ID13-22 Power Inverters

S135 09 0413 Rev. 2

Class Exercise ID13-22 Power Inverters
Maximum points: 50 (actual points depends on how good your information is)
OEES 135/OEET 210

Back to Main Page

This is an Internet-research project. Use www.google.com to find information about the topics listed below. Then, send me an e-mail (bruce "at-sign" mounttaylor.com) containing the information. Be sure to put ID13-22 in the subject, and be especially sure not to leave the subject blank. I receive 50 to 100 spam e-mails each day, and your e-mail may get lost in the sea of spam if it doesn't have a subject.

The following Web sites are also good sources of information: www.wikipedia.org, www.about.com, www.howstuffworks.com. Note: Pretend you are writing to a friend and briefly telling them about these things. You don't need to write something of the quality you would turn in as a class paper for some other class!

Your goal is to use the Internet to learn about the topics below, and then write explanations in your own words.

What is a DC to AC inverter?
What is the difference between a stand-alone inverter and a grid-tie inverter?
What is the lowest-cost grid-tie inverter you can find on the Internet? (It only needs to handle 200 watts. We're actually going to buy one.)

Suggestions for searching:
(Note: these are just suggestions. You might need to try something different to get good results.)

DC to AC inverter

Use Google's advanced search (not their basic one)
In the "this exact wording or phrase" box, put either DC to AC inverter or put power inverter (you may get better results with one than with the other).
In the "one or more of these words" box, put these words: solar wind alternative
In the first "one or more of these words" box, put solar. In the next box, put wind, and in the third one put alternative.

Do two searches, one using the phrase stand-alone inverter and the other using grid-tie inverter.
Use the phrase grid-tie inverter in the "this exact wording or phrase" box, use the words solar, wind, and alternative in the three "one or more of these words" boxes, and put price in the "all of these words box." Instead of price, you could also try cost or shipping.

Back to Main Page