OT-portable generator question

I"ve been looking at generators and some say "inverter generator". What does that mean?

I believe the generator produces DC current and an inverter converts it to AC, that way the engine only runs as fast as it needs to. They are much quieter and more pleasant to listen to, but also heavier. A typical generator has to run 3600 all the time to give you 60 hz.

Lots more $$$$ also, but makes a clean AC power, safe to run electronics on..

Google is your friend......I thought James taught you that!!!

First, definition of inverter (websters.com): A device used to convert
direct current into alternating current

Inverter generators are an inexpensive way to produce low wattage
(under 5000 watts) and sometimes even low rpm generators. This is done
by utilizing a small engine - a dc alternator - an inverter.

Engine could be of any type, but the smaller they are, the cheaper
they are to operate, especially when fed gasoline, and the quietness
is a bonus.

The DC alternator is not any larger than what you will find on a car.
As long as you can get 12 - 24 - 36 volts out of the unit, you are
okay.

Inverter can be of any type or brand. The modern inverters are what
they term as "modified sine wave". (A "real" sine wave inverter will
throw everything out of the ballpark.)

So why is this type of machine manufactured? The answer is simple.
CHEAP to manufacture and CHEAP to ship. Reducing costs increases
profit and if you market correctly, increases profit even more.

Honda was the first to market an inverter generator. They claim that
it is safer for electronics and so forth. Todays electronics are so
much improved in regards to technology and ac current that I see it as
hardly necessary. (Unless we were talking about some kind of critical
testing equipment, this issue is not an issue.)

In the USA we operate on electricity with 60Hz. The power company has
a fluctuation of +/- 8% (or similar). Electronics manufacturers know
this. Therefore manufacturers build products with this in mind.

Here are more example to further the point.

Go to www.rrindustry.com - they are distributors of diesel generators,
tractors and other industrial equipment (soon to offer inverters, I
believe)

-These generators are 4-pole generators.
-A 4-pole generator must turn at 1800 rpm, to produce 60 hertz. 1500
rpm to produce 50 hertz, as in Europe.

The only way a generator of today's manufacture, with electronics of
today, will cause any damage is if you have a generator that has a
"runaway" engine. In other words it does not or cannot maintain a
constant speed of 1800 rpm. When the engine speed increases
dramatically, more than 300 rpm on a 4-pole generator, then the hertz
increases beyond design limits. The opposite is true also.

Inverters look at input voltage, not rpm's. If you were to go out of
range with respect to the input voltage, then an inverter just shuts
down.

What are design limits, electronics manufacturers will not say but
common sense tells us that US products are not meant to be used at
50Hz, so it would most likely be safe that they are not designed to be
used at 70Hz.

The power companies are always fighting this factor and that why
surges cause electronic failure.

In closing, if you are looking at buying a generator, falling for the
marketing trick of "you will damage your electronics" just simply is
not necessary. Save your money. If you feel you have something
extremely critical, then buy an inverter for that product to use in
conjunction with a generator. Still cheaper.

By the way, for computers, battery back ups are a great way to
"condition power", for the computer. One time they were a must to
protect against surges but compute power supplies have improved
drastically over the last 15 years.

Honda makes one of the best inverter style. Previous post is correct,produce DC and convert to AC, they only run as hard as needed to meet load, therefore they are quieter and generally more fuel efficient.

its not mh that is +/-8%. it"s the voltage. TVA"s contract (supplier to local utility) in n. al. is 110 volts ac, +/- 10%. mh band width is much, much more narrower as in a small fraction of 1 +/-.

The most expensive portable generators are inverter units. The advantage of using an inverter is that the engine isn't required to run at a constant speed; it can vary up and down according to the load, making an inverter unit much quieter and more efficient than a traditional alternator unit.

hertz, not mega-hertz

Seldom does one find so much mis-information in a post.

"CHEAP to manufacture and CHEAP to ship." Compare the price of Honda's 6500 watt inverter unit with their alternator unit. Cheaper it is not.

" The power company has a [frequency] fluctuation of +/- 8%"
Ask buickanddeere what would happen if he brought one of his units on-line when it was 8 percent slower or faster than the grid. The fluctuation of the US and Canadian power grid frequency is a small fraction of a percent.

(quoted from post at 06:29:56 08/25/11) I"ve been looking at generators and some say "inverter generator". What does that mean?

Click to expand...

I'm learning from the replies also. But depending on what you have in mind a generator may be overkill for you. If it's just to run lights and maybe clippers in remote places, a couple rechargeable floodlights will be friendlier than lugging a generator around and maintaining it. A couple hundred watt power inverter plugged into the cigarette lighter will run a set of clippers with a 50ft extension cord (I use a 75 watt one). I've got a 2500 watt generator that I barely use enough to keep the fuel good since I got lazy and went cordless.... If you are concerned with power outages, disregard what I just typed :roll:

Hope you find what you need...

(quoted from post at 11:42:34 08/25/11) Seldom does one find so much mis-information in a post.

"CHEAP to manufacture and CHEAP to ship." Compare the price of Honda's 6500 watt inverter unit with their alternator unit. Cheaper it is not.

" The power company has a [frequency] fluctuation of +/- 8%"
Ask buickanddeere what would happen if he brought one of his units on-line when it was 8 percent slower or faster than the grid. The fluctuation of the US and Canadian power grid frequency is a small fraction of a percent.

Click to expand...

""CHEAP to manufacture and CHEAP to ship." Compare the price of Honda's 6500 watt inverter unit with their alternator unit. Cheaper it is not. "

Notice the words 'manufacture" & "ship"....no mention of sales price.

If I were to beat up comments, I would jump on the "cleaner inverter waveform" stuff........the generator being a pure sine wave vs inverters which mimic a sine wave in the majority of units on the market. Power grid Frequency, as you say, almost perfect & if it drifts beyond the third decimal point they put in a very slow/small correction until they catch up to perfect again.....reason why your old electric clocks were always right on time for months on end unless of course you had a power failure.

I was looking at generators and realized the first thing is to decide on the power you need. Add up what you want/have to run at one time then look at generators.
I was looking for the house and power outages of course the requirements are freezers, refigerators, a few lights, furnace and A/C and well pump came up to about 17KW. Surprise! Looking at generators realized if I acepted propane then the perminante ones with a housing really are less expensive.
I also found out the manufacturers inflate the capability of their generators.

I run several generators as we do not have grid power on the farm

The best are the Honda inverter type. They are quiet, economical to run (speed up and slow down depending on the power required) and produce pure sine wave power.

The pure sine wave power in important for any electronic use, particularly battery charging. I use CTEK battery chargers with Honda 20i generators to charge a big battery bank when there is not enough sun to charge it with solar panels.

I even run small reverse cycle inverter air conditioners with the Honda inverter generators.

If you need a generator for a travel trailer. Or need off grid power 24/7, go with an inverter gen.
Otherwise stay with plain and simple.
What kind of loads?

We bought a 1600 watt invertor generator for use when we go camping. The invertor style generators are quieter, smaller & lighter in weight. Not sure how you like to purchase your things, local or online, but you could check this website out, electricgeneratorsdirect.com. They have a quick search feature to narrow down choices. A feature to compare different models. Prices were good and free shipping/freight. Have a good day-SHON