UPS-generator backup chain failure
Breakdown of the electrical backup chain, UPS then generator, that was supposed to absorb a grid outage without any service interruption.
UPS-generator backup chain failure is a breakdown of the electrical backup meant to absorb a grid outage without any service interruption. The UPS carries the load while the generators start, and the generators then take over for an extended period. A failure at any link (degraded UPS batteries, a faulty control module, a generator that won't start, a poorly synchronized transfer) turns a grid outage that would normally go unnoticed into a complete systems shutdown. The risk is insidious because the backup chain rarely runs under real conditions. Most tests are run unloaded or only partially, so a latent defect can stay hidden for years and surface at the worst moment, during an actual grid outage. For insurers, the frequency and realism of switchover testing become the measure of the risk. A site tested only through simulation is statistically more exposed than one that undergoes regular full-load tests.
In August 2016, an electrical control module failed at a Delta Air Lines data center in Atlanta and prevented a proper switchover to backup generators. Thousands of flights were canceled over several days, at an estimated cost of roughly $150 million.
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