550 has an Alternator or Generator? Which is it?

There's no 550 around me to play Doctor on.

But the material is confusing me.

The Factory Book for the 650 / 750 and 900 refer to the Alternator as:

Electric Generator, Generator and Alternator.

In the Electric / Wiring Chapter its "Electric Power Generator"

In the Addendum and Tech Section ... it's: "Alternator"

Are we calling an Alternator a Generator because the Books do ... or, it there two different systems to deal with?

(The 900 Book actually lists the Voltage Regulator as" "Regurator, Voltage")

I risch suumbarrie rudd career diz hup!
Doe-moe Are-rih-goddo.

 

Does it have a rectifier? If so, it's a generator.

 

As I understand it, the difference between a generator and an alternator is the former produces direct current while the latter produces alternating current. Generators don't need diodes so if yours has diodes, it's an alternator. For more on the two, see here.

 

I think the former (generator) produces ac, requiring a rectifier to convert it to DC.

 

Alternator: Produces AC at the windings (hence ALTERNATOR as in ALTERNATING current). Rectified with a 4-diode bridge. Result is not technically pure DC (it's kinda wavy) but sufficient to run DC equipment and charge batteries. Can be further smoothed out with capacitors.

Generator: kind of a generic term, but most commonly refers units that make DC straight off the coils. No rectifying needed.

Both systems require a voltage regulator, which sometimes includes the rectifying bridge, making things even more confusing.

 

Oops. Always gets dem backwards....

 

Dave's wiring diagram page indicates an alternator and rectifier just like on the shafties.

 

This is a good one! I always thought that generators and alternators both produce AC current in their electromagnetic fields. The generator sends only one cycle of current which makes it DC. The alternator sends both cycles and converts both to DC through diodes in the rectifier. Can't wait to see what is right!

 

Quoting from the linked site above...

 

BlueMaxim

You are very close to correct. The windings do indeed produce alternating current.

A generator rectifies this to DC by using a segmented commutator, much like that in our starter motors.

I believe in most generators the electricity is generated in the rotor and controlled by the field on the stator, the reverse of our alternators.

In a simple generator the commutator is separated into to 180 degree segments (minus a small gap). Each end of the armature coil is connected to one of the segments. As the rotor turns the segments switch which brush they contact (+, -). Thus reversing the polarity of 1/2 of the wave.

Incidentally, motors work on AC current. The segments in the commutator on the starter switch the polarity of the current so you have AC in the armature. A motor is a generator in reverse.

 

if you were to go to your local power plant and read the big brass plaque on the thing that makes your electricity it would say generator

 

Ok, what we typically call a generator is actually a dynamo. A DC generator is a dynamo. An AC generator is an Alternator. Both are technically generators. Your power company uses an alternator, at 60HZ just like the socket in the wall.

Edison used Generators (dynamos) in his first power plants. Said people didn't want their electricity changing directions. Westinghouse realized that power could be more efficiently be transferred over long distances at high voltages. Needed AC so transformers could be used to step voltage down for end use.

Westinghouse won.

 

Westinghouse also won in large part because he was based next to a brand new source of cheap renewable power; Niagara Falls.

 

NIAGARA FALLS .... !!!!

Slowly I turned ... step by step ....