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alternator
(redirected from Alternator Theory)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
alternator: see generator generator, in electricity, machine used to change mechanical energy into electrical energy. It operates on the principle of electromagnetic induction, discovered (1831) by Michael Faraday.
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alternator

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Exploded view of an automotive alternator. The engine's turning crankshaft, connected to the …
(credit: © Merriam-Webster Inc.)
Source of direct electric current in modern vehicles for ignition, lights, fans, and other uses. The electric power is generated by an alternator mechanically coupled to the engine, with a rotor field coil supplied with current through slip rings, and a stator with a three-phase winding. A rectifier converts the power from alternating to direct form. A regulator ensures that the output voltage is properly matched to the battery voltage as engine speed varies. An inductor alternator is a special kind of synchronous generator in which both the field and the output winding are on the stator.


alternator
an electrical machine that generates an alternating current

alternator [′ȯl·tər‚nād·ər]
(electricity)
A mechanical, electrical, or electromechanical device which supplies alternating current.

alternator
A generator of alternating current which is produced by the turning of its rotor.


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