At 02:24 PM 1/12/98 EST, w1gsl(at)MIT.EDU wrote:
>In the event of your short you are not going to get "hundreds of
>ammps" out of the alternator.. but it will limit at about 35 A
>(with the Lucas 10AC alternator in a Series V) and then you will
>see a large discharge from the battery which will indicate on the ammeter.
>
Well, you might get hundreds of amps if you short out an alternator. I
don't know all that much about Alpine and Tiger alternators but a typical
'mercan alternator will not limit to a safe current level if shorted. I
would find it hard to believe that any alternator would simply limit to 35
amps when shorted. The limiting factor would be any fuseable elements in
the circuit and/or the resistance of the alternator windings and the short
circuit path. I would find it easy to believe that a hundred of amps could
be drawn from a respectable alternator under short circuit conditions. The
preceeding comments are true for typical voltage regulating systems. If
the Lucas 10AC senses current then it might limit to a safe current but a
current limiting charging system would indeed be a novelty for a '60s
vintage automobile with a lead acid battery.
There used to be a company that sold an arc welder which consisted of a
briggs or equivelent gas motor driving what looked to be a heavy duty car
alternator. the rectifiers were mounted external. the things got damn hot
but they worked and I'm sure they delivered in excess of a hundred amps
under short circuit conditions.
Frank Marrone MK I Tiger B9471116
marrone(at)wco.com '97 Crown Vic LX
Yamaha Seca 900 (aka XJ900RK)
'79 Spitfire
'66 Ford LTD
'88 Nissan 4WD p'up
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