What.. alternates by them to recharge the battery? How is it recharging? In a gas car? While its off? I feel like an idiot!
In: Engineering
Think of a car’s electrical system in 2 different “Modes”. You have Starting, and Continuing.
Starting –
This is when you input your key and turn the ignition. What is happening here is the Battery is using its 12v volts to turn the starter. The starter is an electric motor with a gear on the end. That gear is directly connected to your flywheel. The flywheel is a giant plate of metal with geared teeth on the outside circumference. Think of a 12lb plate with the outside toothed. This plate, is directly connected to the output shaft of the engine, so as the engine pumps power, the flywheel turns. In manual cars this flywheel is butted against what’s called a clutch plate. When you push in the clutch, the pads (just like brakes) slow both down to the point that they are both moving at the same speed and the gears can shift. On automatics, they have what’s called a, “Torque converter” that does the same thing.
Continuing –
This is the mode your car uses 98.6% of the time. In this mode, your battery is useless. It’s charged back to capacity, but otherwise, the power is diverted away from the battery. The alternator provides all the electrical production the car requires.
Get it? A battery in a car is used for 1 thing, and only 1 thing…
To provide the necessary “juice” to crank that starter.
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