I live in a country where continuous power supply from utility is extreme luxury and outage is very normal, in fact, its a 'Social Norm' ( I will explain later) .Usually we have 5-10 hrs of power outage which can happen any time of day, for any length. The problem is not limited to outage but voltage fluctuation as well. This situation has been since even before i was born (Im 40 now).

Recently, I have installed 4 wireless CCTV cameras in my newly completed home. The cameras use wifi to monitor/control and runs on 5v 1 amp power (YI INDOOR CAMERA). My ADSL router is a legacy device which runs on 12V like other routers. Surprisingly, during outage even for extended period there is still ADSL connection and we are able to make and receive calls. So if i can supply 12 v power to the device, i'm good to go.

So hopefully by now you may have insight about my concerns. I'm not waiting for the situation to improve but start acting to be energy independent, There is more on this but i want to stick to my issue for now. Below are some Q&As run wild in my mind;

Q. How do i power my CCTVs and ADSL Router during outage ?
A: Buy power backup or UPS ?
Problem: They are design for PC during momentary power outage.

Q: Why cant i use a normal Power Banks to power them which are widely available in my area?
A: Yes i can but i need to plug it to device manually once outage starts.
Problem: They dont allow charging and discharging process simultaneously!

Q: Where can i find the mini UPS which is specially designed for smaller 5v devices?
A: There are thousands of brands are available online i.e, on Amazon, AliExpress, eBay.
Problem: They dont ship to my address (to a Land Locked country) because of regulation concerning li-ion battery shipment thru air cargo.

Lastly, i can Install a Solar backup solution for this but it is a part of my strategy to be energy independent and go off grid completely by the end of 2019 (Thanks to Elon Musk for inspiration). So installing a small package will be just waste of money. We have few rechargeable torch and lantern for lighting during outage. So till my goal is achieved , i want to focus on those 5 critical devices for my home security.

Let me summarize my real concern and few Questions below;
How can i convert a power bank to mini UPS ? so that it is plugged to the power outlet to one end and other end to the device all the time?

I can see few circuits are available as li ion battery charge controller but this requires disassembling the power bank and is not a reliable method.

During my frantic search online, i can see very good such devices are available in Amazon UK/US (TalentCell) India (Resonate) and numerus brands in AliExpress.

My grievances are not with IATA regulation banning Li-ion batteries shipment thru air cargo but with the manufacture of those devices. How on earth those UPS are available in those countries but not in our part of the world? Power outage is extremely rare issue in those countries. Why they dont collaborate with local distributors to make their item available in our local market? The device will be instant hit in our part of the world.

On the other hand, Almost all of our smart phones can be used while it is being charge, that means; the whole UPS system or pass thru charge method are packed all inside a tiny circuit of phone. Also my office laptop Lenovo T440p is being plugged in to power wall 24/7 for last 3 and half years while being used almost 20hrs a day without any hitch (I work in a Middle eastern country, All my issues are related only for my home country). So why this problem is limited to Power Banks? why manufacturer cant use those method with their product by default?

People like me, The numbers are growing day by day in our country. This brings the above reference of 'Social Norm' here; For years, many good income households installed home inverters with Lead Acid/Gel batteries pack as big as they can afford to coup with never ending outage. The situation was like having a ferrari car. Those people would show off their 'Social Status' by lighting the whole house during the outage powered by inverter. But that situation is fading away as the Lead Acid/Gel batteries requires constant maintenance and are not so reliable. People are tired changing the battery pack almost every year. Many are turning to solar but with the same type of battery packs. this is where i want to stand out and help others to go completely off grid by using li-ion battery pack and creating my own "Tesla" Power Wall.

 

I live in a country where continuous power supply from utility is extreme luxury and outage is very normal, in fact, its a 'Social Norm' ( I will explain later) .Usually we have 5-10 hrs of power outage which can happen any time of day, for any length. The problem is not limited to outage but voltage fluctuation as well. This situation has been since even before i was born (Im 40 now).

