Have you ever wondered what is an inverter? and how does an inverter work? If you did and want to know more you’re at the right place. In this blog, we will clear all your doubts. How does our load run when there are power cuts? How does an inverter charge batteries? What happens when batteries are charged?
Power cuts can be very annoying and can disrupt our day-to-day activities. Inverters on the other hand can be such a relief and getting to know them can perhaps help us make our pockets a little less light! On this note, let’s get on with the blog!!
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What is an Inverter?
Inverters are electronic devices that convert AC power to DC power and vice versa. AC power is the power that comes from power stations. This power we use at our houses to run appliances. An inverter comes into the picture when we are not able to receive enough electricity from the power stations.
Receiving no electricity or experiencing power cuts can be bothersome, and we need some backup to store electricity so that we can use it in times of need! This is where an inverter comes to our rescue!
How does an Inverter help during Power cuts?
Well! an inverter essentially does not store electricity. For that we need batteries. Inverters help to store the AC power coming from power stations into batteries by converting it into DC power. You may ask why the conversion is required. Well! batteries can only get charged by DC power. This store DC power in the batteries now needs to be converted back to AC, which is also done by inverters.
This is because the appliances at our homes need AC power to run. Let’s say an inverter is a medium between mains supply and batteries that helps to store electricity in batteries and also extracts that stored electricity to run our load in case of power cuts!
Also Read: Convert Your Existing Inverter & Battery Into Solar Inverter & Battery
What does an Inverter do when Mains Electricity is available?
Interestingly, the role of an inverter is not limited to when we experience power cuts. The inverter installed at your home works all the time. When a continuous power supply from mains is available, your inverter bypasses itself and runs all your appliances by this AC power and also charges your batteries.
Now when the batteries are fully charged, the inverter stops giving charge to the batteries and simply runs your load on bypass mode. Then again the batteries have a tendency to get slowly discharged when not in use. Well! an inverter has a solution for that too!
At regular intervals of time, through a process called trickle charging, an inverter gives pulses of current into the battery to keep it fully charged at all times! Simply amazing!
What happens when Inverter switches to Back-Up Mode?
At the time of power cut, your inverter would switch itself from mains mode to back up mode. In backup mode, your inverter extracts the stored charge from the batteries and runs your appliances.
During this switching, the running load would stop for a few seconds, and then restart on backup mode. In inverters, this change over time is quite large! For example: imagine if you are working on laptops or PCs and the electricity suddenly goes off all of your work can get lost!
What is the solution?
Have you heard of a UPS? UPS means Uninterrupted Power Supply. A UPS works exactly like an inverter. The only difference is that when a UPS switches from mains mode to backup mode it takes no time at all. This change over time is literally in milliseconds.
Now you won’t even feel the difference when the electricity goes off, doesn’t this make life easier?
Do we hope that we’ve covered pretty much all the information to make you understand What Is Inverter? & How Does An Inverter Work?
Also Read: What Is Hybrid Solar Inverter? And How Does It Work?
If you still have queries? Ask in the comment section below with #SolarClap
Please help me i need a solar kit system that can run my house, fir light , tb, fridge, washing macine. What sizes of solar kit should i buy. Thankd
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Thank you.