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class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Principle of operation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Principle_of_operation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Synchronous_speeds" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Synchronous_speeds"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Synchronous speeds</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Synchronous_speeds-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Classifications" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Classifications"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Classifications</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Classifications-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Classifications subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Classifications-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-By_excitation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#By_excitation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>By excitation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-By_excitation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Direct-connected_direct-current_(DC)_generator" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Direct-connected_direct-current_(DC)_generator"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1.1</span> <span>Direct-connected direct-current (DC) generator</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Direct-connected_direct-current_(DC)_generator-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Direct-connected_alternating-current_(AC)_generator" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Direct-connected_alternating-current_(AC)_generator"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1.2</span> <span>Direct-connected alternating-current (AC) generator</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Direct-connected_alternating-current_(AC)_generator-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Transformation_and_rectification" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Transformation_and_rectification"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1.3</span> <span>Transformation and rectification</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Transformation_and_rectification-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Brushless_alternators" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Brushless_alternators"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1.4</span> <span>Brushless alternators</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Brushless_alternators-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-By_number_of_phases" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#By_number_of_phases"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>By number of phases</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-By_number_of_phases-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-By_rotating_part" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#By_rotating_part"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.3</span> <span>By rotating part</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-By_rotating_part-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cooling_methods" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cooling_methods"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.4</span> <span>Cooling methods</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cooling_methods-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Specific_applications" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Specific_applications"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Specific applications</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Specific_applications-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Specific applications subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Specific_applications-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Synchronous_generators" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Synchronous_generators"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Synchronous generators</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Synchronous_generators-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Automotive_alternators" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Automotive_alternators"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Automotive alternators</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Automotive_alternators-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Diesel-electric_locomotive_alternators" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Diesel-electric_locomotive_alternators"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.3</span> <span>Diesel-electric locomotive alternators</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Diesel-electric_locomotive_alternators-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Marine_alternators" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Marine_alternators"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.4</span> <span>Marine alternators</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Marine_alternators-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Aviation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Aviation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.5</span> <span>Aviation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Aviation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Radio_alternators" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Radio_alternators"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.6</span> <span>Radio alternators</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Radio_alternators-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternator</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 41 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-41" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">41 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator" title="Alternator – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Alternator" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8" title="منوب – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="منوب" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternador" title="Alternador – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Alternador" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%B0" title="অল্টারনেটর – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="অল্টারনেটর" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%88%D1%8B%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0_%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%83" title="Машына пераменнага току – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Машына пераменнага току" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bo mw-list-item"><a href="https://bo.