Recently, I have installed 4 wireless CCTV cameras in my newly completed home. The cameras use wifi to monitor/control and runs on 5v 1 amp power (YI INDOOR CAMERA). My ADSL router is a legacy device which runs on 12V like other routers. Surprisingly, during outage even for extended period there is still ADSL connection and we are able to make and receive calls. So if i can supply 12 v power to the device, i'm good to go.

So hopefully by now you may have insight about my concerns. I'm not waiting for the situation to improve but start acting to be energy independent, There is more on this but i want to stick to my issue for now. Below are some Q&As run wild in my mind;

Q. How do i power my CCTVs and ADSL Router during outage ?
A: Buy power backup or UPS ?
Problem: They are design for PC during momentary power outage.

Q: Why cant i use a normal Power Banks to power them which are widely available in my area?
A: Yes i can but i need to plug it to device manually once outage starts.
Problem: They dont allow charging and discharging process simultaneously!

Q: Where can i find the mini UPS which is specially designed for smaller 5v devices?
A: There are thousands of brands are available online i.e, on Amazon, AliExpress, eBay.
Problem: They dont ship to my address (to a Land Locked country) because of regulation concerning li-ion battery shipment thru air cargo.

Lastly, i can Install a Solar backup solution for this but it is a part of my strategy to be energy independent and go off grid completely by the end of 2019 (Thanks to Elon Musk for inspiration). So installing a small package will be just waste of money. We have few rechargeable torch and lantern for lighting during outage. So till my goal is achieved , i want to focus on those 5 critical devices for my home security.

Let me summarize my real concern and few Questions below;
How can i convert a power bank to mini UPS ? so that it is plugged to the power outlet to one end and other end to the device all the time?

I can see few circuits are available as li ion battery charge controller but this requires disassembling the power bank and is not a reliable method.

During my frantic search online, i can see very good such devices are available in Amazon UK/US (TalentCell) India (Resonate) and numerus brands in AliExpress.

My grievances are not with IATA regulation banning Li-ion batteries shipment thru air cargo but with the manufacture of those devices. How on earth those UPS are available in those countries but not in our part of the world? Power outage is extremely rare issue in those countries. Why they dont collaborate with local distributors to make their item available in our local market? The device will be instant hit in our part of the world.

On the other hand, Almost all of our smart phones can be used while it is being charge, that means; the whole UPS system or pass thru charge method are packed all inside a tiny circuit of phone. Also my office laptop Lenovo T440p is being plugged in to power wall 24/7 for last 3 and half years while being used almost 20hrs a day without any hitch (I work in a Middle eastern country, All my issues are related only for my home country). So why this problem is limited to Power Banks? why manufacturer cant use those method with their product by default?

People like me, The numbers are growing day by day in our country. This brings the above reference of 'Social Norm' here; For years, many good income households installed home inverters with Lead Acid/Gel batteries pack as big as they can afford to coup with never ending outage. The situation was like having a ferrari car. Those people would show off their 'Social Status' by lighting the whole house during the outage powered by inverter. But that situation is fading away as the Lead Acid/Gel batteries requires constant maintenance and are not so reliable. People are tired changing the battery pack almost every year. Many are turning to solar but with the same type of battery packs. this is where i want to stand out and help others to go completely off grid by using li-ion battery pack and creating my own "Tesla" Power Wall.

Based on your post – I would think your ‘best’ solution is to have all the system critical components powered via a UPS.

You state that there is a problem that they are design for PC during momentary power outage. How long a UPS will operate depends on the load and the battery capacity. So you need to know what the power draw of the equipment you want to run during the power outage is, and the maximum power outage period you want the system to operate.

If you are only powering a DVR, 4 wireless cctv cameras and a router – I would estimate the total power draw to be less than 100W.

If we consider that the UPS is operating from a 12V battery, with a capacity of 28Ah, it could power the 100W load for at least 2 hours allowing for losses within the UPS – so if you want the system to cope with a 10 hour power outage you will need a battery capacity of at least 100Ah (two car batteries).

