How To Build Your Own Uninterruptible Power Supply

In the event of extended blackout, you may have critical systems (such as computer or medical equipment) that must remain running no matter what. This guide will yield one scalable uninterrupted power supply system. You may extend it with power generation, or solar/wind/etc. as you see fit.
Most uninterrupted power supplies sold for computers 'switch' power, running a small inverter when power is interrupted, then switching back to 'normal' power when it's back on. This one simply produces AC power with a continuous duty inverter and assumes some system(s) will charge the DC battery supply it requires faster than it consumes it. This makes the design simpler and also allows more than one kind of DC power source to participate in charging the batteries. Your UPS system here will be an online type.

Ads by Google

Luminous Inverters

Choose Luminous Inverters for uninterrupted power at home or work
www.luminous.com.ng

 Steps

1. Read all warnings before proceeding. This is for your safety.




Ads by Google

Luminous Inverters Choose Luminous Inverters for uninterrupted power at home or work
www.luminous.com.ng

2.Choose a charger that can supply enough current to charge the battery and keep up with the inverter's load. 

 This will be a fairly heavy duty charger.
Check RV suppliers for 'Converters', designed to run larger RVs if you are making a big system.
Check solar power sources for "big" whole house chargers and inverters for very large systems.
If an RV or home converter has an inverter built in, make sure it's isolated (or can be isolated) from the input power.
Make sure the charger handles the kinds of batteries you are going to buy.

3. Choose only deep cycle batteries.
Do not use a car or truck battery, nor a 'marine' battery. If you will be using only one battery, a gel or 'maintenance free' battery will work adequately. For larger systems composed of multiple deep-cycle batteries, select only wet cells or AGM cells.
Make sure the batteries are ventilated for escaping hydrogen gas.
If you buy wet cells, make sure the charger supports an 'equalize' charge.
Lead acid batteries are sold in 6 volt and 12 volt sizes. You will need to connect them in series to raise the voltage, or in parallel to increase the amp-hours available.

12 volts = 2x6V volt batteries connected in series
24 volts = 4x6V or 2x12V batteries in series
When connecting series-parallel, connect pairs of batteries in parallel and then connect those pairs in series, not chains of series batteries in parallel.

Do not mix different kinds of batteries. Newer batteries added to existing sets of batteries will be as worn as the originals very quickly.
In larger series-parallel setups it's a good idea to swap batteries around every year or so.
Batteries that are shallowly drained (cycled) will last a long time, while batteries that are deeply cycled will have shorter lives.
A fully charged, new 12 volt battery is 12.6 volts at rest (each of six cells is 2.1 volts).
A fully charged, new 6 volt battery will be at 6.3 volts at rest.
When a 12 volt charger is operating on it, the voltage will be higher. A float charge (maintenance charge) for a 12 volt system is 13.5 to 13.8 volts; active charging requires at least 14.1 volts. You may see it go as high as 16 volts when charging, depending upon the charger. After a full charge, if the battery is not going to be float charged, the at-rest voltage will slowly return to the nominal full-charge voltage.
A discharged 12 volt battery is 11.6 volts at rest. A discharged 6 volt battery is 5.8 volts at rest. The voltage may temporarily fall below these levels while powering a large load, but should return to a point within the nominal range after a 1-hour rest. Over-discharging to less than 1.93 volts per cell at rest will permanently damage your battery.
Batteries can be measured with a voltmeter for an approximate state of charge, but many dead batteries can hold a 'shallow charge' which drops off rapidly when current is drawn. You'll need to test them with a 'live' load over a series of hours to verify them.
A regulated 12 volt power supply can not fully charge a discharged 12 volt battery, but it makes a good float charger if the output voltage is correct (again, 13.5-13.8 volts for a 12 volt system). Check the water level in the cells often, and replenish as needed with distilled water

4. Choose an inverter. Rated for continuous duty at substantially more power than you think you'll need.
Enough 'peak' current to handle motor starting loads, which can be from 3 to as much as 7 times the rated running wattage.
Inverters are available for input voltages of 12, 24, 36, 48, and 96 volts, and a few less common voltages. The higher the voltage the better, especially for large systems. 12 volts is the most common, but in no case should one consider 12 volts for a system of greater than 2400 watts output (The amount of current that has to be handled is simply too high).
Some of the better inverters have a built-in 3-stage automatic battery charger and transfer relay, greatly simplifying the system. These inverters are well worth the extra money; if fact they save money overall, as the built-in charger is a bargain compared to the price of a comparable stand-alone charger.

