Off Topic - Inverter Generators
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Soundguy
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most 'generators' ( alternators ) are making ac ... pretty much the same way your car makes it.. pretty much same principle of ac generation the way the power company makes it. spinny parts and magnetic fields.
now 2 stage that and throw a battery and thus dc right in the middle.. charge battery, then use inverter to make ac.
get some benefits like stand by ac that, when load is low, can have the ac sourc 'trickle' and the engine not run lock step rpm to make a certain rpm/hertz... the electronics in the inverter side handle making the correct freq. etc.
there's more to it than that.. but that's the verbal 'block diagram' of it.
soundguy
now 2 stage that and throw a battery and thus dc right in the middle.. charge battery, then use inverter to make ac.
get some benefits like stand by ac that, when load is low, can have the ac sourc 'trickle' and the engine not run lock step rpm to make a certain rpm/hertz... the electronics in the inverter side handle making the correct freq. etc.
there's more to it than that.. but that's the verbal 'block diagram' of it.
soundguy
Last edited:
Redneck in training
Elite Member
That is exactly the case. But not all inverters are created equal. Some generate square wave, the better one generate modified sine wave and the best generate pure sine wave. Devices with transformers are, in general, sensitive to symmetry of the wave as the asymmetrical wave could burn the winding. Most switched power supplies such as in computers don't care much.
Soundguy
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yep.. switchers look at a segment.. and are pretty immune. as for xformers caring. kkeep in mind the inductance of the primary will actually help witht hat wave form 'some'.
ferr0-ressonant supplies practically hate low resoloution inverters.
soundguy
ferr0-ressonant supplies practically hate low resoloution inverters.
soundguy
Craig Clayton
Platinum Member
To sixdogs
Yes for around the house. If the name plate states 120 Vac 60 Hz and is the 15 amp u ground receptacle you should be good to go. All the above mentioned explainations are correct.
Craig Clayton
Yes for around the house. If the name plate states 120 Vac 60 Hz and is the 15 amp u ground receptacle you should be good to go. All the above mentioned explainations are correct.
Craig Clayton
Travelover
Elite Member
This is a pretty good video on the subject.
Inside an Inverter Generator, Car Alternator, AC - YouTube
Inside an Inverter Generator, Car Alternator, AC - YouTube
sixdogs
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Thanks. I have a bigger 10,000-12,000 for power outages but at times want something small and light outside. Costco has an inverter generator at times that seems to be a good deal.
Soundguy
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heck a car bat and a plain inverter has made it thru a few hurricanes for me, when power was out a day or less..
soundguy
soundguy
Mickey_Fx
Veteran Member
What a mess the link is. Talk about moving pictures.
Not claiming to be an expert on this subject, inverter generators, but I do own a small one. Power is produces in 3 stages. 1st is variable freq HV AC. 2nd stage, the AC is turned into DC, still at somewhat high voltage. 3rd stage the DC is turned into controlled 60Hz (or 50Hz) 120V (depend upon which country generator is intended for) power.
As for waveform, I'm not so sure here. Suspect better made design produce sine wave. Possibly lower cost design produce a modified sq wave.
Seem to recall the 1st stage on my genset is up around 200 volts. Swapping higher voltage for current the design can get by with smaller ga wiring on the generator side of the operation.
It's this multistage power generation that permits the engine speed to vary and only needs to turn fast enough to satisfy load needs.
