Yes, increased load takes more power from your engine, otherwise we
could hook your TR3A to the New York power grid to prevent brownouts...
perhaps a slight exageration...
A generator is like a electric motor backwards. A 1 horsepower motor
takes say (these numbers aren't right) 10 amps to run, a 2 takes 20,
neglecting other losses. Power in + losses = power out etc, etc,
QED....
As for your AC, you're AC works harder as the air supplied to the
evaporator is diluted by warm air passing thru your heater core (as it
does when you choose the defrost option where your AC is used to remove
humidity from the heated air used to defrost/defog your windows). If
you want to increase your in-car temperature and get better mileage and
you happen to be running the AC Fan faster than low, turn the fan down
and not raise the temperature dial. The AC unit runs a thermostat at
the evaporater (cold radiator) and tryes to maintain a source of cooling
for you. If you blow less air thru the evaporator, it won't need to
compress the freon so often/much to keep up.
Perhaps a little confusing still??
Clark
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Visit me at: http://members.aol.com/cwnicholls
>----------
>From: Warren.Allen@infores.com[SMTP:Warren.Allen@infores.com]
>Sent: Monday, August 18, 1997 10:38 AM
>To: triumphs@autox.team.net
>Subject: Serious Generator/Alternator Question
>
> Fellow Scions,
>
> The recent cooling fan/generator/alternator thread brought
> back a question that I have wondered about for years: Does
> increasing electrical load really result in increased load
> on a generator/alternator, and therefore in increased gas
> mileage? Please hear me out before you answer, not because
> I'm right, but because I want a specific question answered.
> My argument is strictly intuitive, as I have no formal
> electrical education. Here goes: A generator consists of an
> armature (a metal shaft covered with wires) rotating between
> two magnets. There's no physical contact (other than
> brushes). How, therefore, can increased load make the
> armature harder to rotate? My intuition has always told me
> that a certain amount of electricity will be produced by
> this arrangement, and any excess beyond what's needed is
> (forgive me, this is all intuitive) bled off somehow, by
> sending it to ground.
>
> Related question: When I have my air conditioning on in the
> car, and I turn the temperature dial towards warmer, does
> the A/C compressor therefore start working less hard, and my
> gas mileage goes up, or does the compressor work just as
> hard, but the cool air get mixed with warm uncooled air in
> order to warm the air coming out of the vent?
>
> I somebody can explain this in simple terms, I would
> appreciate it. You will have cleared up one of the mysteries
> of the universe for me.
>
> Warren Allen
> 1960 TR3A (And no, it doesn't have A/C. That question
> concerns a BAC (Big American Car.)
>
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