What’s the difference between an alternator, a stator, and a generator?
In: Engineering
Generator is a catch all term for anything that converts some form of energy into electricity. This is typically done by moving an electrically conductive element through a magnetic field.
A stator is the part of a generator that doesn’t move.
An alternator is a specific type of generator that produces an alternating current. Usually the only place you here the term alternator used is in relation to cars, where the alternator is driven by a belt to the engine, and used to power the cars electrical systems. Otherwise, they usually just get called generators.
An alternator is a kind of generator that produces AC, that is current with alternating polarity.
A stator can be part of both a generator and a motor, and is the static part, opposed to the rotor, which is the moving part in a generator. Both are working together.
In a motor, the current flowing in the stator will make the rotor rotate. In a generator, the rotation will induce a current in the stator and produce electricity.
A generator generates electricity from mechanical motion, the lots of designs of them
An alternator os a type of generator that produces alternating current, this is where it gets the name.
A stator is the stationary part of a rotation system and the rotating part is a rotor. An alternator and all other generators will contain both a stator and a rotor.
So an alternator is a type of generator and one part of it is the stator.
A stator is the part of an electric generator that doesn’t move, it is stationary. Both an alternator and generator have a stator inside. A generator is a device that turns rotational motion into electricity. An alternator is a type of generator that outputs alternating current.
To generate electricity it is necessary to vary a magnetic field in front of a conducting coil. The most efficient way is to rotate a magnet between coils (usually a multiple of three).
These coils are stationary and make up the stator.
The rotating magnet is the rotor.
The rotor and stator assembly constitutes an alternator.
An alternator is an electrical generator that produces alternating current.
An alternating current is a current that is constantly changing like wavelets. In comparison, a battery produces a direct current that is stable if conditions do not change.
Why do we bother with alternating current?
An alternating current as it is constantly changing can be converted to other voltages easily. On the same principle as the alternator, coils with variable fields can be aligned with other coils to raise or lower the voltage. This is what an electric transformer does.
It is essentiel to transport electricity on long distance and adapt the voltage to the different use (generation, transport, dispatch, industrial equipment, home).
A generator is a piece of equipment that converts energy into electricity. An alternator is a generator of alternating current. A dynamo is a generator of direct current. A solar panel is a direct current generator.
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