8
Battery Selection
Select Battery Type
Select“DeepCycle”batteriestoenjoyoptimumperformancefromyourInverter/Charger.BatteriesofeitherWet-Cell(vented)orGel-Cell/Absorbed
GlassMat(sealed)constructionareideal.6-volt“golfcart,”MarineDeep-Cycleor8DDeep-Cyclebatteriesarealsoacceptable.You must
set the Inverter/Charger’s Battery Type DIP Switch (see Configuration section for more information) to match the type of batteries you connect
oryourbatteriesmaybedegradedordamagedoveranextendedperiodof time.
Match Battery Amp-Hour Capacity to Your Application
Select a battery or system of batteries that will provide your Inverter/Charger with proper DC voltage and an adequate amp-hour capacity
topoweryourapplication.EventhoughTrippLite Inverter/ChargersarehighlyefficientatDC-to-ACinversion,theirratedoutputcapacities
are limited by the total amp-hour capacity of connected batteries plus the output of an alternator when one is used.
• STEP1)DetermineTotalWattageRequired
Add the wattage ratings of all equipment you will connect to your
Inverter/Charger. Wattage ratings are usually listed in equipment manuals
or on nameplates. If your equipment is rated in amps, multiply that number
timesACutilityvoltagetoestimatewatts. (Example:adrillrequires 2.8
amps.2.8amps×230volts=640watts.)
NOTE: Your Inverter/Charger will operate at higher efficiencies at about 75% - 80% of nameplate
rating.
• STEP2)DetermineDCBatteryAmpsRequired
Dividethetotalwattagerequired(fromstep1,above)bythenominalbattery
voltage to determine the DC amps required.
• STEP3)EstimateBatteryAmp-HoursRequired
MultiplytheDCampsrequired(fromstep2,above)bythe numberofhours
youestimateyou willoperate yourequipment exclusivelyfrombattery
power before you have to recharge your batteries with utility- or
generator-supplied AC power. Compensate for inefficiency by
multiplying this numberby1.2.This will give you a rough estimate of how
many amp-hours of battery power (from one or several batteries) you
should connect to your Inverter/Charger.
NOTE: Battery amp-hour ratings are usually given for a 20-hour discharge rate. Actual amp-hour capacities
are less when batteries are discharged at faster rates. For example, batteries discharged in 55 minutes
provide only 50% of their listed amp-hour ratings, while batteries discharged in 9 minutes provide as little
as 30% of their amp-hour ratings.
• STEP4)EstimateBatteryRechargeRequired,GivenYourApplication
You must allow your batteries to recharge long enough to replace the
charge lost during inverter operation or else you will eventually run down
your batteries. To estimate the minimum amount of time you need to
recharge your batteries given your application, divide your required battery
amp-hours(fromstep3,above)by your Inverter/Charger’s rated charging
amps(23Aor90A,dependingonSwitch#5setting).
Example
Tools
640W + 800W = 1440W
13mm (1/2”) Drill Circular Saw
Appliances and Electronics
540W + 150W + 500W + 250W = 1440W
Refrigerator Table Fan Signal Relay Tower Desktop Computer with
Large LCD Monitor
1440 watts ÷ 48V = 30 DC Amps
30 DC Amps × 5 Hrs. Runtime
× 1.2 Inefficiency Rating = 180 Amp-Hours
180 Amp-Hours ÷ 23 Amps
Inverter/Charger Rating = 7.8 Hours Recharge