The Automotive Charging System
The Automotive charging system is responsible for the charging of the vehicle battery and also powering of the electrical systems and components in the vehicle. The various components in the Automotive charging system include:
Alternator.
Cable and connections.
DC generator. Click the link to get any of these components in the Automotive Charging System.
The Alternator
The Alternator is a device that converts mechanical energy in form of rotation to electrical energy. The alternator receives its mechanical energy from the crankshaft pulley of the engine which is being transferred through a belt drive to the alternator pulley.
The rotation of the alternators pulley causes the alternator to generate alternating current which is converted to DC before it is supplied to the battery and the electrical systems and components of the vehicle. Modern alternator usually have inbuilt DC generator that helps converter the AC generated from by the alternator.
The alternator is an electric generator that works using electromagnetic induction principle; it has two major coils which are the rotor and stator. There are different designs of the alternator by various manufacturers.
More details about the Automotive Charging System.
The current and voltage rating of the alternators vary for different alternators depending on the power needs of the vehicles that they are designed for. Alternators usually comes with voltage rating of 14 volts and 26 volts, the 14 volts alternators is for vehicle with electrical systems of 12 volts rating, while the 26 volts alternator is for vehicles with electrical systems of 24 volts rating. The current rating of the alternator ranges from 75 amps, 100 amps to 150 amps or more, depending on the vehicle’s electrical system requirements. For more details on Automotive charging System check out our free course.
Components of the Alternator – Automotive Charging System.
The Alternator consists of the following basic components
The housing.
Stator.
Rotor/Armature.
Voltage regulator.
Slip ring.
Rectifier.
Fan.
Bearings.
Brushes.
The Housing covers and secure the components in the alternator, it has air vents so for proper cooling effect.
There are various designs for the alternator depending on the manufacturer and the feature.
The stator is the stator part of the alternator that helps to generate electric current through electromagnetic induction.
Rotor or armature is the rotating part of the alternator that helps to generate electric current using electromagnetic principle; it is connected to the pulley which rotates it from torque transmitted through alternator belt from the crankshaft.
Voltage regulator is the devices in the alternator that helps to maintain an average voltage to be produced from the alternator to be supply to the vehicles battery and its electrical and electronics components and systems.
Rectifier is responsible for the conversion of the alternating current (AC) generated by the alternator to direct current direct (DC) which is compatible for the vehicle’s electrical and electronics components and systems.
The fan helps in cooling it is attached to the rotor and rotates with it.
Bearings helps to aid smooth rotation the moving parts, when these bearings are bad it could lead various mechanical fault such as excessive noise from the bearings, low torque of the rotor which would to supply of low current. A major damage on the bearing could lead to damaging other components in the alternator.
Brushes are pieces of conductive material usually serving to maintain electrical contact between the rotor and stator of the alternator. It usually wear off after a period of time depending on its composition. When the brushes are worn out it affect the supply of current to the battery. The brushes are serviceable and should be replaced when due for replacement. Check our free ebook on Automotive Electrical Systems And Components.
Faults Associated with Alternator; Automotive Charging System.
Faults that are associated with the alternator include;
Slipping alternator drive belt.
Battery terminals loose or corroded.
Alternator internal fault (diode open circuit, brushes worn or regulator fault etc.).
Open circuit in alternator wiring, either main supply, ignition or sensing wires if fitted.
Short circuit component causing battery drains even when all switches are off.
High resistance in the main charging circuit.
Slipping or broken alternator drive belt.
Alternator internal fault (diode open circuit, brushes worn or regulator fault etc.).
Loose or broken wiring/connections.
Alternator internal fault (brushes worn open circuit or regulator fault etc.).
Blown warning light bulb.
Open circuit in warning light circuit.
Ways to repair such faults associated with the alternator;
The alternator is usually fixed by disassembling it and replacing or servicing the faulty components. Most alternators are serviceable. Click here to buy tools for diagnosing and fixing Automotive Charging System Faults.
Cables and Connections in Automotive Charging System
The Automotive charging system just as every other system in the vehicle has cables that help to connect the components in it to their source of power and also to components and systems they power. There are basically two types of cables which are LIVE (positive) and EARTH (negative); they work together to enable the flow of current and voltage into, through and out of the system.
A live cable is connected from the alternator to the battery’s positive terminal, while the earth cable is connected to the body to the vehicle (I.e. grounded), the battery negative terminal is also grounded making it a complete circuit.
DC Generator
The DC generator is no longer used in modern vehicles; it is used in vehicle with alternators that produce AC. It converts the AC to DC before it is supplied to the various electrical components and systems that it powers. The DC generator is no longer been used in the vehicles any longer.