5. Get cables and fuses and other hardware to interconnect batteries, charger and inverter.

These should be very heavy gauge, well made, and as short as you can fit it all together with. This is to keep the cable resistance low.
Consider spending just a bit more for a bus bar interconnect with big dividers, instead of just 'wires everywhere'. It is tidy and helps prevent accidental shorts. It also makes it easier to remove defective batteries.

6. Wear protective gear and observe safety precautions.
Do protect your eyes  against acid splashes to the eye.
Wear protective, non-conductive gloves if possible.
Remove any jewelry and any metallic items you might be wearing.

7. Securely attach the charger cables to the deep cycle battery, noting polarity.

8. Prepare the charging system.  

 Plug the charger into the wall and power it on. Make sure it begins a proper charge cycle, and make sure the inverter is powered off.

9. Attach and test the inverter if it is separate from the charger.

 Hook up the cables to the batteries, noting polarity. Turn the inverter on and test it with some suitable AC load. You shouldn't see sparks, smoke, or fire at any point. Leave the inverter on with a load similar to your planned load and allow the battery to charge overnight. This will test that the charger and load are a good match. In the morning, the battery should be fully charged.

10. Dismantle the test rig.
11. Design a tidy enclosure.  

This could be shelves in a shed, or a very large container. This will hold the batteries, charger, and inverter. Generally the charger and inverter should not be right next to the batteries where escaping gas can get to them. If so, it can shorten the life of the electronics, or ignite gases from sparking if vents are blocked. Some partition should be installed and separate air circulation should be provided for the charger and inverter. Alternatively, mount the charger/inverter outside the battery box. Once ready, install the components into it.

12. Make the connections. 

Runs of cable should be kept fairly short. You need easy access to every battery to check, so clean and tighten cables. For wet cells, you need to be able to easily take every top off to check fluid levels and get distilled water into them. Make sure the inverter is grounded. You may ground it to the ground wire on the charger's input AC, or use a grounding rod driven into the soil.

13. Supplement alternatives where beneficial or necessary. 

 You may supplement or replace the charger with solar, wind, etc., connected to their own applicable charge controller. This can keep the power running far longer than it otherwise would, even indefinitely. Also, you may supplement the charger with a generator. Attach a truck alternator to a small internal combustion engine, use a generator with 12 volt charging output, or unplug the charger from its AC outlet and then use a 'regular' AC generator to power the charger.
Ads by Google

1. Luminous Inverters

   Choose Luminous Inverters for uninterrupted power at home or work
   www.luminous.com.ng

   Uninterruptible UPS Power

   Award-Winning UPS by Falcon 800 VA - 40 kVA; Standard & Custom
   www.falconups.com

 Tips

• Do not plug surge suppressors into the inverter. It is isolated from the grid and outside.
• The UPS can be located outside.
  
  
  • Install an inside and outside outlet through a wall connected only to each other. You can plug the UPS inverter into the outside outlet (with a 'gender bender' extension cable) to power the inside outlet.
  • Disconnect and isolate an indoor circuit from the main circuit breaker panel. Route the wire out of that box through one of the punch-outs or remove it, and connect it to the inverter, providing conduit to shield as applicable. All plugs/lights/smoke detectors/etc. on that circuit will be powered by the UPS, so test and make sure nothing 'extra' is connected to it.
  • Run conduit and/or get fancy as you see fit, relative the permanence of your solution.

  Warnings

• If you're not a very safe electrician, don't try any of this.
• Grounding the inverter is not optional, it is a must. Remember to obey local regulations regarding grounding, especially if only one grounding rod is allowed per site.
• If power goes to outside outlets or near water, either buy an inverter with a Ground Fault Interrupt and ground it, or add a GFI to it.
• The AC output from the inverter is almost similar to mains power and can kill you.
• The DC current from the battery can burn you. A ring that gets between 'hot' wires can amputate your finger.
• There is enough DC current in a battery bank to stop your heart.
• Do not wear watches or jewelry when working on the batteries.
• Wear eye protection when working on batteries.
• Shorting batteries can cause blinding flashes, blow wrenches into splinters, even cause the batteries to explode and spray sulphuric acid and hunks of plastic everywhere.
• Provide proper ventilation for batteries. Trapped hydrogen gas can ignite and/or explode.
• Don't mess with the circuit breaker panel if you're not a really very good (and very, very safe) electrician.
• Wearing shoes is recommended.

