How Does An Alternator Work?
Fuel, air, and a spark are required to make your engine run. It is the spark that sets it all off, with electricity required to create it. Your battery will eventually supply electricity, but it takes a while for that to happen. More electricity is needed, which is where the alternator comes into the picture. It is the job of the alternator to continually supply a charge to the battery so that it will never be out of juice.
How Does An Alternator Work?
OK, to understand how does an alternator work s consider…
Your car battery is 12 volts, but in order to work at full capacity and power all of the electrical components in your car, the alternator has to deliver in the region of 13.5 to 14.8 volts. Before we discuss how that happens, let’s first look at the three main components found in an alternator: the stator, rotor, and diode, with a voltage regulator tossed in for good measure. It is the spinning of the alternator belt (V-belt) that spins the pulley on the alternator. That makes the rotor housed inside the alternator spin at an incredible speed. The rotor is a single or group of magnets that spin, quickly, inside a bunch of copper wires (stator).
Explaining how a magnet and copper wires generates electricity takes more time to explain than we have here, but it does play a part in How does an alternator work so I guess you’ll just take my word for it. You can find more detailed information on that all over the internet.
The next part of the process involves a diode set-up that changes the current from AC to the DC that the battery needs. The final step is the voltage generator, which is something that is usually already built in.
It used to be that voltage regulators were massive black bolted that basically had to be bolted into place and wired into the system. The job of the voltage regulator is to assess the flow of juice to the battery and shut it down when it is more than is needed, which is usually anything over 14.5 volts. This basically stops your battery from getting fried. That’s how it all works, with the alternator supplying more juice to the battery as it gets drained, a process that is repeated over and over again.
motor/generators used in electric cars and hybrids. For that reason, it is AC we will focus on.
There are 4 main parts found in an AC Motor/Generator:
1)A wire wound armature that is shaft-mounted (rotor)
2)A housing that holds a field of magnets that are stacked side by side to induce electrical energy (stator)
3)Slips rings whose job it is to move the AC current to and from the armature
4)Brushes that come into contact with the rings in order to transfer current from the electrical circuit in both directions
The AC Generator in Action
A mechanical power source is used to drive the armature. The wire coil wrapped around the rotor passes over the magnets in the stator as it spins, creating an electrical current in the wires. The individual loops within the coil pass both the north and south poles over and over again, causing the current to quickly and continually shift direction. Each of those direction changes is referred to as a cycle that is measured in cycles per second or hertz (Hz). In the U.S., the cycle rate (60 Hz) is a little different from the rest of the world (50 Hz). The current is given a path away from the armature courtesy of slip rings found at both ends of the rotor’s wire loop. The path of the current is completed by the brushes, which ride against the slip rings.
The AC Motor in Action
The reverse of generator action is motor action, which is essentially the supply of mechanical power. In this action it is a circuit that feeds the current as opposed to the rotor. The current being sent through the armature creates an electromagnet. The electromagnetic force created is repelled by the permanent magnets, which in turn makes the armature spin. The motor will continue to run for as long as electricity flows through the circuit.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil
How An Electric Motor Works
How An Electric Motor Works
Electrical motored types of cars are the wave of the future, so it’s interesting to learn how they work. An electric motor works by delivering the power an electric car need to get moving, while hybrids use electric motors in combination with an internal combustion engine. The electric motors in question use a process known as regenerative braking to get the power that they need to charge up the onboard batteries. Most of us understand the concept of electric motors being used to run household appliances that we use every day, but it take a little more thought to understand how that self-same process can actually work in reverse, which is essentially what happens with these motors. Instead of consuming energy in order to work, How an electric motor works is by generating the power needed so that it can be used by the hybrid needs in order to get moving. The whole process makes more sense when you learn about electromagnetism.
