Sensitive inverter trips

[Thys LOW Elektries]

Good day all
After installing two lights, hanging from a ceiling beam, on a lead from a plug. The inverter tripped every time I plugged the lead in and gave an error 5 code. Error 5 was a dead short.

Strange the breakers. neither plug nor mains, nor earth leakage tripped. After inspecting the plug, the wall unit and the joints I made I found a bad termination, made in the factory as the culprit. A single strand of copper wire touched the metallic base of the lamp, which was earthed and was picked up by the inverter and it tripped.

Now my question is this: Why did the inverter trip and not the breakers? Was it because because of the electronics in the inverter versus a bi-metal plate that needs heat to trip? Or do I miss something?

After fixing the termination the inverter worked without tripping and everybody were happy, including me three hours later

[Justloadit]

Electronics can works in 'nano-seconds', that is 10 to the -9 of a second, or to put into prospective, 0.000000001 of a second.
Elecromagnetic circuit breakers can take approximately 10 to 20 milliseconds, or 10 to the -2 of a second, or 0.01 of a second. 50Hz is a 20 millisecond cycle.
Bi metals require the heating of the material, and the reaction time will vary based on the start temperature, ambient temperature and the current through the bi metal, and can take several seconds to trip.

So yes electronic detection systems are fast, the delays are introduced to make it more manageable in the application that they are connected too.
This delay may be adjusted according to the fault current that the electronic components may be allowed to endure before failure.
In the case of inverters where, in the lower cost inverters they use IGBT's they can endure 150 to 200Amps for a microsecond (0.000001) before failure occurs.
So it is wise to trip quickly under any fault condition to protect the electronics.
Just remember fuses in electronic equipment, do not protect electronics, but are there to prevent a fire when a failure occurs.

[adrianh]

I have an inline UPS on my computers. It is amazing how quickly it reacts - if the compressor is turned on in the garage or the vacuum cleaner is turned on anywhere in the house the device immediately responds to protect the computers.

[Derlyn]

When the vacuum cleaner gets turned on in this house, I respond quicker than any UPS can. I run away and stay away until that interferance is gone.

Peace out .. Derek.

[ians]

I have an inline UPS on my computers. It is amazing how quickly it reacts - if the compressor is turned on in the garage or the vacuum cleaner is turned on anywhere in the house the device immediately responds to protect the computers.

That is why we use "online" UPS units for sensitive electronic equipment ... they cost a lot more ... but keep the voltage constant ... no switching ... just constant clean power.