You are unlikely to find a solution using power bank devices to maintain the power – unless they have the combined capacity equivalent to two car batteries.

 

There is at least one powerbank that can be charged while supplying power at two voltages. I've been using one for several years now. It has three DC-DC converters; one has a fixed 5V USB output; one has a selectable output from 5V to 19V and the charging input accepts 9V-24V. The battery capacity is 60Wh and can be doubled with an add-on pack.

https://www.powerstream.com/PST-MP3500.htm

 

Based on your post – I would think your ‘best’ solution is to have all the system critical components powered via a UPS.

You state that there is a problem that they are design for PC during momentary power outage. How long a UPS will operate depends on the load and the battery capacity. So you need to know what the power draw of the equipment you want to run during the power outage is, and the maximum power outage period you want the system to operate.

If you are only powering a DVR, 4 wireless cctv cameras and a router – I would estimate the total power draw to be less than 100W.

If we consider that the UPS is operating from a 12V battery, with a capacity of 28Ah, it could power the 100W load for at least 2 hours allowing for losses within the UPS – so if you want the system to cope with a 10 hour power outage you will need a battery capacity of at least 100Ah (two car batteries).

You are unlikely to find a solution using power bank devices to maintain the power – unless they have the combined capacity equivalent to two car batteries.

Thank you Hymie, appreciate your suggestions. I guess, due to my extremely long post the few things are misunderstood here.
The UPS I was talking is to explore that option but as I mentioned that is not a permanent solution. Because they hardly last few min to an hr.
The power outage is unpredictable and some time can go upto 10 hrs.
My wifi security cam doesntd not need DVR it records alert footage directly on SD card which is attached into cam.
Here is my plan;
I will buy 5 power banks (at least 12000 mah capacity) and will connect them to each devices (4 with cams and 1 with router) . And here is the power consumption break down;
Router : 12V ×1 A
Cams : (5V × 1A) × 4
I'm sure even 80Amh back up will sustain those devices for extended period of power outage.
Considering above power ratings of those devices, Why this is not possible to power them with power banks ?
Why a laptop or smart phones can be used while they are being charged but this is not possible with power banks? Almost all modern devices use lithium ion batteries. But why the pass thru method is issue with power banks ?
If the battery health was an issue then how long my office laptop (which is plugged in for last 3 and half yr) battery should remain healthy to convince PB manufacturer?
What is the single most pressing issue to design such circuit and build such power bank ?
Thanks

 

Many powerbanks allow simultaneous charging and supplying. You may have to look around a bit further. You don't need to reinvent the wheel....

 

Router : 12V ×1 A
Cams : (5V × 1A) × 4
I'm sure even 80Amh back up will sustain those devices for extended period of power outage.

For 10 hours of running time the router will require:
12V x 1A x 10Hr = 120 watt-hours of energy,
and the cams will require:
5V x 1A x 4 x 10 = 200 watt-hours of energy.

A power bank with 12,000 mAh hour of (current) capacity tells you nothing about how long it will run unless you also know the battery voltage so you can calculate the watt-hour rating.

 

There are hours long blackouts every now and then and shorter ones frequently where I live. The best solutions I have seen were uninterruptable power supplies for the computers or a laptop with its own battery. I have been in many blackouts whine running on a battery powered MacBook and was able to keep going as long as I wanted.

A neighbor has a gasoline powered generator that is enough to run his entertainment devices and one air conditioner. I think the back up generator is the best all-around solution, just be careful to not annoy the neighbors with the noise.

 

There are hours long blackouts every now and then and shorter ones frequently where I live. The best solutions I have seen were uninterruptable power supplies for the computers or a laptop with its own battery. I have been in many blackouts whine running on a battery powered MacBook and was able to keep going as long as I wanted.

A neighbor has a gasoline powered generator that is enough to run his entertainment devices and one air conditioner. I think the back up generator is the best all-around solution, just be careful to not annoy the neighbors with the noise.

