How Alternators Work
In short: An engine-driven belt spins an electromagnet inside fixed copper windings, and diodes and a regulator turn the resulting alternating current into the steady direct current that powers a car and recharges its battery.
A 1:55 short film in the series “How Things Work”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering (The Engines of Our Ingenuity, by John H. Lienhard), “Dynamo”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Alternator | Generator, Voltage Regulator & AC Power | Britannica”; Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (course material), “UNIT-II_4.pdf”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Battery - Primary Cells, Rechargeable, Lithium | Britannica”; IEEE (IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems; paper by Scacchioli, Rizzoni, Salman, Li, Onori and Zhang, 2012, hosted on a Stanford University server), “untitled”; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (paper by David J. Perreault and Vahe Caliskan, 2000), “A New Design for Automotive Alternators”; Elsevier (Journal of Sound and Vibration, ScienceDirect); authors W. Eversman, S. Burns, S. Pekarek, Hua Bai, J. Tichenor, “Noise generation mechanisms in claw pole alternators”; LibreTexts (Workforce LibreTexts), hosting Tony R. Kuphaldt's 'Lessons In Electric Circuits', Volume VI Experiments, via All About Circuits, “4.8: Automotive Alternator”; The Royal Institution of Great Britain, “Michael Faraday's ring-coil apparatus”; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation, “Electric and Hybrid Vehicles | NHTSA”.
Sources used in this film
- University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering (The Engines of Our Ingenuity, by John H. Lienhard) — Dynamo · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Alternator | Generator, Voltage Regulator & AC Power | Britannica · View →
- Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (course material) — UNIT-II_4.pdf · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Battery - Primary Cells, Rechargeable, Lithium | Britannica · View →
- IEEE (IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems; paper by Scacchioli, Rizzoni, Salman, Li, Onori and Zhang, 2012, hosted on a Stanford University server) — untitled · View →
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (paper by David J. Perreault and Vahe Caliskan, 2000) — A New Design for Automotive Alternators · View →
- Elsevier (Journal of Sound and Vibration, ScienceDirect); authors W. Eversman, S. Burns, S. Pekarek, Hua Bai, J. Tichenor — Noise generation mechanisms in claw pole alternators · View →
- LibreTexts (Workforce LibreTexts), hosting Tony R. Kuphaldt's 'Lessons In Electric Circuits', Volume VI Experiments, via All About Circuits — 4.8: Automotive Alternator · View →
- The Royal Institution of Great Britain — Michael Faraday's ring-coil apparatus · View →
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation — Electric and Hybrid Vehicles | NHTSA · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering (The Engines of Our Ingenuity, by John H. Lienhard): Dynamo
- Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Alternator | Generator, Voltage Regulator & AC Power | Britannica
- Also: Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (course material): UNIT-II_4.pdf
- Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Battery - Primary Cells, Rechargeable, Lithium | Britannica
- Also: IEEE (IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems; paper by Scacchioli, Rizzoni, Salman, Li, Onori and Z: untitled
- Also: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (paper by David J. Perreault and Vahe Caliskan, 2000): A New Design for Automotive Alternators
- Also: Elsevier (Journal of Sound and Vibration, ScienceDirect); authors W. Eversman, S. Burns, S. Pekarek, Hua Bai, J. Ticheno: Noise generation mechanisms in claw pole alternators
- Also: LibreTexts (Workforce LibreTexts), hosting Tony R. Kuphaldt's 'Lessons In Electric Circuits', Volume VI Experiments, via: 4.8: Automotive Alternator
- Also: The Royal Institution of Great Britain: Michael Faraday's ring-coil apparatus
- Also: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation: Electric and Hybrid Vehicles | NHTSA
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