Things You'll Need

• One or more deep cycle batteries
• One battery charger (at the voltage of the battery bank)
• One heavy duty inverter
• Battery cables
• Eye, face, and hand protection (for handling batteries)

 Related Topics

• How to Make Your Own Electricity
• How to Achieve Energy Independence
• How to Convert a Computer ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply
• How to Construct a Simple 5V DC Power Supply
• How to Diagnose and Replace a Failed PC Power Supply
• How to Run Your Desktop off Dc Power

Health Insurance

Business Development

 

Business Development

Overview

Business development is a combination of strategic analysis, marketing, and sales. Business development (or "biz dev") professionals can be involved in everything from the development of their employers' products and services, to the creation of marketing strategies, to the generation of sales leads, to negotiating and closing deals.
The job of the business development professional is typically to identify new business opportunities—whether that means new markets, new partnerships with other businesses, new ways to reach existing markets, or new product or service offerings to better meet the needs of existing markets—and then to go out and exploit those opportunities to bring in more revenue.
Since the field is a cousin of marketing and sales, even when an organization doesn't have a stand-alone business development department or employees with the phrase "biz dev" in their job titles, you can bet that folks in sales and/or marketing are handling business development responsibilities. You can find biz dev jobs in all industries—at everything from tech startups to huge pharmaceutical companies. What the work entails, exactly, depends on how big a company is and what industry it's in.

What You'll Do

Your job in business development may involve any or all of the following:
The first aspect of the business development professional's job is typically to identify new business opportunities.
This means several things, in terms of what you'll do. First, you'll need to stay abreast of what's happening in your industry—what your competitors are up to in terms of products and service offerings, pricing, marketing strategies, and so on. Second, you'll need to make sure you understand what your company is up to on an ongoing basis—to understand your company's strategy, how your company compares to its competitors, and how it's perceived in the marketplace. Third, you'll need to understand the market for your company's offerings—who comprises it, and how it may be changing.
Next, as a business development professional, you'll need to think creatively about everything you know about your company. This is the part of the job in which you identify possible ways to improve your company’s sales, which can mean identifying anything from new market segments (or individual potential clients), to new sales channels to sell through, to other, related products or services in the marketplace with which your company's products or services can be combined into synergistic, "co-branded" offerings.
The next part of the job is prioritizing the new business opportunities you’ve identified. To do this, you'll need to compare the potential returns of each new opportunity to the costs your company would incur to exploit it. Which means spreadsheets—lots of spreadsheets.
Finally, you have to bring the new opportunities you've identified and prioritized to fruition. In other words, you'll be negotiating with those at other organizations who can help you take advantage of the opportunities you've identified. And, if you're good at what you do, you'll be closing deals with those other organizations to increase your company's bottom line.
One thing you'd probably be doing as part of a biz dev career at an enterprise software company, for instance, is identifying and signing partnership deals with IT consulting firms that implement enterprise software for their clients—deals that will give those firms you partner with a cut of your company's revenue from any new sales of your software that they can bring in. Or, say you're in biz dev at a big publishing company that's looking to deliver a new, younger market to its advertisers; in this case, you might be involved in acquiring a smaller publisher that already has expertise in marketing to a younger audience, as well as established distribution channels for getting products to that market.
Business development involves varying degrees of sales and strategy. In some companies, biz dev people may focus on getting new corporate sales accounts, while in others they may lead new product development. At larger companies such as Oracle, Cisco, or Microsoft, one of biz dev's many responsibilities may be to decide which smaller companies the company should acquire next to ensure that it retains its market strength in the future.
Working in business development is an excellent way to become adept at business strategy while gaining hands-on experience in negotiating deals and managing partner relationships. Business development jobs are also highly cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with various internal and partner-company teams such as sales, engineering, and marketing to ensure that a deal is consummated. With its focus on strategy, biz dev steers the direction of a company—the deals forged today determine what the rest of the company will be working on tomorrow.

Who Does Well

You'll need strong business acumen to do well in a business development career. To understand the competitive landscape, you'll need strong research skills. To analyze new business opportunities to pursue, you'll need excellent quantitative and analytical skills. To negotiate with other companies you might potentially do business with, you'll need excellent people and communication skills. And, of course, to close deals, you'll need the killer deal-closing instincts possessed by the best sales types.

