What are Power Inverters?

The storage batteries used in alternating power systems store DC (direct current) power. But, most modern electronic appliances depend on AC (alternating current) power. A power inverter can provide the comforts and conveniences of modern living. It is an electronic piece of equipment that converts DC power into conventional AC power.

During blackouts, a power inverter can be used for emergency power. It is used to run all sorts of household equipments, including kitchen appliances, power tools, TVs, computers, and more.

Power inverters are normally small, rectangular shaped units. There are normally one or two outlets available for standard cords. Inverters normally draw their power from 12V, 24 V batteries, or several batteries wired in parallel. The batteries are discharged as the unit draws the power out of it. Automobile motors, solar panels, gas generators, and other standard sources are used for battery charging.

Power inverters are available in several models that differ in watts. The required amount of inverter wattage depends on the total draw of the devices, plus at least 50% more to account for peaks or spikes in the power draw. For example if your computer draws 100 watts and your home theater another 100 watts, a minimum 300 watt inverter is suggested.

A typical power inverter produces square wave, modified square or sine wave, and pure sine wave (true sine wave). The waves denote three dissimilar qualities of power output and three different price ranges. Owing to uneven power delivery, square inverters, the initial types of inverters, are almost outdated. Modified inverters, less expensive and probably the most common, produce consistent and efficient power. True sine wave inverters are highly expensive and they also deliver the most consistent wave output.

Always use highly rated power inverters for the devices you are running. Avoid adapters that would permit more outlets than the unit is designed to accommodate. Since improper use of a unit may lead to burning, make sure that you read and follow all safety measures listed in the user?s manual.

Power Inverters provides detailed information on Power Inverters, DC To AC Power Inverters, Emergency Power Inverters, Car Power Inverter and more. Power Inverters is affiliated with How to Replace a Circuit Breaker.

12 Volt Power Inverters

To take full benefit of an independent electrical system, a power inverter - a complex piece of electrical hardware - is very essential. It converts battery supplied power (DC) into an oscillating type of electricity (AC), which is needed to run nearly all devices in and around the house. A 12 volt power inverter is a method of inverting or changing 12 volts to 115 volts. Other power inverter voltage ranges, such as 24 volt input and 240 volt output, are also available.

12 volt power inverters come in many types and sizes. In addition to providing the alteration of one power type to another, they are constantly modified to provide better efficiency and stability. These devices are used to produce the same kind of power made from generators and utility companies.

A 12 volt power inverter enables you to run all home and office appliances, such as microwaves, central heating pumps, lighting, tropical fish aquariums, DVD theaters, fax machines, laptops, etc. Since they are good standby power sources, the inverters are extremely useful during power cuts. They are also ideal for use in your caravan, motor home, boat or RV.

The most common types of 12 volt inverters are modified sine wave inverters or modified square wave inverters. Another variety is a true sine wave inverter that provides utility grade power. Occasionally it offers a better quality than utility grade power. Pure sine wave inverters can power any appliance inside its power range. It is used in most RV and marine 12 volt power inverters.

Once you have decided to buy a 12 volt power inverter, think about what power (wattage) it should be carried. The total wattage is calculated as a product of current and voltage (i.e. Amps x Voltage = Watts). It is wise to purchase a little larger power inverter than you need.

12 volt power inverters are usually connected through a cigarette lighter or hard wired to the battery. Over 300 watts needs a direct battery connection. A good unit features under and over power shield and also low battery alarms. Read and follow your manual for safety and proper installation of your 12 volt power inverter.

Power Inverters provides detailed information on Power Inverters, DC To AC Power Inverters, Emergency Power Inverters, Car Power Inverter and more. Power Inverters is affiliated with How to Replace a Circuit Breaker.

What Type of Power Inverter is Right For You?

Choosing a power inverter that correctly fits your needs can be quite a challenge. After all, the product itself is confusing and since they can be quite expensive, choosing the wrong type can be a costly mistake. The first thing to do is to get a solid idea of what you want to use the power inverter for. If you just want it to run some simple electronics while driving your car, then you can probably just get a cheap one that plugs into your cigarette lighter. Obviously there is no need for a true sine wave inverter if you are only running simple electronics.

