Electrical: DC AC Conversions - Efficiency
I am an Electricity Novice: Assumptions: Boon-docker - does not use shore power, uses Solar Panels and Batteries, or generator. Refrigerator does not have propane option...electric only, AC or DC. ...
Forum Discussion
Thanks Vermilye, scottG, timetoroll, mexicowanderer,
I was surprised to get so many responses so quickly. So I think I’ll cast a line in again.
As I was composing that last question, near the end, I realized what Vermilye stated.
With either option I was considering, the ultimate source of the energy to run the device was a 12V battery. The inverter option just added another loop that consumes some additional energy. And no matter how optimistic I am, I can’t create energy per the conservation of energy law. So the inverter sucks out the DC equivalent amount of amps from the battery to run the device, then uses an additional 10% of that amount to turn it into AC and then sends it off to the device. It’s the inverter that needs all that energy to do the conversion but once it completes it’s job of ratcheting up the voltage by a factor of 10 it sends that final product along with reduced amperage by roughly a factor of 10.
You guys brought up 24V systems and Lithium batteries. I have heard other RV people say, if going with a large setup and starting from scratch (not up grading 12V) a 24V system is best. Is it as simple as increasing the volts (doubling it in this case) cuts the Amps consumed in half when running the same device at the same wattage…resulting in battery Amp hours also being consumed at half the rate? If that’s not it please explain.
I will be doing a Lithium Battery Bank. Is a 24V, 100 Amp lithium battery roughly the same price and physical dimensions and weight of a 12V 100 Amp lithium battery. Same question for equivalent performance but higher voltage Inverter and Charger and Controller? What else will be more expensive to set up a 24V system over a 12V system? Anything less expensive…like smaller gauge wire, less resistance with long wire runs due to higher voltage? All things being equal, is their longevity or durability differences between a 12V and 24V system.
I’m guessing the reason for not upgrading from 12V to 24V is all the major components must be also be upgraded, thus there is not much from the old 12V system that is useable in the new 24V system.
thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge
Tim
I was surprised to get so many responses so quickly. So I think I’ll cast a line in again.
As I was composing that last question, near the end, I realized what Vermilye stated.
With either option I was considering, the ultimate source of the energy to run the device was a 12V battery. The inverter option just added another loop that consumes some additional energy. And no matter how optimistic I am, I can’t create energy per the conservation of energy law. So the inverter sucks out the DC equivalent amount of amps from the battery to run the device, then uses an additional 10% of that amount to turn it into AC and then sends it off to the device. It’s the inverter that needs all that energy to do the conversion but once it completes it’s job of ratcheting up the voltage by a factor of 10 it sends that final product along with reduced amperage by roughly a factor of 10.
You guys brought up 24V systems and Lithium batteries. I have heard other RV people say, if going with a large setup and starting from scratch (not up grading 12V) a 24V system is best. Is it as simple as increasing the volts (doubling it in this case) cuts the Amps consumed in half when running the same device at the same wattage…resulting in battery Amp hours also being consumed at half the rate? If that’s not it please explain.
I will be doing a Lithium Battery Bank. Is a 24V, 100 Amp lithium battery roughly the same price and physical dimensions and weight of a 12V 100 Amp lithium battery. Same question for equivalent performance but higher voltage Inverter and Charger and Controller? What else will be more expensive to set up a 24V system over a 12V system? Anything less expensive…like smaller gauge wire, less resistance with long wire runs due to higher voltage? All things being equal, is their longevity or durability differences between a 12V and 24V system.
I’m guessing the reason for not upgrading from 12V to 24V is all the major components must be also be upgraded, thus there is not much from the old 12V system that is useable in the new 24V system.
thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge
Tim
