About Square Wave Inverters

Inverters are electrical devices that convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). Inverters are very essential for most applications because the mains supply that is provided in our home outlets is alternating current. They are usually used in domestic scenarios as emergency backup power supplies and even in aircrafts to convert some portion of aircraft DC power to AC. There are various types of inverters such as sine wave, modified sine wave, square wave, multilevel inverter, and voltage source inverter types.

In today’s world, with the advent of rapid communication and pocket-sized technology, anyone can buy online square wave invertersto power their homes and offices.

Square Wave Inverter Characteristics

• When the output of a power inverter is in the form of a square wave, it is called a square wave inverter.
• The conversion in the inverter is commonly conducted through MOSFET inverter circuits which can switch the voltage across the load and in turn providing a digital approximation of the desired AC signal. The circuit consists of four switches, a DC source and the load.
• The load voltage must be switched from high voltage to low voltage without the use of an intermediate step to produce the desired square voltage. The power delivered by the square wave should be equal to the sine wave that is approximated; hence the amplitude of the square wave is equated to the RMS value of the sine wave.
• Thus, the power delivered and the average voltages of both the waves are the same.
• Some of the best square wave inverters found online in India have specifications and circuitry designed to fit the mains supply provided by Indian outlets.

Applications

• It is one of the most primitive inverter designs and it is usually used for small applications such as lighting or heating. It is usually unsuitable for sensitive electronics because it produces a characteristic humming sound when connected to audio applications.
• Voltage source inverters are powered by square wave inverters which are used in low cost AC motor drives.
• They are also used in uninterrupted power supplies and circuits which use electrical resonance between the capacitor and inductor. These have applications in induction heating units and electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps.

Drawbacks of square wave inverters

• The 3^rd and 5^th harmonics produced by square wave inverters are relatively large and they burn electrical power. They produce the lowest quality of power. This not only causes wastage of power but also severely affects the efficiency of the devices connected to it.
• Sine wave power inverters are mostly revered because most devices are usually constructed to be compatible with sine wave AC output that is produced by the mains supply.
• Square wave inverters produce only two-step inversion which is choppy and damages sensitive devices. Thus, they are not connected to delicate devices that work on precise timing. Sine wave inverters produce an output, which is less choppy and smoother.

Hence, modified sine wave and pure sine wave inverters have been introduced in the market to reduce the discrepancies produced by square wave inverters.