An ethylene manufacturer in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, chose the PureWave UPS system from S&C Electric Co. (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) to eliminate production interruptions caused by power outages.

Natural gas furnaces called “crackers” are used in the process of manufacturing ethylene. Within these crackers are fans and heating elements that control the temperature of the process. Power outages were stopping the fans, causing damage to the heating elements. One power outage caused thousands of dollars in lost production time and lost product.

The facility required an outdoor installation of a power protection system. It chose S&C's PureWave UPS system because it's the only whole-facility system that can be installed outdoors. In August 2002, two 500-kW units were installed — one rated 380 V, the other 690 V, 50 Hz. Applied with a backup generator, the PureWave UPS systems provide consistent, reliable power to the crackers, with 100% protection from the periodic power outages in the area. This reduced downtime has significantly improved productivity at the plant.
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