Inverters - converting Direct Curent (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) power
Inverters convert direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC).
Here's how they work:
Input Stage: The inverter receives DC power from a source, such as a battery or solar panel.
Oscillator Circuit: This circuit creates a high-frequency square wave, which is used to control the switching devices.
Switching Devices: Transistors or MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) act as switches, rapidly turning the DC power on and off to create a pulsating DC waveform.
Transformer: The pulsating DC waveform is fed into a transformer, which steps up or steps down the voltage to the desired level.
Output Stage: The transformer output is filtered to remove the high-frequency components, resulting in a clean AC waveform.
Inverters come in different types, including:
Square Wave Inverters: Produce a simple square wave output, but they are less efficient and can cause issues with sensitive electronics.
Modified Sine Wave Inverters: Produce a stepped waveform that approximates a sine wave, suitable for most household appliances.
Pure Sine Wave Inverters: Produce a smooth sine wave output, similar to the electricity from the grid, ideal for sensitive electronics and medical devices.
More background on Wikipedia: Inverters
Power Storage - DC Batteries
