another alternator bites the dust

[Jim Stewart]

Hi,

The slip rings are basically the equivalent of the commutator in a
generator, but still use brushes to contact them. Brushes are relatively
small compared to most old generator brushes, and since the slip rings
are smooth instead of grooved, the brushes last a long time compared to
generator brushes. But there's still a set of brushes involved.

Rick

Or to put it more concisely, generators use a commutator,
alternators use slip rings. Both need brushes to contact
the slip rings or commutator.

 

[null_pointer]

I thought Alternators used slip-rings to transfer power and generators used
brushes. eddie

They both use brushes. An alternator has "solid " slip rings to
deliver current to the rotating armature. This creates a rotating
magnet. The voltage used to run the electrical system is generated in
the stationary coils in the frame of the alternator.
A generator is just the other way around. It uses brushes to pick up
current from segmented commutator rings (like the slip ring, but
consisting of many electrically isolated segments). The magnetism to
create the voltage is generated in the stationary coils (stator)
In an alternator the brushes only carry the current needed to generate
a magnetic field. In the generator, they carry carry the whold output
current and thereby live a much harder life.
A generator doesn't need diodes because of the action of the segmented
commutator. A new winding is always being brought into a stationary
magnetic field at close to a right angle. This produces a direct
current, although with quite a bit of ripple...(no, not the cheap
wine)

 

[wh]

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 10:19:50 -0800, "Peter Berkey"

snip...

I used to run a wholesale operation and did in house financing on the
side.My thoughts are... only finance a subaru or volvo and only get
electrical parts from NAPA type places . Wells electronics from
autozone and advance auto parts used to die very quickly if they
worked at all.
I really loved replacing month old in tank fuel pumps:>