The process gets more difficult when you plan to run electronics directly from your car battery. You have to choose a product that can withstand the current that your battery can give you. In addition you will want to use the lowest wattage power inverter that you can so that you don't drain your battery any faster than you have to. Check how many watts the electronics you plan to use need to run, add a small percentage extra, and start looking for inverters in that wattage range.

It seems that a lot of people intend to run televisions from their car or boat batteries. This can be great fun for camping and boating in places where you wouldn't typically find television (and video games). However, it may not be much fun if you drain your car battery and can't leave the campsite. Make sure you periodically run your car's engine to recharge the battery. This is especially important if you are running a strong power inverter that is capable of over 500 watts as they can drain a battery especially fast.

Brad Allmendinger is an entrepreneur and an electronics wiz. For more information regarding power inverters and how to choose one, go to this power inverter website.

How a Simple Pallet Inverter Crossed the Sea

The Pallet inverter is different, because where by the end of the 50's most useful bits of large mechanical devices were already coming to the conclusion of their evolution and were now simply being refined, the pallet inverter was hardly on the horizon.

In fact the load turner, which had been no more than a machine that flipped over agriculture bags, was not seen in the warehouse and distribution environment for many years.

The first recognizable free-standing pallet inverter was developed in Norfolk in around 1976 built using the hydraulics salvaged from a dustcart! The concept proved very popular with ICI Fertilizers who bought at least 60 rotators for their distribution stores and factories throughout the country. The use of the machines cut their pallet losses enormously and helped to contain spillages in the warehouse.

But what is a pallet inverter and how did it cross the sea. Well it is a machine used when a pallet that has goods stacked on it needs to be removed without the goods themselves having to be unstacked and re-stacked. The idea is quite simple. A fork lift of hand truck is used to load the broken or unwanted pallet with it's load still intact into the inverter. A new pallet is then placed on top of the stack of goods and the whole lot is clamped and turned 180 degrees. This means the new pallet is now holding the weight of the stack and the old one can be removed and disposed of or used elsewhere.

It's true that pallet inverters of a type good be found in the United State but those from Norfolk were soon to cross the sea and capture the market. Premier Pallet Systems were one of the early companies to build on the need for a quality pallet inverter that didn't need replacing often. So they packed up their first machine with the love and care of sending off a loved one and so was born an international trade that has seen many hundreds of pallet inverters cross all seas to every continent and most countries in the world.

The truth is that as the developing world starts to flex its manufacturing muscle pallet inverters can be seen in countries as far from Norfolk England as Malaysia, India and Australia.

More information about Pallet Inverters

Frank L Garsome has been writing about industrial machinery for many years. He as a particular interest in pallet inverters. He writes for the UK blog Pallet Inverters

An Introduction To Power Inverters

Electrical power interruptions are quite common in every place especially after a heavy downpour or a severe storm. To counter these power outages a search has been done to find a reliable and economic alternate source of electricity.

A power inverter serves this purpose. It is a device that is used to convert direct current to alternating current. It works by converting 12 Volt DC power into 110 volts AC. Power Inverters are great tools to run household appliances from a car or any other DC source in areas where there is no electricity. There are several types of power inverters available in two categories – The True Sine Wave Power Inverters and the Modified Sine Wave Power inverters.

True sine wave power inverters provide utility grade power. These inverters are expensive and can power almost anything including laser printers and fax machines. A sine wave inverter is recommended to operate higher-end electronic equipment. Modified sine waves are the most common types of power inverters. A modified sine wave inverter can adequately power most household appliances and power tools. It is more economical, but may present certain compromises with some loads such as microwave ovens, laser printers, clocks and cordless tool chargers.

Simple inverters make use of oscillators driving a transistor to create a square wave, which in turn is fed through a transformer to produce the required output voltage. While Advanced inverters have started using more advanced forms of transistors or similar devices such as thyristors.

Inverters are used in a wide range of applications, from small power supplies for a computer to large industrial applications to transport bulk power. A few of the most widely used applications of Power Inverters include running television sets, microwaves and other household appliances and charging cell phones, laptops from a car’s cigarette lighter outlet and running power tools from a 12 volt battery on jobsites where electricity isn’t available.

Power Inverters provides detailed information on Power Inverters, DC To AC Power Inverters, Emergency Power Inverters, Car Power Inverter and more. Power Inverters is affiliated with How to Replace a Circuit Breaker