How to make 220 volts in a car
Content
From the point of view of the theory of power electronics, that is, its part that powers various devices and devices, there is no need to convert the direct voltage of the car's on-board network into an alternating voltage of 220 volts.
Anyway, it will then be converted by the power supply of the device to the values \uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthat it needs, but a real consumer needs a certain standard for universal connection.
Since all electrical goods are adapted to varying degrees for power from a household network, it is this that should be used as a unified standard for power supply. You will need a sufficiently powerful converter to enjoy all the benefits of electrical equipment by connecting them from the car.
Why put an inverter in the car
In electronics, an inverter is a device that converts direct current into alternating current. In a generalized form - any electricity into another, differing in voltage and frequency. This is not entirely true, but the majority of users understand it this way.
For example, the concept of a welding inverter that is common, but not related to cars. You can use a transformer to lower the mains voltage, then straighten it and get a low voltage welding current, but high power.
But such a device is characterized by a large mass and bulkiness. Modern electronics make it possible to rectify the voltage of 220 Volts 50 Hz, convert it back to alternating, but with a higher frequency, lower it with a much less heavy high-frequency transformer and straighten it again.
It is difficult, but the result will be a device with an order of magnitude (10 times) less mass. All together they call the inverter, although in reality the inverter is only a part of the equipment.
In the case of a car, the inverter converts a DC voltage of 12 Volts into a high-frequency AC voltage, then transforms it into an increased voltage up to 220, forming a sinusoid or a similar output current form with powerful semiconductor switches.
This voltage can power computer equipment, household electrical appliances, tools and anything that has an input of 220 Volts 50 Hz. Very handy for travel and travel where mobile AC power may be needed.
Some vehicles are factory equipped with an inverter. Especially trucks, where it is necessary to provide the crew with maximum home comfort.
In other models, the inverter is easy to install as additional equipment, for which the market offers a wide variety of products and kits, but the selection procedure is not always clear to the consumer.
What is the difference between an expensive car inverter and a cheap one
The circuitry of expensive and cheap converters is unlikely to be of interest to most consumers, and professionals already know everything, so purely practical differences can be distinguished:
- Quality output sinusoidal voltage - for simple ones, the signal shape is far from a sinusoid, rather it is a highly distorted meander, expensive ones try to suppress unnecessary harmonics as much as possible, which is important for many devices designed for pure sine;
- Maximum power the simplest inverters will allow you to power the charging of a phone or a weak laptop, they will not even pull a good gaming laptop, not to mention a power tool;
- Many electrical appliances require significant energy release at the beginning of work, then switching to nominal consumption, it means that you need to have a margin in terms of power or peak starting load;
- Inverter connection a low class is made even from the cigarette lighter socket, more solid ones need separate wiring directly from the battery, otherwise failures will cause malfunctions and blown fuses;
- Cheap converters have a lot overstated power ratings with modest dimensions, price and consumption, serious manufacturers write more honestly.
Even if the device is expensive and powerful, powering consumers with large surges at the start may require equipping them with special soft start electronics, gradually spinning the rotors of the electric motors and charging the input capacitors of the filters.
How to make 12 out of 220 volts
Practice has developed several practical approaches.
Low-power Chinese cigarette lighter converters
When it is supposed to work with powers up to a maximum of 200 watts, you can purchase an inexpensive converter that connects to the cigarette lighter.
Moreover, even 200 is really little achievable, the simplest calculation will overload the standard fuse. It can be replaced with a slightly more powerful one, but this is dangerous, the wiring and connectors will be overloaded. You can think of it as just a margin.
Low power is compensated by low price, compactness, ease of connection and lack of noise from the fan.
As for reliability, then you need to choose a well-known manufacturer. There are a lot of obscure “no-name” on the market, not for long before the fire.
Powerful battery powered inverter
Starting with powers of 300 watts and up to kilowatts, a converter with forced ventilation and direct connection to the battery, already with its own fuse, will be required.
You can choose a device with a relatively clean sine wave, a good margin of inrush current and high reliability.
Capabilities are limited only by overexpenditure of the car's battery. 1 kilowatt is about 100 amperes of consumption in the primary circuit, not every battery is capable of this in long-term mode and will certainly be quickly discharged.
Even starting the engine will not help, generators are not designed for such power.
Installation of a gasoline or diesel generator in the car
All problems will be solved by equipping a tourist or working car with an autonomous liquid fuel power plant.
With all its shortcomings in the form of noise, the impossibility of working on the go, a large mass and a high price.
But the power here is already practically limited only by the price of the device and the carrying capacity of the car, and the encapsulated design saves from noise to some extent.
