PROBING MYSTERIES OF THE INVERTER: PART I

(Page 9 of 9)

March/April 1983
 
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THE CURRENT PATH NOT TAKEN

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Before the advent of solid-state inverters, DC power was converted to A C by a couple of different techniques. One, the vibrating inverter, is now largely gone ... and for the most part, its passing is no great loss. Most of the vibrators were pretty unreliable, and produced alternating current of limited quality and quantity.

The DC to AC converter — often called a motor/generator — is still with us, how-everand has some useful applications. Since this device consists of a DC motor that drives an AC alternator, its waveform is pure sine. Therefore, the converter can be used for driving appliances thatrequire a sine waveform ... and it's particularly attractive when you consider that it's substantially less expensive than an equivalent electronic counterpart.

On the other side of the coin, motor/generators are considerably less efficient than are electronic inverters (they usually operate at no more than 80% efficiency), consume a large amount of idle current, and require periodic maintenance. Currently, there's only one manufacturer of motor/ generators. You can contact it by writing Honeywell Motor Products Division, Dept. THEN, P.O. Box 106, Rockford, Illinois 61105.

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