Background

For almost as long as electricity has been used as a means of transmitting power, small electrical generators driven by a prime mover (nowadays usually a petrol or diesel engine ) have been used to produce electricity in locations not served by an electrical distribution grid.

While there are possibly many millions of gensets used around the world in boats and other locations where there are few other power options, they are not without their problems. The engines tend to be noisy, produce vibrations, and require frequent maintenance. The genset has to be of a size to supply the maximum anticipated load, e.g. for electric cooking or air conditioning, when for much of the time the load could be very small - a couple of lights, a stereo or TV, or even nothing at all. The need to maintain a constant AC power frequency means that the engine has to continue running at the same speed no matter what power is being generated. An engine running at high speed and light load is very inefficient, even by the standards of internal combustion engines. This causes high fuel consumption and high pollutant emissions.

DC to AC Inverter

There is now another option for providing electrical power in the absence of a permanent distribution grid connection. This is to power all the mains voltage loads from a suitably sized DC to AC inverter, drawing its power from a battery bank, which is charged by a small DC genset. The inverter and battery bank are sized so that they can handle the peak power demand of the installation.

Such a configuration would mean the genset does not need to supply the peak load power, so a much small device could be used. It would run only when needed and at maximum efficiency.

Technological advances means that there is now range of power sources and suitable battery technologies which allow such a configuration. However no appropriate DC to AC inverters are available on the market today to make such a power configuration viable in boats, RVs or other locations where weight and space are critical

Total Mobile Power intends to develop a multiple output inverter system which will provide the "missing link" and make such a power configuration possible. It will include patented technology features which make it of particular interest to builders of recreational boats.