Difference between high frequency and industrial frequency inverter

When choosing an inverter, many people will be stuck on the same question: What is the difference between a high-frequency inverter and a power 

frequency inverter? The same is to change DC into AC, but the price, volume and carrying capacity are different. Make clear the core difference bet-

ween the two, so as not to make a mistake when selecting the type.

First, the working principle is different

The power frequency inverter adopts the traditional scheme: firstly, the direct current is converted into 50Hz power frequency alternating current, 

and then it is boosted and isolated by the power frequency transformer. The transformer directly processes the power frequency voltage, and the 

structure is simple and direct.

High-frequency inverter first converts DC into high-frequency (tens of kHz) AC, and then completes voltage conversion and isolation through high-

frequency transformer, and finally returns to 50Hz power frequency AC output. The overall topology is more complex because of the addition of 

a high-frequency conversion link.

Second, the comparison of six core dimensions

Volume and weight

Power frequency inverter with power frequency transformer, copper and iron core materials, heavy body, large volume; High-frequency inverter 

uses high-frequency transformer instead of power frequency transformer, which is only half or even smaller than the power frequency machine 

with the same power. Most rack inverters adopt high-frequency scheme, which is convenient to install in standard cabinets.

conversion efficiency

There is more room for optimization of two-stage conversion of high-frequency inverter, and the overall efficiency is generally above 90%; The 

transformer loss of power frequency inverter is relatively higher, and the efficiency is generally slightly lower. When running for 7×24 hours for 

a long time, the efficiency gap will be directly reflected in the electricity bill.

cost price

Power frequency inverter has mature structure, few components, low cost per unit, but heavy materials; High-frequency inverter requires high 

power devices and control circuits, and the cost performance of small and medium power sections is outstanding, and the cost difference of 

large power sections will be reduced.

Waveform quality

Both types of models can be made into pure sine wave inverters, which can output clean 220V/380V alternating current and drive precision 

equipment, motors and lighting. The key to judge whether the waveform is good or bad depends on whether it is pure sine wave, not high 

frequency or power frequency.

Loading capacity

The power frequency transformer of power frequency inverter has strong impact resistance, and has more margin in the face of starting 

current impact of inductive loads such as motors and pumps. High-frequency inverter is stable under medium and small power, resistive load 

and general inductive load, and the power margin needs to be calculated separately under heavy load and strong impact scenarios.

Reliability and maintenance

The power frequency inverter circuit is relatively simple and the maintenance threshold is low; High-frequency inverter has high integration 

and more complete protection functions. As long as industrial-grade devices are selected and heat dissipation design is done well, long-term 

operation is equally reliable.

Third, what scenes are suitable for each other?

Power frequency inverter is more suitable for: high-power industrial load, motor equipment with large impulse current, occasions with special 

requirements for transformer isolation, and sites with simple environment and simple and easy maintenance of circuits.

High-frequency inverter is more suitable for: communication base station, small computer room, outdoor power supply, cabinet embedded 

installation and other scenes sensitive to volume and weight; Among industrial inverters, three-phase inverters and off-grid inverters with 

48V DC input, high-frequency schemes are the mainstream.

Four, the selection of a sentence summary

Light load, small space, pursuit of efficiency and lightweight, high-frequency inverter is preferred; Heavy load, big impact, high-power motor 

drag, power frequency inverter is more secure. If you are not sure, tell the manufacturer the load type, power, DC voltage and installation 

method, and the technical side will determine the model after checking the margin.

Baoweite industrial inverter series covers high-frequency single-phase and three-phase models, supports 48V/110V/220V DC input, pure sine 

wave output, standard overload, short circuit and overheating protection, supports rack-mounted installation and parallel expansion, and can 

provide selection schemes according to different load scenarios such as fans, pumps and communication equipment.

If you need type selection and transformation, you can consult Baoweite for the scheme. Thank you for browsing. You can collect official website of 

Shenzhen Baoweite Power Supply Co., Ltd.