The concept of the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) can be attributed to multiple inventors and engineers who contributed to its development over time. It doesn’t have a single “father” figure, but rather evolved through the contributions of various individuals and companies.
One of the early pioneers in the development of UPS technology was Alan Charlesborn, who in 1934 received a patent for an “Apparatus for Maintaining an Electric Circuit.” His invention aimed to provide uninterrupted power to critical equipment in the event of a power failure.
In the 1950s and 1960s, further advancements were made by different engineers and companies. For example, Willard Rhodes and Neil H. Mackie were granted patents for improved battery and inverter systems for power backup during outages.
However, the modern UPS system that we are familiar with today, involving the combination of rectifiers, batteries, and inverters to provide continuous power, became more prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Harold McMaster, co-founder of MGE (now part of Schneider Electric), is often recognized as a key figure in the development of modern UPS technology. His company introduced the first commercial solid-state UPS system in the late 1960s.
Similarly, the American Power Conversion Corporation (APC) was founded by Neil Rasmussen and his partner in 1981. APC played a significant role in popularizing UPS systems and making them more accessible to businesses and consumers.
While there isn’t a single individual who can be definitively called the “father” of UPS, these inventors and innovators, along with their respective companies, played crucial roles in the evolution and development of UPS technology to its present form.
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