Batteries and Inverters
Inverters
Inverters convert low voltage DC power to high voltage AC and are ideal for low to moderate power consumption including charging batteries and powering electronic equipment.
For most applications we recommend pure sine wave inverters as these are safe for the digital electronics which are now found in many tools and appliances including most battery chargers.
Inverters are rated by peak load and working load. The working load should be greater than the sum of the connected appliances. The peak load provides headroom to accommodate devices with high start-up currents such as electric motors.
Smaller inverters can be run off the vehicle battery but for heavier use we recommend the use of an auxiliary battery system.
Auxiliary Batteries
Auxiliary batteries can provide much more capacity than a vehicle battery alone. Deep cycle lead-acid batteries provide a cost effective and high capacity solution. Unlike standard automotive batteries these can tolerate heavy discharge cycles and as such have much larger useful capacity. Where low weight and bulk are a priority lithium batteries provide the best possible power density.
A simple split charge system allows the vehicles alternator to charge auxiliary batteries by sensing the voltage increase when the vehicle is running and isolates the auxilliary load from the vehicle battery when the engine is not running .
For the most demanding applications we can also supply battery conditioning systems which actively monitor the charge state of the battery bank, balance the load across multiple batteries and provide controlled charging currents to extract the best possible life and performance from the system.
When specifying auxiliary battery systems several factors need to be considered including, average and peak loads, recharging times, initial costs and expected life of the system. In many cases specifying a system with spare capacity can significantly improve its reliability and life expectancy, reducing overall costs in the long term. By considering your likely power requirements and usage patterns we can recommend the most economical and reliable system for your intended application.