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by jbay808 1531 days ago
In terms of motors, yes -- virtually all motors need to provide AC to the coils to run, so DC motors need to use an inverter.

But increasingly these days, even AC motors are being run from variable-frequency drives, in order to squeeze out a bit more efficiency, because the savings from better matching the load more than makes up for the losses in the drive. Many jurisdictions are starting to incentivize or require VFDs for HVAC applications. And typically the first thing the VFD does is rectify the AC input to DC.
2 comments
dreamcompiler 1531 days ago
Indeed. There seems to be a lot of confusion about the types of AC. "AC" can mean "50 or 60 Hz sinusoid synchronized to the grid" or it can mean "a waveform that is not a constant voltage." Most motors require some form of the latter. Older motors required the former, but there are very few reasons to build motors that way today. The ones that remain in service can easily be driven by electronic inverters from a DC supply.
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fy20 1531 days ago
In marketing speak, a variable frequency drive is often referred to as "inverter technology" in appliances.
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