How Does a Power Inverter Work?

To the uninitiated power inverters can seem a little confusing.

Once you understand that basics, they in fact couldn't be simpler to operate.

But you still might be wondering exactly how a power inverter works, so we've put together this short guide to walk you through everything you need to know about how power inverters work. 

Thomas Edison is one of the pioneers in the field of electricity in America, with his inventions and discoveries becoming popular in latter part of the 19th century. His is most popular for insisting on DC, or Direct Current as the better way to supply electricity rather than AC.

Alternating Current. The latter was supported by one of his stiffest rivals, Nikola Tesla. Edison pulled out all the stops just to prove that AC current was dangerous, and proved so by electrocuting an elephant, and even the use of such current in the implementation of the electric chair as a death penalty. Despite that, it was Tesla’s AC system that won, and to date, it still is the primary method through which electricity is supplied to homes.

Indeed, most of today's gadgets are powered with AC. Small-scale power generators, however, can produce DC. This means that you would need a device to be able to convert the current from DC to AC, and vice versa. This is device is called an inverter and has proven to be so effective and useful in today's world. With that said, let's go deeper into the details as to how these gadgets work.

Direct Current is the one which is usually explained first whenever we talk about DC and AC in the Academic Realm, due to how simple the explanation is. It's described as a flow of electrons. These electrons then behave like ants which walk along with packets that contain electrical energy, the same way through which ants carry with them leaves or even food.

This type of comparison is similar to a basic flashlight, where circuits that link a lamp, battery, and switch enable the transportation of electrical energy, from the voltage source, which is the battery, to the output, which is the lamp, until all of the energy stored in the battery has been used up.

Most household appliances, however, work in a much more complicated manner. The power supply, which is usually sockets in your wall is based on AC. The electricity switches regarding direction at a rate of 50 to 60 times per second, which is the frequency.

The frequency rate is measured in Hertz, and the usual rate is therefore 50 – 60 Hz. It can be difficult to wrap your head around AC connections, given that the energy delivery isn't steady or constant, but rather, always changes direction. So how then, will this be able to power up devices?

Now let’s have a look at the basics there are to power inverters in more specific details.

In simpler terms, converting a DC-giving battery to be able to provide an AC would mean placing some form of switch straight out the output lead to easily switch the current off and then on again at a fast yet steady rate. This would enable direct current to come in pulses, at least. If you wanted to want to take things up a notch and convert it the real way, you would need a real switch that would be able to reverse current for around 50 to 60 times a second.

Mechanical inverters back in the day work this way, where a switch that lets you do such a job will be connected to a transformer of some sort. Essentially, they do this through electromagnetics, where low-voltage to high-voltage AC conversions are made possible through electromagnetic devices, which are primarily two wire coils which share a common iron core.

These mechanical inverters make use of an electric motor that allows current to be flipped back and forth, which is somewhat like an electric doorbell. The power then gets connected, the switch gets magnetized, and then for a very brief amount of time, the switch gets pulled open and then switched off.

The spring then pulls the switch back into position, turning it on. This then gets repeated, again and again.

Inverters are easy to install. For small devices, all that has to be done is to "plug and play," especially for those that are of low wattage. These inverters are equipped with a plug which fits the plug that’s dedicated to the cigarette lighter. No mounting is usually needed for smaller devices, as they are made to be carried from one place to another.

An inverter that allows for higher wattages would entail installation, specifically for those that are designed to handle more than 400 watts. This is because, for devices with higher watt ratings, a more direct connection would be necessary. The input cables of inverters have clips that are attachable to battery terminals, where the inverter can still be mounted in any place where good air flow to the device can be guaranteed.

This is because high-power inverters would emit a lot of heat, and a well-ventilated area is necessary to prevent overheating from taking place. As a matter of fact, even larger inverters have holes that are dedicated for bolting it to a surface.

Larger inverters may require you to have your converter bolted in place, though it may not be necessary at times. You can just place it somewhere where there is a stable, and secure position for you to securely clip the inverter's leads to the battery, and plug the devices you want to be used in.

Inverters are fairly common, and you might have encountered them without knowing that they are. The smallest ones can fit in your pocket, and some of them, those with a higher wattage are as big as a dictionary. Basically, the higher the wattage rating, then the heavier and larger the inverter is. Some of the biggest ones for home use can weigh 30 pounds, and have a length of as much as two feet.

For ease of use, a lot of modern inverters are equipped with various safety features. Some of these include an alarm system that goes off whenever the battery voltage becomes too low for the device to function properly. While it makes things more convenient, knowing battery levels are also extremely crucial in the operation of certain devices, especially those who are sensitive to the flow of electricity.

Some of these inverters, apart from having alarms, also have automatic shut-off capabilities as well, which can prevent the device from exploding in times of overheating or overloading, which is often the cause of fires.

Some inverters can also shut down when wet, or when a metallic piece will fall into the chassis. Also, to not electrocute owners, short-circuit shut-off features can also come in handy.