Electromagnetism
To understand how an electric motor works, you need to understand a little about electromagnetism. The whole process of generating electricity and motor power starts with electromagnetism, which is the physical relationship that exists between electricity and a magnet. An electromagnet is much like a regular magnet in many ways, but its force is essentially controlled by electricity. When a conducting material wire, such as copper, is passed through a magnetic field, it creates a current that turns the wire into a basic generator. When a wire is twisted around an iron core and has electricity passed through it while the core is in the presence of a magnetic field, it will start to move and twist, turning it into a rather basic motor.
How An Electric motor works
A motor/generator is basically a single device that can run in opposite modes. It is a common misconception that those two modes have to run backwards from one another, with the device going one direction as a motor and another as a generator. The reality is that the shaft spins the same way, with the direction change coming from the flow of electricity. When working as a motor, electricity flows in to create power, whereas that mechanical power is consumed, or flows out, when it acts as a generator.
Electromechanical Rotation
To understand how an electric motor works, there are usually two specific types of electric motor/generators: AC (alternating current) and DC (Direct Current). Both types indicate the type of electricity that is generated or consumed. Simply put, AC will change direction when flowing through a circuit, whereas DC follows the same direction all the way through. Efficiency level and cost are usually the factors that decide which type is chosen. AC is the more expensive of the two, but also the most efficient.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil
British Cars That Make You Go “ Yeah Baby Yeah!”
Those of you who have been following the XAC blog, know that I live and breathe cars.
I fix cars from sunrise to sunset, I guess you could call me a “Car- oholic” if there is such a word. Oh, and most of all I love to drive cars. So todays post will be about cars, and in particular British cars that make you go “Yeah baby yeah!”
Like most car enthusiasts, when someone mentions British cars I immediately think of the cool cars that have appear in the Bond movies, you know like that one that could go underwater – bad-boy!
Let’s take a look at some favorites.
BRITISH CARS: LOTUS ESPRIT
“Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere” – Lotus Philosophy
This philosophy has seen Lotus producing excellent British cars for years, sport cars that are lightweight, superfast and handle brilliantly on the road. The Lotus Esprit rightfully starred in 2 Bond movies.
Bentley R-Type
Although Bentley is a British car, they are also a part of the Volkswagen family. Not too far back, I had the privilege of working on one that belonged to a friend of mine. Working on a car of such class was indeed a pleasure to say the least.
I learned a picked up a few things about the British car. It was very much like a VW and even had the same part numbers as the VW Touareg. Sadly though the Bentley I worked on was without “Bond… James Bond” anti-pursuit systems. The R-Type only appeared in 1 Bond movie.
Aston Martin DBS
British Cars: Aston Martin
For me personally Aston Martin is the car of all British cars. Yeah I said it!
When I think of James Bond, I think of him in nothing else but an Aston Martin. One second, that didn’t come out quite right. I mean… I think of James Bond fittingly driving an Aston Martin (fully dressed of course!). James Bond drove Aston Martins in 9 of the movies, the most popular being the DB5 that appeared in 5 out of 9 of those movies. Oh, if only Aston Martins came factory fitted with all the Bond gadgets, it will undoubtedly be every grown man’s favorite toy!
Jaguar
British Cars: Jaguar
British cars, Jag-wire, Jag-u-ar, or however you choose to call it are undeniably increasingly popular. I just prefer to call them Jags.
Did you know that British Car Jaguar was initially produced as sidecar for motorcycles? They sure have come a long way. Admittedly, the Jaguar style is an acquired taste and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But you’d be crazy not to find the 1950 Mark 2 and the F-Type amazingly sexy. You’ll find 2 Bond movies that have featured Jaguars.
There are so many other awesome British cars around today.
Most, if not all, are of course way beyond my price range. But who knows, I might be able to get my hands on a couple of used James Bond esq British cars. Then again, I may still have to wait until I win the Lottery. Besides, I wouldn’t go for anything less than a British Car that is fully loaded with anti-pursuit systems (wink!).
Have you got a favorite Bond car or like any particular British cars in general? I would love to hear all about them. Go ahead and post your comments below.
To health and vehicle happiness,
Your fearless mechanic,
Phil