial use. In some cases, these events may even impair the functioning of relevant equipment. To maintain power under such conditions, a UPS system is usually installed. Once a disturbance happens at the grid side, the line-interactive UPS system takes over the load to prevent an interruption. But, due to magnetic saturation of the transformer, a significant inrush current may occur for the transformer-coupled loads during this transition. The generation of such transient currents may in turn decrease the line voltage and activates over-current protecting devices of the system. In this work, a cost-effective, line-interactive UPS system is proposed that eliminates the inrush current phenomenon associated with transformer-coupled loads. The strategy was implemented by connecting a standard current-regulated voltage source inverter (CRVSI) to the secondary winding of the load transformer. During any transient condition at the grid side, the load current is monitored and regulated to achieve either seamless compensation of the load current or complete transferal of load from grid to the inverter. Experimental results were obtained for a prototype under all possible operating conditions so as to validate the performance of the proposed topology.