Solar Inverters Pty Ltd

Power Inverter Tutorial #4

LF Transformer based Power Inverters
Vs.
HF Transformer based Power Inverters
Introduction
Power inverters can be broadly classified into two classes. Those that
are designed using low frequency (LF) power transformers, and those
that are designed using high frequency (HF) transformers.

Selectronic inverters are of the LF type. Most low cost imported

inverters are of the HF type.

This article describes the technical differences as well the advantages

and disadvantages between LF and HF inverters.

Part 1
In any power inverter, the AC power outlet (General Purpose Outlet or
GPO) can be the source of numerous electrical spikes, surges and back
feeding voltages and currents (also called transients). Transients at the
GPO can, and do, find their way back into the inverter circuits. These
semiconductor destroying events are not uncommon and in fact they
can occur often during the normal service life of a power inverter.

There are many common operating events that induce such voltage or
current transients at the power inverter GPO. For example, a nearby
lightning strike, a faulty appliance, or a poor connection between the
power inverter and load are common causes.
When loads are quickly switched on and off, all manner of transients
are formed across the AC output of an inverter. Rapid on and off
switching can be caused by a poor or intermittent power outlet
connection. A bad connection “makes and breaks” and in doing so,
effectively switches the load on and off rapidly and intermittently.

There are also events during normal operation that can create damaging
transients. Power tools are often required to be switched on and off
quickly during use. The operator may need to trigger the tool on and
off rapidly to work the tool. Drills and power saws often jam while
cutting through the job material and need to be switched on and
off rapidly while physical pressure is applied to free them.

When loads are switched on and off rapidly, whether intentional or not,
the end result is that the voltage waveform at the GPO can be full of all
manner of voltage and current spikes and surges and damaging
transients.

Part 2
Figure 1 is the generic layout of all HF power inverters. Notice how the
AC side power transistors are placed directly across the GPO. In this
position they are highly susceptible to damage caused by
transients at the GPO. The most common faults in HF transformer
based inverters are due to the AC output power transistors shorting.
When the transistors fail, a dead short can be placed on the DC-DC
converter output, which in turn places huge stresses on the DC
(battery) side transistors. This scenario is an all too common chain
reaction that often renders the HF inverter uneconomical to repair.
 Fig. 1

Figure 2 shows the layout of a Selectronic LF inverter. The block diagram

shows a very different arrangement to the HF design.

You can see that the Selectronic design has reduced complexity with only one
power transistor block. Most importantly however, the Selectronic power
inverter design places the sensitive power transistors well away from the GPO.
Any transients present at the GPO have to get through the filter circuit and the
LF transformer before they can do any damage to the transistors.
Figure 2

The combination of filter and transformer create a very effective electrical barrier
to transients. It’s not impossible for a damaging transient to get through, but the
design greatly reduces the chances. The Selectronic design is an arrangement
That has evolved after more than twenty years of continuous research,
development and manufacturing.

Reliability is a key power inverter requirement. The LF frequency transformer

based design has a long history of extended continuous operation. At the Solar
Inverters workshop, it is not uncommon to have a Selectronic inverter come in
for its first repair after more than twenty years of reliable service.

Part 3
Another serious limitation of the HF inverter is its power surge performance. As
you can see, the two power inverter designs are radically different. The HF
power inverter incorporates a DC to DC converter. This is a complex sub-
assembly that steps the low voltage DC input from the battery up to
approximately 300VDC. This high voltage DC is then converted to 240V AC
by the power transistors across the GPO.
The DC to DC converter’s characteristics largely determine the inverter output
power surge capabilities. You can see from published specifications, and we can
confirm after many years of power inverter servicing, that HF transformer
power inverters don’t surge out very well at all.

In practice, most HF power inverters struggle to achieve an output surge power

that is double their continuous rating. By comparison, most LF power inverters
easily achieve an output surge power of triple their continuous rating.

Over the last ten years, the local market has been swamped by imported HF
transformer based inverters. The obvious question is, why would any company
build an inverter that is more complex, less reliable, and has worse performance
than an established design ?

The answer lies in the transformer itself. A HF transformer operates at

A frequency of around 30kHz (30 000 cycles per second). A LF
Transformer operates at 50Hz (50 cycles per second). The difference in
frequency allows the HF transformer to be physically a fraction of the size of its
LF counterpart.

A smaller transformer uses less copper, is lighter, and most importantly, costs
less to manufacture. The extra transistors needed for the more complex HF
transformer design are insignificant in cost compared to the extra copper needed
for a LF transformer inverter. Figure 3 shows a 1200W LF transformer assembly
weighing in at 6.5 kg, and a 900W HF transformer at only 400g.

So, clearly there is merit in the HF transformer Power Inverter if size, weight,
or cost are the primary selection criteria. These are fair criteria in many
applications. In most installations however, reliability and surge performance are
far more important. For these applications LF inverters are by far the best and in
many cases only choice.
Fig. 3

Conclusion
Today’s power inverter market is saturated with imported low cost variants of
the HF inverter. Some are of good quality, but most are throw away equipment,
poor in both design and manufacture. Without experience and a detailed
inspection, it’s very hard to tell the good from the bad.

Selectronic Australia locally manufactures an excellent range of LF inverters

from power levels of 200W to 3.6kW. Known as the Blue Series, Solar Inverters
stocks the complete range and can promptly ship to any location in Australia.
Solar Inverters is also an authorised Selectronic service centre so you can be sure
that you have access to the very best technical product support possible no matter
which part of Australia you are in.

Go Local, Go Selectronic!

© Solar Inverters Pty Ltd 2008