Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/493405
COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2015 35 appliances may not be compatible with the modifi ed sine wave output provided by most inverters. Installation advice Installation involves connecting cables to the inverter and the battery bank. Choos- ing cable gauge, fuses and circuit breakers requires some knowledge of electric pow- er fl ow to size them correctly, Wauls says. Most tractor-trailers have three or four deep-cycle batteries, and if the inverter is connected incorrectly, the wire end will spark like an arc welder, she says. Lafarge says the proper materials and techniques are critical to prevent damaging the inverter and the compo- nents it powers. Technicians that install an inverter also should understand how to crimp terminals, handle heat shrink tubing and run and secure cables through a wall or fl oor, he says. While installation kits are available, Lafarge says many are generic and not suited to all inverters' wattages. Wires in kits tend to be short – about 3 feet, Wauls says, so longer cables might be needed. With longer cables, there is a voltage drop between the batteries and the inverter depending on power demand. The rule of thumb is no more than a 0.5-volt drop using the maximum watt- age, Wauls says. So if resting voltage at the inverter is 14 volts and maximum wattage is drawn, voltage should not drop below 13.5. If this happens, either the cables are too small for the dis- tance or the batteries are growing weak, she says. The Whistler Group's Pro-3000W inverter has three AC outlets and one USB port. It offers surge control to start loads at the continuous rating and voltage protection to shut down when input exceeds 15 volts DC or is less than 10 volts. Xantrex's 24-volt Freedom SW inverter/charger is available in two models and is engineered to offer full output at higher temperatures with efficient power factor-corrected charging.