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Difference between Inverter Battery and Car Battery
In electrical and electronics, battery is a device used to store and supply electrical energy. A battery coverts chemical energy into electrical energy. Batteries are one the crucial components in several devices like mobile, laptop, cars, bikes, inverters, UPS, and more. Different types of batteries are used in different applications depending on the specifications and requirements of the application.
This article is meant for explaining the two common types of batteries namely inverter battery (UPS battery) and car battery (automobile battery). The primary difference between inverter battery and car battery is in the purpose i.e., an inverter battery is specially designed to use with inverters to provide backup power to home or office appliances during main electric power outages. Whereas, the car battery is designed to supply automobile/car electronic systems like starting motor of car engine, car lamps, indicators, horn, windows, etc.
Before discussing the differences between inverter battery and car battery, let us get a brief overview of these two types of battery.
What is an Inverter Battery?
An inverter battery is a type of battery designed to supply electric power to home and office appliances during main power outage. It is also known as backup battery because it provides backup power. The inverter batteries are designed to charge and discharge with the help of an inverter or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).
During the time of mains power availability, the inverter batteries get charged through the rectifier system of the inverter. Where, the rectifier is an electronic circuit that converts AC into DC. When the mains electrical outage occurs, the inverter system draws DC power from the inverter battery, converts into the AC, and supply to the electrical appliance to provide uninterrupted operation.
Overall, the inverter batteries are nothing but storage unit of electrical energy that can be utilized during the time of main power outage.
What is a Car Battery?
A car battery, also called automobile battery is a specially designed battery to use in cars and other vehicles to power their electronic systems. Again, the car battery is also a rechargeable battery.
The commonly used type of battery in cars is the Lead-Acid Battery. It is used to perform the following two main functions in a car/vehicle −
Starting the car engine
Powering the lights, music system, air conditioner, windows, etc.
In general, the car batteries have a voltage rating of 12 volts, but the batteries used in heavy vehicles can have 24 volts battery.
The most important characteristics of car batteries is that they are designed to provide a huge amount of electric current for a very short span of time. Also, the car batteries can get fully charged quickly to their full voltage.
This is all about basics of inverter and car batteries. Let us now explore the main differences between these two types of batteries in detail.
Difference Between Inverter Battery and Car Battery
The key differences between inverter battery and car battery are listed in the following table −
| Parameter | Inverter Battery | Car Battery |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Inverter battery is mainly designed to provide backup power when there is main power outage occur. | Car battery is specially designed to supply electric power to car electronic systems. |
| Voltage range | Inverter batteries come in several voltage ratings, such as 12 V, 24 V, 48 V, 120 V. But most common are 12 V and 24 V. | Car batteries are designed to have a voltage range between 12 volts to 14.5 volts. |
| Output supply | Inverter batteries are designed to provide steady power output for long span of time. | Automobile batteries are designed to provide large amount of power for short span of time. |
| Charging | Inverter battery takes longer time to recharge to its full potential. | Automobile battery quickly recharges to their full potential. |
| Effect of full discharging | Inverter batteries do not get damaged in fully discharge condition. | The full discharge condition can significantly affect the life of car batteries. |
| Also called | Inverter batteries are also called UPS batteries or backup batteries. | Car batteries are also called automobile batteries. |
| Battery capacity | Inverter batteries generally have high capacity and provide power for longer time. | Car batteries have lower capacity, as they are designed to supply power for short period of time. |
| Optimization | Inverter batteries are optimized for better discharge and recharge cycles. | Car batteries are optimized for quick and high-current output. |
| Maintenance | Inverter batteries require regular maintenance. | Car batteries require relatively less maintenance, mainly checking of connections and fluid levels. |
| Charging and discharging cycles | Inverter batteries have more charging and discharging cycles. | Car batteries have less charging and discharging cycles than inverter batteries. |
| Size | Inverter batteries come in large sizes. | Car batteries have compact design to fit in a limited space. |
| Ah rating | Inverter batteries have higher ampere-hour (Ah) rating. Typically, between 100 Ah to 220 Ah. | Car batteries have lower ampere-hour (Ah) rating, around 40 Ah to 80 Ah. |
| Type | Inverter batteries can be a sealed-type battery or flooded-type battery. | Car batteries are generally sealed-type batteries. To minimize the risk of fire and explosion. |
| Rating standard | Inverter batteries are rated in Ah and class rating standards. | Car batteries are rated in Ah, CA (Cranking Ampere), and CCA (Clod Cranking Ampere) ratings. |
| Discharging | Inverter batteries can be discharged up to 90% without any impact on its performance and life. | Car batteries have to be discharged up to 5% only. |
| Number of plates | Inverter batteries have a smaller number of plates. | Car batteries have a larger number of plates. |
| Charging method | Inverter batteries are charged using the main power supply through a UPS system. | Car batteries are charged by the car alternator driven by the engine. |
| Application | Inverter batteries are used to provide backup power in homes and offices during main power outages. | Car batteries are used to provide electric power to start engine and power other electronic systems. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, inverter batteries and car batteries have different engineering specification. Hence, it is advised to not use these batteries interchangeably. An inverter battery is designed to have higher capacity and provide a steady power for longer time, whereas a car battery is designed to have lower capacity and supply quick high-power to start the car engine. This detailed article on inverter battery and car battery explains all the significant differences between them.
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