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On 12 May 2002, at 15:50, Per Lindgren wrote: > The speed the alternator spins doesnt matter. The regulator regulates > the voltage. Ahhh, but it does matter. Both generator and alternator output voltages are shaft speed dependent. At low RPM the regulators are full ON, but as the RPM rises alternator regulators limit the voltage output while generator regulators limit both the voltage and the current. Alternators are current limited by their internal resistance. Alternators have the advantage at idle because they can be "geared" up enough that they are already under regulation at idle. Generators have an inherent RPM limitation which makes their efficiency fall off at high RPM (as well as at idle) so they have to be "geared" such that they are in a useful range most of the time. - ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------- Too much? Digest! mailto:type3-d-request@vwtype3.org Subj=subscribe