Electrical Inverter: It's Many Uses

An electrical inverter is a device which is used to change direct electrical current into alternating electrical current. Electrical inverters, or inverters, have a wide range of uses. They are used by electrical utility companies to transfer bulk power, they are used in automotive applications, and they can even be found in many computers. While the technology behind inverters is quite impressive, it is not a new technology at all, in fact the basics of electrical conversion, from direct to alternating or vice versa, can be traced back over one hundred years. Many aspects of the technology have changed since the discovery of electrical inverters, but one thing has remained the same; the resulting electrical conversion.

The story of how the inverter got its name is almost as interesting as the complete history behind it. Because early inventors used alternating current motors, connected to generators in reverse, to produce direct current, the later device, which converted alternating current into direct current, picked up the name "inverter."

Inverters have many uses in today's modern world, all of which serve to enhance the quality of life for those who use them. Some examples of everyday applications for electrical inverters are direct current power source utilization and uninterrupted power supplies. For the general public, the ability to use alternating current appliances in automobiles has undoubtedly been taken for granted, but without electrical inverters this would not be possible. A few circumstances where people can benefit from the ability to use house appliances in automobiles are in campers, recreational vehicles, and long-haul trucks. In the case of a family of campers, a simple inverter can make a huge difference in the quality of their vacation by allowing them a few of the creature comforts that are normally taken for granted. The same is true for those who spend time on the road driving recreational vehicles or tractor-trailers.

The need for an uninterrupted power supplied can mean the difference between life and death, in a very real sense. Those who suffer from sleep apnea often use a battery backup so that in the event of a power outage, they will not lose the ability to breath. Because most sleep apnea machines use alternating current, in is necessary to use a direct current power inverter in combination with the battery backup in order to insure an uninterrupted oxygen supply. Another circumstance where a battery power backup is needed is for people who work with very important information on home or office computers. Because the working memory of a computer is only temporary, it is necessary to save very important work often. This transfers the data from temporary memory, to memory on the hard drive. If saving often is not secure enough for the information being worked with a batter power backup can be used. This is basically a surge protector, an uninterrupted power supply (UPS), and an inverter all rolled into one. While a UPS is not usually needed for most personal computers, it can save a lot of trouble by giving you time to save your work in the event of a power failure. Typically, once power is lost, a UPS will allow the user up to thirty minutes to save any open work and safely shut down all computers.

While a complete circuit description is beyond the scope of this article, we will go into slight detail concerning the basics of how an inverter is designed. In its most basic form, direct current is connected to a transformer. After this, a "switch," is repeatedly thrown from the open to closed position, which allows current to flow away from and back to the source of direct current. This alternation, in the direction of the current produces what is commonly referred to as "alternating current". Keep in mind however, this is a very basic description and there are several types of circuitry involved in the inversion of electoral current.

The technology used in today's electrical inverters is without a doubt far superior to the technology used in the first generations of inverters. With this leap in advancement, we have seen the uses of this wonderful technology rise. First, it was used to simply convert alternating current into direct current. Later, it was developed into a device which could be used to convert direct current into alternating current. These advancements, coupled with the use of modern battery power backup systems, has made it possible to both increases the productivity in the work place, and save the lives of those afflicted with sleep apnea. It would be the hope of many that the past advances will act as both a motivation and an inspiration to the current and future generations of the world, to pick up where our forefathers have left off with this wonderful invention, and carry it through into the twenty-first century.


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