6779 Inverter Tech Guide 4pp A4_Layout 1 09/11/2012 14:40 Page 2

Inverter Technical Guide

Inverter types
There are two types of power inverter available, Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and Pure Sine Wave (PSW). A modified sine wave
inverter provides a simulation of the normal AC mains supply by using a simple square waveform and for the majority of
appliances this type of mains supply is perfectly acceptable.
A pure sine wave inverter replicates the mains supply, by providing the same type of smooth sine wave that comes from a normal
mains supply. This means they are suitable for more sensitive electrical devices that need a more consistent power source.
A modified sine wave inverter is a more cost effective choice for the majority of appliances due to its lower complexity, but not
all types of equipment are compatible with these inverters.

Modified
sine wave

Simulates mains supply

Pure
sine wave

Replicates mains supply

Types of load
Electrical appliances can be classified as having two types of load Resistive and Reactive. A reactive appliance contains not only the resistive
part but also has an inductive or capacitive element, which effects the way energy is taken from the normal mains supply.
Resistive Loads
This type of load draws a constant power from the supply, an example
would be a standard incandescent light bulb. Therefore a 100 Watt
light will draw approximately 100 Watts from the power supply at all
times. This type of load will operate happily on both modified sine and
pure sine inverters.
Reactive Loads - Inductive
Appliances which are inductive contain coils of wire such as motors,
transformers, ballasts and solenoids. When the power is first turned on
these coils of wire draw a large surge current, which helps form the
magnetic field needed for these appliances to work. Examples of
common inductive appliances are fridges, air compressors,
transformers, pumps, & power tools. This type of appliances can draw
between three and five times their normal running power at start up.
For example, to start a 200 Watt fridge anything from 600 to a 2000

Watts may be needed for up to a second after switching on. This type
of load will generally run on both modified sine and pure sine inverters,
however they will reliably start up and run more efficiently on a pure
sine wave inverter.
Reactive Loads - Capacitive
Some appliances may create sudden surges of current during startup
and running, due to capacitors in the power supply. Some appliances
including power tool chargers, shavers and fluorescent lights can use
capacitors on their input circuits to filter and control the supply
voltage. This can cause problems to a modified sine wave inverter in
the form of large spikes of current which can create an overload. For
this reason these types of appliance are not recommended for
modified sine wave inverters.

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INVERTER TECHNICAL GUIDE

Voltage
Current

Large current spikes

Compatibility
Certain types of capacitive loads with a low
power factor (see below) such as power tool
chargers may not be compatible with modified
sine wave inverters. This type of equipment can
cause spikes of current to be drawn from the
supply, which may act like a very brief short
circuit, potentially causing damage to the
inverter.

Trace from
modified sine wave inverter

What is Power Factor?

Real Power P(W)

Power factor is a way of describing how efficiently electrical power

is consumed from the AC supply. The power that is drawn from the
supply can be described as consisting of two parts, real power and
reactive power

Real Power is the power that equipment needs to achieve the task
required, measured in Watts (W).
Reactive Power is drawn in addition to real power by a reactive
load. The consumption of reactive power does not contribute to
the task required and is effectively wasted as heat.
Power factor is the ratio of real power to the total power taken
from the supply. For a purely resistive loads this ratio will be 1.0
but for very inductive or capacitive loads this value can fall to as
low as 0.5 depending on how inductive or capacitive the load is.

Reactive Power
Q(VAR)
Total Power
S(VA)

Power factor=

Real power
Total power

= cos

TV Quality

Harmonic Distortion

Harmonic Distortion

Due to the different waveform shape of a modified sine wave inverter, it

produces more interference than a pure sine inverter. This is measured as
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Normally this is not a problem but in
certain applications it can effect performance of equipment, for example
unwanted noise from transformers and audio equipment or distortion on
TVs and monitors.
Ring pure sine wave inverters have a THD value which is as good or often
better than the normal mains supply.

MSW
inverter

PSW
inverter

Variable Power Control

In order to operate correctly some products rely on a waveform shape
which is identical the normal mains supply. For example products with
variable power control such as power tools, dimmers and electric
blankets may not operate correctly with a square shaped waveform, as
used on modified sine wave inverters. Also clocks which take their
timings from the mains supply such as clock radios, microwaves, bread
makers etc may not function with a modified sine wave inverter.

Ring Automotive Limited

+44 (0)113 213 7389

+44 (0)113 231 0266

Modified sine: 30-40% THD

Pure sine: 3-5% THD

6779 Inverter Tech Guide 4pp A4_Layout 1 09/11/2012 14:40 Page 4

Power Surges

Surge Power

Certain types of inductive loads such as drills and microwaves

require an initial burst of power in order to start up, this can be up
to five times the rated power of the equipment. For this type of
load a pure sine inverter will provide a smoother startup and
cooler running. The table below shows typical surge ratings for
different types of appliance.