Requirements                                                      

If you're interested in business but don't want to go the traditional route of working for a consulting or investment banking firm or getting an MBA, biz dev may be a good alternative. The best way to get into business development is by first gaining experience in finance or corporate sales.
The minimum degree requirement for an entry-level position in business development is a BA or BS. For more senior positions, an MBA is often preferred, along with five or more years of previous business development or sales experience.
Business development positions at high-tech companies may require a technical background, or sales experience in a related field. Strategic-planning or corporate-development positions usually require a minimum of two years' experience in investment banking or consulting.
Networking with friends or alumni will give you an advantage getting your foot in the door. If you're asked in for an interview, be ready to demonstrate your knowledge of the company's business and show that you're familiar with its competitive landscape. Be sure to play up any experience you have in closing deals or managing relationships. And remember that recruiters will be seeking a keen eye for detail, solid communication skills, and analytical ability.

Job Outlook                                                          

In the long term, business development opportunities should grow, especially in expanding industries such as pharmaceuticals & biotech and technology. The growth in business development careers is being driven by a variety of factors. For one thing, businesses are doing more and more on the Web, meaning there are more and more opportunities for alliances, partnerships, and other business activities between and among companies doing business on the Web, Internet companies, and Internet services companies. At the same time, there's a growing need for biz dev types to seek out and close business deals in new markets. And as companies increasingly strip themselves down to only their core components, they rely on business development to do the deals that allow them to outsource non-core business functions.
Recently, job seekers looking for biz dev positions have found themselves in an extremely tight market. But as the economy improves, we're already seeing growth in biz dev career opportunities.
Those with an aptitude for landing and structuring deals—lawyers, for instance, or investment bankers—have the best shot at landing plum business development jobs.

Career Tracks                                                      

In order of increasing sophistication, the three overlapping layers within business development are sales, partnerships, and strategic planning. Most biz dev jobs blend all three, although one area may be emphasized.

Sales

At some companies, business development might be better described as business-to-business sales. In many cases, the business development team and the sales team are one and the same.
Cold-calling or prospecting for potential clients, members, or partners is often a task that falls to entry-level biz dev employees. These employees often have to hone their own sales pitch to convince other companies that a partnership would add value to their businesses.
As in traditional sales jobs, there's often an account-management aspect to business development—coordinating a variety of partner relationships and deal types, each at a different stage.

Partnerships

Companies of all sizes in all industries are building their businesses around partnerships—and it is business development's responsibility to initiate and manage such relationships.
Often the biggest challenge facing business developers is negotiating the terms of partnership deals. Getting another company interested in a partnership is just the beginning—drafting a contract and negotiating its terms is a process that can drag on for months.
Once both parties sign the contract, business development must work with other teams in a company (e.g., product management, marketing, and operations) to oversee the successful meeting of the terms of the partnership.

Strategic Planning

Some business development jobs aren't called that at all. Instead, they're called "strategic planning" or sometimes "corporate development." Strategic planning jobs are found mostly at large, established companies seeking to expand and diversify their business. Just like management consultants, strategic planners spend a lot of time thinking about top-level strategy issues such as what new business activities their company should pursue, how it should position itself and market those activities, and which technologies it should invest in.
At some companies, strategic planning may be carried out by the corporate finance department. In such cases, biz dev jobs may resemble investment banking functions such as mergers and acquisitions. For instance, if a company wants to acquire a new business unit, strategic planning may analyze the market to find a suitable business to acquire, determine an appropriate asking price for the company, and follow through with the negotiation process.
If the acquisition takes place, strategic planning may help integrate the two companies. This task may be as simple as processing a stack of paperwork or as complex as relocating and reorganizing the activities and personnel of the two companies.
Strategic planning may also involve institutional investment—that is, parceling out the company's money to fund outside startups. In this way, strategic planning can be a bit like working in the venture capital industry. For instance, when high-tech companies invest in high-tech startups, strategic planners may perform due diligence on potential partners, determine how much to invest in a particular venture, and negotiate a stake in a company.

Compensation                                                        

Compensation will vary depending on the industry in which you work, as well as the specific responsibilities, knowledge, and experience required in your job. Following are some sample salary ranges for biz dev functions in various industries:

• Biotech business development manager: $80,000 to $105,000
• Commercial loan business development officer: $40,000 to $70,000
• Business development associate: $40,000 to $90,000
• Business development director: $100,000 to $165,000