Suggested uses/projects for a 3000VA 208V UPS - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: requim
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 07:54:30 am
content: I purchased two separate lots of APC 3U rackmount 3000VA UPS's a few months ago and have been slowly selling them off. I started with six 120V UPS's and two 208V UPS's. I've managed to sell all the 120V variety but have had no luck with the 208V variety and don't expect conditions to improve.As a result I'm trying to figure out what to do with them. I've thought about just donating them to charity, dropping them off at the electronics recycler or stripping the units for parts. I figure there must be quite a few expensive and potentially useful parts I could scrounge off of them. I've opened up a few of the units and there are definitely massive transformers, heatsinks and other interesting things inside.I'm all ears (or in this case eyes) for any suggestions. I'd like to get some value out of them and if anyone has an interesting project idea I'd like to at least entertain it. Suggestions?

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 10:03:26 am
content: i hacked up two of the smaller APC BackUPS 300s and made a single isolation transformer.lots of useful, quality components on the boards that i've been slowly picking off as needed.-sj

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 10:20:38 am
content: I'd imagine a 3KVA UPS has enough copper in the transformer to be worth taking to a scrap dealer.Teardown photos would be good!

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 11:54:54 am
content: Are they a fixed 208V output, or is the output software configurable so it can be reconfigured to a more useful 240V?

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 01:41:31 pm
content: i have 2 nonworking UPS. my plan is to study the circuit and later build true sine wave (more expensive) inverter... if i have the time, if i have the guts.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 01:56:56 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on January 14, 2012, 10:20:38 am+1 , good suggestion.

author: requim
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 04:59:18 pm
content: Quote from: amspire on January 14, 2012, 11:54:54 amWell I was a little careless in my posting but I believe it's fixed. The input is 208V and the output is 208V and 120V. It seems in the US that 120V and 208V UPS's are the norm. 240V is harder to find here unless you're buying the uber expensive UPS's. This unit is a Smart-UPS which ran $1300 new. Here are the technical specs:http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=SU3000RMT3UIn addition I'm not sure how useful they'd be at 240V since it would be 240V @ 60Hz not 240V at @ 50Hz.edit: I stand corrected. It looks like the newer UPS's from APC do support variable output from around 200V - 240V. These units are 8-10 years old or so.

author: requim
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 05:03:15 pm
content: Quote from: sonicj on January 14, 2012, 10:03:26 amA good idea but I've already got a really nice variac isolation transformer that does 5 amps from 0V - 150V in 1V steps. Not sure I need anything beyond that. If you have any reasons why one with more capacity would be useful I'm all ears.

author: requim
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 05:04:28 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on January 14, 2012, 10:20:38 amI'll take some next time I'm at my storage unit.

author: requim
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 05:05:58 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on January 14, 2012, 01:41:31 pmI believe these already are true sine wave inverters.. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I posted a link to the specs earlier.

author: gxti
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2012, 05:56:46 pm
content: Yes, they're sine wave. 208 volts is common in server rooms since a 120 volt 3-phase (Y or star) yields 208 volts phase-to-phase (delta). That's what I have at work, in fact I just spent an hour yesterday trying to rewire a whip to work with a replacement UPS. The unit being replaced was old enough that they'd changed input connectors.