Do you need an inverter

Having gone through the load estimation in the previous posts, I want to continue with the alternatives.
I start with an indepth treament of the Power Inverter and will be showcasing available product types

What is an inverter?
An inverter is a device that takes the power from your DC battery source and through certain electronic circuitsconverts it to household AC electricity providing you the power to run appliances such as televisions, lights, computers, and power tools wherever you may be. Simply, an inverterboosts your 12/24/48 volt battery power to 110/240 AC power.

Mode of operation
An inverter boosts your DC power 10 to 20 times by switching the power to create pulses of electricity in AC. This switching process is generally done by high frequency electronic components called power mosfets.
There are two forms of electric wave output generated by an inverter, pure or true sine wave and modified sine wave viz PureSine and Modified sine wave

Pure Sine wave is the same as the power you have in your home. It is very clean and is the best for performance.This smooth pure sine wave is most efficient. Therefore, appliances such as TVs, computers and stereos run cleaner and easier. Also, Pure Sine wave generates less heat than other waveforms.


Modified Sine wave output tries to imitate pure sine waves but comes up a little short. Nevertheless, modified sine wave inverters have their advantages which include ability to run appliances and equipment such as power tools, non-digital microwave oven, lights, and other motor driven loads.

The main demerit to modified sine wave output is slight interference. This interference can be seen on some televisions and computers. It will not cause any damage, but can be a little annoying.However modified sine wave inverters will run most appliances, and are very affordable.

What determines my choice?
Your load. If you want to run a 800-watt machine, a 250-watt inverter will not do the job. When choosing an inverter determine what you want to run and then get the inverter that delivers the appropriate power you need. Most appliances have their power rating printed on them or their packaging. A simple equation to help determine the power you need is as follows:
Volts (110/230) x Amps = Wattage

Will it run my batteries dead?
Running an inverter certainly takes power from your batteries, Once your battery drops to certain point the inverter should give an alarm to let the user know battery power is getting low. If the inverter continues to operate, drawing more power, some designs will turn itself off to ensure you have enough power in your battery . It is important to note that to get the best performance from an inverter a good battery source is needed.

For more details, contact me
POWER SYSTEMS ENGINEER
ojoadebiyi@gmail.com
2348053622442