Rated Power

Typical surge ratings

Example Appliance
Electric Drill
800W Microwave Oven
Angle Grinder
Portable Air Compressor
Laser Printer

Typical
Rated Power

Typical surge
Power Required (<1sec)

500W
1200W
900W
200W
500W

1000W
2400W
2700W
700W
2500W

Startup

Running

All Ring professional inverters have a surge

rating which is twice the rated power

Efficiency
The efficiency of equipment is the ratio of the output power compared
to the input power. An appliance which is very inefficient will lose energy
in the form of heat, sound etc which will subsequently not be available
at the output

Input
% Efficiency = Output Power x 100%
Input Power

Output
Inverter

Battery

Appliance

Differences in efficiency are most noticeable when running reactive

appliances, like microwaves, pumps or refrigerators, as these will run less
efficiently when powered from a modified sine wave source. Equipment
can require up to 20% more power when run from an modified sine
wave inverter, so motors will generate more heat and the total run time
from the battery will be slightly reduced compared to a pure sine wave
supply.

Summary
Choosing the best inverter for your application will depend not only on
the total power of equipment being used but also on the way the
equipment may effect the mains supply. For the majority of equipment
a modified sine wave inverter will be sufficient but where sensitive
electronics, audio/video equipment or tool chargers may be used, pure
sine is recommended.
In applications where a wide variety of equipment may be connected
such as service or leisure vehicles , then using a pure sine wave inverter
will also ensure there are no problems with compatibility.
If in doubt fit a pure sine wave inverter.

autosales@ringautomotive.co.uk

www.ringautomotive.co.uk

6779 Inverter Tech Guide 4pp A4_Layout 1 09/11/2012 14:39 Page 1

INVERTER TECHNICAL GUIDE

Compatibility Chart
The following chart shows which appliances are recommended for each type of inverter, including those which are only suitable for pure sine wave inverters.
A

Products which are generally compatible

with all inverter types

Products which may be incompatible or not

run effectively with modified sine (MSW) inverters

Products which may cause damage to

modified sine (MSW) inverters

10W - 50W

Phone charger / Desk fan

Digital clock / Rechargeable shaver(C)

HID worklights(C) / Night lights(C)

50W - 100W

Portable stereo / DVD player

Fluorescent lamps(C)

Transformerless power tool chargers (C)

100W - 150W

Small LCD TV

Laptop computer

Instant start fluorescent lights

150W - 200W

Inkjet printer

Continuous Rating

200W - 300W

Desktop PC

Large Stereo

300W - 500W

Small electric drill(I) / Small fridge

Variable speed drill(I) / Oxygen Concentrator

500W - 750W

Small angle grinder(I)

Microwave oven(I) / Bread maker

750W - 1000W

Industrial water pump(I)

Coffee machine

1000W - 1500W

Large angle grinder(I)

1500W - 2000W

Circular saw(I) / Hot air gun / Vacuum cleaner(I)

2000W +

Laser printers

Electric chainsaw(I) / Fan heater

(I) - Inductive loads which may require startup power 2-5 times the continuous power (C) - Capacitive loads which may create high current spikes on MSW inverters

Selecting Inverter type

Selecting Inverter Size

START
Do you know the
appliances to be
connected?

Rated Power
Find the power rating for all appliances that could be
used at the same time. If only the operating current
is shown then use the following formula to calculate
the power: Power(Watts) = Current x 240

No

Examples
Laptop
Angle grinder
Work light
TOTAL

Yes

Are appliances to
be used mostly from
column A, B, or C?

In this instance a Ring inverter with at least 1100

Watts output would be recommended.

B
Are appliances
used regularly for long
periods?

No

Do any appliances have

variable power control?

Yes

Yes

No

Modified Sine Wave

Inverter Recommended

Pure Sine Wave

Inverter Recommended

Ring Automotive Limited,

Gelderd Road, Leeds, England LS12 6NA
UK Sales: +44 (0)113 213 7389

International Sales: +44 (0)113 213 7309

+44 (0)113 231 0266

autosales@ringautomotive.co.uk

www.ringautomotive.co.uk
In line with our policy of continuous product development, Ring Automotive Limited, a division of VOLVOX Group Limited, reserve the right to alter
specification without notice. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling the information in this catalogue, Ring Automotive Limited cannot accept
legal liability for any errors or omissions. Manufacturers names and part numbers are for reference only. Illustrations are intended only to be
representative of the parts offered, sizes quoted are nominal. Copyright 2008 Ring Automotive Limited.

CAT262

150 Watts
500 Watts
300 Watts
950 Watts

Surge Power
Check the inverter can handle the startup or surge
power required by the equipment. For example a
microwave with a cooking power of 800 Watts can
require up to 2400 Watts surge power during startup,
therefore an inverter with this surge capability will
be needed.