The number of electrical and electronic devices that are required daily is constantly increasing. Suffice it to recall some of the most common: a razor, a smartphone, a laptop, a camera.
Some of them have built-in small batteries and can be charged with low voltage current. For them, the manufacturer typically has a charger that operates from the connector of the automotive cigarette lighter. However, there are also those that can only work from the home network because the battery is consuming enough current. Such devices are, for example, most of the laptops.
In addition, many appliances that may be needed on a long journey can only work from a residential network with variable voltage of 220 volts and a frequency of 50 hertz.
An inverter connected to the onboard network is essentially an electrical outlet in the car
Rigid electrical requirements are usually caused by electrical components such as pumps or compressors, which simply cannot operate with poor quality electricity and are quickly failing. Therefore, to connect to the onboard network of a car, they require an instrument which not only converts 12 volts in 220, but also produces a current corresponding to a number of parameters.
What is an inverter and what does it use?
The onboard network of the car runs a constant current of 12 volts. The inverter connected to the onboard network is, in fact, an opportunity to have a typical electrical outlet in the car, which can include appliances and tools: computers, battery chargers, microwave, refrigerators, etc.
The inverters should be selected depending on which instruments will be used with them
There is virtually no restriction on the use of technology, but it is always necessary to imagine how much the instrument consumes to use inverter, calculated for such consumption, because in a low-power inverter, for example, it is impossible to include a refrigerator-it simply burns the fuses.
Classification of Inverters by Power of Consumers and Type of On-board Connection
The correct choice of inverter depends not only on its long and uninterrupted operation, but also on the safety of the car network. The inverters should be selected depending on which instruments will be used with them. The information on average and peak power consumption (peak consumption is the maximum power that can be used by an instrument, generally supplied by an electric motor or other component requiring launch) is contained in the user manual, in the "Basic Technical Specifications" section. According to these parameters, an inverter should be selected.
If the user's manual says that the peak power is 500 watts at an average power of 300 watts, then you must buy an inverter by 1 kW, with a stock. On the one hand, the device will be guaranteed to be launched and operated, on the other hand, using the inverter, you will operate within the safety framework.
There are two main directions for the classification of inverters-at the aggregate power of the connected consumers (200 V, 1 kW and so on), and by type of connection-to the connector of the cigarette lighter or directly to the terminals of the battery by means of special power cables fitted with clamps. These two parameters are connected directly-invertors with output capacity up to 200 watt are connected to the cigarette lighter, more powerful-to the terminals of the battery. This division is caused by the wires that lead to the cigarette lighter, are not designed for high consumption, and if the electrical outlet has a high power inverter, it will start to warm, and if the fuse does not work in time, it can be heated.
How to properly install and use the inverter
The use of low-power inverters that attach to the prinkler receptacle is not required. The temperature range in which they can operate-from -15 to +50 degrees in conditions of normal humidity. Do not leave the working instrument under direct sunlight. It is also not recommended to hide it in boxes and under the seats, as the inverter is warming and the heat, so as to avoid disconnecting, shall be free from the body circulating in the air.
In principle, the same requirements apply to the more powerful inverters connected to the battery terminals. There are also specific important requirements: you can't turn on the ignition of the car and start the engine if the inverter is connected to a non-rechargeable battery to which the vehicle's wiring terminals are connected.
In principle, the inverter is equipped with protection from most non-state situations. For example, when the current falls at the input voltage less than 11 volts on the inverter, the alarm is activated, and if the voltage drop becomes critical, a sound signal can be given. Protection from overheating as well as short circuit protection.
What devices can be attached to the inverter and what limitations exist
Most of the appliances, especially electronic appliances, are not demanding as a "quality" of electric shocks in the network and do not have peak load regimes. However, the audio equipment, for example, works well from home electric power and can work badly if you connect it to an inverter.
The case is here in one of the parameters of the current at the outlet from the inverter, which is called sinusoids. Not going into the technical details, you can say that in the household grid, this synopoid is reference. However, most of the inverters in the market are not able to deliver current with the ideal sinusoid. If this parameter is comparable to the domestic network, the device will be very expensive. Most of the inverters have a modified sinusoide, which means that the audio of the speakers of the audio system, for example, may have extraneous noises, so-called leads.
Do not like modified sinusoid pumps of some types and a number of components. However, the vast majority of the devices are not affected by the form of sinusoids. In general, all restrictions are described in the Inverter Operator's Guide.
So, to pick up a suitable inverter, you have to do simple calculations. It is necessary to count the total consumption of all the instruments you intend to include. At the same time, if electrical devices have a peak load parameter, it is necessary to buy an inverter, taking into account this parameter. In addition, it is necessary to include a certain reserve in the calculation, as the documented peak, for example, of the refrigerator at the time the compressor is started, may differ from that claimed. In case of proper calculation of consumption, the device is guaranteed to "pull" everything you include in it.
It remains to be noted only when the battery is running without charging. The best way to do this is by example. A 2 kW portable inverter is capable of providing a long-solid, calculated consumption of 800 watts for approximately 2 hours from a 60 amper-hour battery, provided that the battery is in the normal operating condition. At the end of this time, a replacement additional battery must be available.
