[M] Alterpower alternator charging control switch

[Barry Gibson]

richard's point is just as valid today as it was however many years ago.
pick up a copy of hot rod, muscle mustang, fast ford, etc etc etc and look
at the advertisements ... you'll find that several vendors supply under drive
pulleys for late model muscle cars, and that 5 to 8 _rear wheel hp_ (!) is
the typical gain.  this is no bull:  these magazines have run _independent_
dyno tests and verified these claims several times.

discussion on the list seems to confirm that the loss _from the alternator
itself_ should be about 1 or 2 hp ... where does the rest come from?
the belts.  in a high rpm situation -- be it on a dyno or at the race track --
if you spin the alternator w/ stock pulleys that were designed for 2 -> 3k
operation at twice that speed or more, you are going to have some very
high losses thru belt hysteries.  hey, the oem system was design to live
in day to day situations for mom & pop ...

barry

Jemison Richard wrote:

> I agree the alternator output is very low when the battery is charged but
> the stator coils are still charged (and therefore exerting a magnetic field)
> and there is still a mechanical loss associated with spinning the
> alternator.   I don't know that you can prove or disprove this theory on the
> electrical basis of the alternators parameters alone completely discounting
> the mechanical losses.  All I can tell you is that this has been a pretty
> well established and observed loss on dynomometers with engines running at
> speeds above 5000 rpm.   Alternator on the engine (X -5 hp).  Stop - pull
> the alternator - rerun the test ( X output!).  Seems pretty simple.  For
> myself - I don't really care WHY the alternators sucking the power.  If I
> get down to where 5 hp makes the difference - the alternator's gone!
>
> rick
>

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