inverter generators
in [Design]
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From: JosephKK on 24 Jun 2010 08:13 On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:56:59 -0400, Spehro Pefhany <speffSNIP(a)interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote: >On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:40:18 -0600, the renowned m II <c(a)in.the.hat> >wrote: > >>Bruce in alaska wrote: >> >>> Hey Guys, Just a NOTE here: ALL Electrical Generators produce their >>> power in AC, PERIOD. What you think of as DC Generators have Commutators >>> that convert the AC from the windings, mechanically to DC, coming off >>> the Commutator Brushes. >> >> >>One of my teachers, years ago asked "What is a rotating mechanical >>rectifier?". >> >>When we gave up, he answered "A commutator and brushes". > >That's funny, I thought it was a rotatary mechanical inverter. ;-) > > >>I've never forgotten that. >> >>Here's an easy one: What is the difference between a generator and >>alternator? >> >> >>mike > > >Best regards, >Spehro Pefhany This thread reminded of the old time dynamotors from back in the 1950s and 1960s when i was growing up. I was about 10 or so and got to see one running; about 250 VA i think, and not much larger than an overlong starter of the day.
From: m II on 24 Jun 2010 23:36
Bob wrote: > Anyone know why someone chose to call this sort of device an > "inverter" ? This seems counter-intuitive and has always puzzled me. I used to think it's because they can put half the input DC below the zero line, thus *inverting* it. That proved not to be the case. I found the following rather useless definition. It makes NO sense. ============================================ Why is it called an inverter and not a converter? A reasonable question and really that is what the job of an inverter is, converting DC power to AC power and that is the precise reason why it is named an inverter rather than converter. converter.http://www.renewablepowernews.com/archives/1320 ============================================ This is a far more satisfying answer: ============================================ Q: Why are they called inverters? A: Originally converters were large rotating electromechanical devices. Essentially they combined a synchronous ac motor with a commutator so that the commutator reversed its connections to the ac line exactly twice per cycle. The results is ac-in dc-out. If you invert the connections to a converter you put dc in and get ac out. Hence an inverter is an inverted converter. For more information about such converters see http://www.nycsubway.org/tech/power/rotary.html (thanks to Karl W.Berger, PE for this answer). http://www.powerstream.com/inFAQ.htm =========================================== mike |