Rectifier/charger - UPS component that draws on the mains the power required to supply the inverter and to float charge or recharge the battery. The alternating input current is rectified and then distributed to the inverter and the battery.
Inverter (on-line) - UPS configuration in which the inverter is in series mounted between the mains and the load. All power drawn by the load passes via the inverter. This is the only configuration used for high outputs.
Cell - The basic electrochemical unit used to generate or store electrical energy.
Electrolyte - The medium which provides the ion transport mechanism between the positive and negative electrodes of a cell.
COS phi - A measure of the phase shift between the current wave and the voltage wave observed at the terminals of a load supplied with AC power at a given frequency.
Load (linear) - Load for which voltage form and current form are similar. Voltage and current are related by Ohm's law U(t) = Z x I(t).
Short-Circuit Current (SCC) - The initial value of the current obtained from a battery in a circuit of negligible resistance.
