Alternators in modern cars (if it’s not just a chip), or generators in classic cars. How do they regulate the voltage through high RPM and not overcharge the sytstem?
In: Engineering
A generator spins a copper coil (or several) in a magnetic field. The voltage generated depends on the number of windings of the coil, the speed, and the strength of the field.
A normal generator uses normal magnets to generate the magnetic field. Thus, since the windings and field never change, the voltage only changes with speed. We don’t want the voltage to change in an alternator, so we are given the option of either regulating the speed or changing the strength of the magnetic field. It’s not like we can take the coil apart and rewind it while it is spinning, after all.
Since the speed cannot be easily regulated, we instead change the strength of the magnetic field. The normal magnets are replaced with electromagnets, which syphon off some electrical power in order to create a magnetic field. The amount of power syphoned is changed to ensure that the voltage stays about the same.
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