Terminology
C–2975-0125-02-01
Glossary
Absorption C h arge The second stage of three-stage battery charging. Voltage remains constant and
current reduces as the battery becomes charged. This ensures complet e ch arging.
Alternating Current (AC) The type of electrical power supplied by the power utility or an AC generator. The
unique characteristic of this form of electricity is that it reverses direction at regular
intervals. For example, 120 VAC 60 Hz power reverses flow 60 times a second,
hence the rating 60 Hz (cycles per second).
Ambient Temperature Refers to the air temperature around the inverter, which will affect its output power.
Ampere (Amp) A measu rement of the flow o f electrical curre nt. One amp is equal to the current that
flows when one volt is acting across the resistance of one ohm. (Ohm’s law: I = V/R
where I=current, V=volts, R=resistance)
Ampere Hour
(Amp Hour/Ah)
One amp of electrical current flowing for one hour. One way to measur e the capacity
of batteries.
Bulk Charge The fi rs t sta ge of th ree- sta ge batt er y cha r ging . Cu rren t is supp lie d to the ba tte ries at a
constant rate while voltage gradually rises.
Charger, DC A device that i s us ed to repleni sh t he cap acity of a batt ery (it s “charge”) by supplyi ng
DC current to the battery.
Current The rate of flow of electrical charge measured in amps.
Direct Current (DC) The type of electricity stored in batteries and generated by solar electric devices.
Current flows in a single direction without alternating .
Disable When a function is disabled, it is not allowed to occur and if it is occuring, it is
terminated. Regardless of other conditions, the funct ion will not be activated. For
example, even if AC pow er is pr e s en t , if th e ch a rge r is dis a bl e d, the unit will not
charge. The charger must be enabled. See “Enable” in the glossary.
Discharge S tored energy being released from a battery.
DC Loads Thes e lo a ds are those that run off a DC electr i ca l system (battery). A few ex am ples
of DC loads are pumps, lights, fans, power vents, toilet, inverters , and some water
heaters. DC loads rely on the batteries for power.
Echo Charger Auxiliary charger that can charge your engine battery when the main charger is in
Bulk or Absorption mode and the house battery voltage is at 13.2 volts DC or higher.
Electrolyte The liquid found inside storage batteries . Electrolyte is a conductive medium in
which the flow of electricity takes place. In lead-acid batteries, the electrolyte is an
acid-water mixture.
Enable When a function is enabled, it is allowed to occur but other conditions may have to
be met before the functi o n is activated or turned on. Fo r e x am pl e, the charger
function on the MS2000 may be enabled, but it will not charge unles s qualified AC
power is present.