Thank you, But did you read this line sir ?
"On the other hand, Almost all of our smart phones can be used while it is being charge, that means; the whole UPS system or pass thru charge method are packed all inside a tiny circuit of phone. Also my office laptop Lenovo T440p is being plugged in to power wall 24/7 for last 3 and half years while being used almost 20hrs a day without any hitch (I work in a Middle eastern country, All my issues are related only for my home country). So why this problem is limited to Power Banks? why manufacturer cant use those method with their product by default?"

If the battery health was an issue then how long my office laptop (which is plugged in for last 3 and half yr) battery should remain healthy to convince PB manufacturer?
What is the single most pressing issue to design such circuit and build such power bank ?
Thanks

 

Thank you, But did you read this line sir ?
"On the other hand, Almost all of our smart phones can be used while it is being charge, that means; the whole UPS system or pass thru charge method are packed all inside a tiny circuit of phone. Also my office laptop Lenovo T440p is being plugged in to power wall 24/7 for last 3 and half years while being used almost 20hrs a day without any hitch (I work in a Middle eastern country, All my issues are related only for my home country). So why this problem is limited to Power Banks? why manufacturer cant use those method with their product by default?"

If the battery health was an issue then how long my office laptop (which is plugged in for last 3 and half yr) battery should remain healthy to convince PB manufacturer?
What is the single most pressing issue to design such circuit and build such power bank ?
Thanks

The reason both your mobile phone and laptop can be charged while being used as that it is expected that these items will need to run on battery power only (at certain times). Whereas most people do not require their router, DVR or wireless DVR cameras to operate without a mains supply.

Manufacturers could quite easily incorporate battery power back-up within such equipment – but it would probably double the cost, for a feature few would use or find useful. And those wanting to power them without a mains supply could opt to use a UPS.

 

For 10 hours of running time the router will require:
12V x 1A x 10Hr = 120 watt-hours of energy,
and the cams will require:
5V x 1A x 4 x 10 = 200 watt-hours of energy.

A power bank with 12,000 mAh hour of (current) capacity tells you nothing about how long it will run unless you also know the battery voltage so you can calculate the watt-hour rating.

If we assume 10 hrs of continuous outage your calculation is correct. The outage is on and off like; 5 hrs of continuous power and an hr of outage then few min of power then few hrs of outage. On average , we have 5-6 hrs of outage. This is why i assumed that a 12000 mah of power bank would be sufficient to power a device as when the power returns, it would top up the power banks.

 

This is why i assumed that a 12000 mah of power bank

And I repeat.
You can't know how long a 12,000mAh battery will run you equipment unless you know the battery voltage so you can calculate the power.
mAh is current, not power.

 

444 watt -hours of energy. maybe but there be loses

 

I think he described in the very first post that he wanted to use a 12V powerbank because his router needs 12V and he referred to it as a "normal" powerbank.
I suspect that people in his country are using 'normal' 12V portable car jump start powerbanks to overcome regular power outages. Good idea I think!
However, since they are designed to start a car (presumably away from a mains power source), there is abolutely no point in have an overcurrent input protection circuit to allow them to be charged while being used.....
In any case, 12V x 12Ah = 144Wh (at 100% discharge) which is considerably less than the 320Wh the OP is hoping to achieve.
I concur that a simple 12V 60AH UPS = 360Wh at <50% discharge is the obvious solution, rather than reinventing a UPS or 'charge-through' PB...

 

It's not a good idea and there is no 12 v power bank there 3.7 volt and you arrange them to get what you need.
So there is lost

He be better off getting gel cel 12 volt so as to not waste power with inverter

These power bricks are wast of money My kids got 20 laying around they run thew there

Rechargeable Cycles: 500

really fast LOL

 

All that DC-AC-DC conversion means losses and extra expenses. Try to avoid it if possible. If you are willing to spend a little, get a 1 kWH SLAB like this or something similar. So let's say your appliances draw 40 watts (with conversion losses). 900WH/40W = 22.5 hours. That will last you about a day with no power. If you want something more economical, you can always get a lower capacity one that is cheaper.