When you're
shopping for a pure sine wave inverter in Australia or even when reading user's manual,
you will often encounter certain technical terminologies that are related to
the equipment you want to buy or use. Knowing what these key terms mean can be a
huge help when determining and understanding the type of inverter you want to
purchase and/or use.
Technical and Electrical Terms Related to Inverter Use
The grid
When you say
"the grid," it basically refers to the utility grid or the public
power distribution system. If you're located on the grid, it means you have
access to available and usable household electricity. On the other hand,
"off the grid" means you are in a location that is not connected to
the power system in any way, like when you are in the middle of the ocean or in
the Outback.
AC/DC
electricity
There are two
ways in which electricity flows: either in alternating current (AC) or direct
current (DC). AC reverses its direction while flowing in a circuit, while DC
flows only in one direction in the circuit. The type of electricity supplied by
the grid and used to operate most electrical appliances is AC, while the
electricity supplied by car batteries, PV solar panels, and other alternative
sources is DC. A 24v or 12v pure sine wave inverter converts DC to AC to make it usable for standard
household appliances.
Load
Load refers
to any electrical equipment or appliance that draws power such as the TV,
radio, washer, coffee maker, refrigerator, etc.
Input voltage
The amount of
electricity needed to power up the inverter. It helps you determine which type
of inverter you should get for your vehicle. If your car uses 12v battery, then
you should get a 12v inverter. On the other hand, if you drive a truck or any
larger vehicle that uses 24v battery, you should buy a 24v pure sine wave inverter.
Output waveform
Output
waveform refers to the shape of the wave that AC makes as it exits the inverter
and its voltages rises and falls with time. The grid produces sine wave output
waveform, which looks like rolling waves on water. This is similar to the AC
power converted by pure sine wave inverters. On the other hand, modified sine
wave inverters produce a square output waveform.
When buying power inverters, it is always advisable
to choose an inverter that produces an output waveform similar to the one generated
by the grid. This is to ensure maximum efficiency and to avoid compatibility
issues.