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%BD%A6%E0%BE%A3%E0%BD%BC%E0%BD%A3%E0%BC%8B%E0%BD%A2%E0%BE%92%E0%BE%B1%E0%BD%B4%E0%BC%8B%E0%BD%82%E0%BE%B3%E0%BD%BC%E0%BD%82%E0%BC%8B%E0%BD%A0%E0%BD%91%E0%BD%BC%E0%BD%93%E0%BC%8B%E0%BD%A0%E0%BD%95%E0%BE%B2%E0%BD%B4%E0%BD%A3%E0%BC%8D" title="སྣོལ་རྒྱུ་གློག་འདོན་འཕྲུལ། – Tibetan" lang="bo" hreflang="bo" data-title="སྣོལ་རྒྱུ་གློག་འདོན་འཕྲུལ།" data-language-autonym="བོད་ཡིག" data-language-local-name="Tibetan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>བོད་ཡིག</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternador" title="Alternador – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Alternador" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altern%C3%A1tor" title="Alternátor – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Alternátor" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wechselstromgenerator" title="Wechselstromgenerator – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Wechselstromgenerator" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternador" title="Alternador – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Alternador" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternadore" title="Alternadore – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Alternadore" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%98%D9%86%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D9%86%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86" title="ژنراتور سنکرون – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="ژنراتور سنکرون" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B5%90%EB%A5%98_%EB%B0%9C%EC%A0%84%EA%B8%B0" title="교류 발전기 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="교류 발전기" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0" title="अल्टरनेटर – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="अल्टरनेटर" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-io mw-list-item"><a href="https://io.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatoro" title="Alternatoro – Ido" lang="io" hreflang="io" data-title="Alternatoro" data-language-autonym="Ido" data-language-local-name="Ido" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ido</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator" title="Alternator – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Alternator" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatore" title="Alternatore – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Alternatore" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kn mw-list-item"><a href="https://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B2%86%E0%B2%B5%E0%B2%B0%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%A4%E0%B2%95_(%E0%B2%86%E0%B2%B2%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%9F%E0%B2%B0%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%A8%E0%B3%87%E0%B2%9F%E0%B2%B0%E0%B3%8D)" title="ಆವರ್ತಕ (ಆಲ್ಟರ್ನೇಟರ್) – Kannada" lang="kn" hreflang="kn" data-title="ಆವರ್ತಕ (ಆಲ್ಟರ್ನೇಟರ್)" data-language-autonym="ಕನ್ನಡ" data-language-local-name="Kannada" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ಕನ್ನಡ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%B9%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8B_%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BA_%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8B" title="Айнымалы ток генераторы – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Айнымалы ток генераторы" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sw mw-list-item"><a href="https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altaneta" title="Altaneta – Swahili" lang="sw" hreflang="sw" data-title="Altaneta" data-language-autonym="Kiswahili" data-language-local-name="Swahili" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kiswahili</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai%C5%86str%C4%81vas_%C4%A3enerators" title="Maiņstrāvas ģenerators – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Maiņstrāvas ģenerators" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BB%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80" title="Алтернатор – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Алтернатор" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%86%E0%B5%BE%E0%B4%9F%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%9F%E0%B5%BC%E0%B4%A8%E0%B5%87%E0%B4%B1%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B1%E0%B5%BC" title="ആൾട്ടർനേറ്റർ – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="ആൾട്ടർനേറ്റർ" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator" title="Alternator – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Alternator" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ne mw-list-item"><a href="https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0" title="अल्टरनेटर – Nepali" lang="ne" hreflang="ne" data-title="अल्टरनेटर" data-language-autonym="नेपाली" data-language-local-name="Nepali" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>नेपाली</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BF%E3%83%8D%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC" title="オルタネーター – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="オルタネーター" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C4%85dnica_pr%C4%85du_przemiennego" title="Prądnica prądu przemiennego – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Prądnica prądu przemiennego" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternador" title="Alternador – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Alternador" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator" title="Alternator – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Alternator" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Генератор переменного тока – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Генератор переменного тока" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sco mw-list-item"><a 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<div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Device converting mechanical into electrical energy</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Gorskii_04414u.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Gorskii_04414u.jpg/200px-Gorskii_04414u.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="181" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Gorskii_04414u.jpg/300px-Gorskii_04414u.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Gorskii_04414u.jpg/400px-Gorskii_04414u.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3329" data-file-height="3010" /></a><figcaption>Alternators made in 1909 by <a href="/wiki/Ganz_Works" title="Ganz Works">Ganz Works</a> in the power generating hall of a Russian <a href="/wiki/Hydroelectric" class="mw-redirect" title="Hydroelectric">hydroelectric</a> station (photograph by <a href="/wiki/Prokudin-Gorsky" class="mw-redirect" title="Prokudin-Gorsky">Prokudin-Gorsky</a>, 1911).<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>An <b>alternator</b> is an <a href="/wiki/Generator_(device)" class="mw-redirect" title="Generator (device)">electrical generator</a> that converts <a href="/wiki/Mechanical_energy" title="Mechanical energy">mechanical energy</a> to <a href="/wiki/Electrical_energy" title="Electrical energy">electrical energy</a> in the form of <a href="/wiki/Alternating_current" title="Alternating current">alternating current</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating <a href="/wiki/Magnetic_field" title="Magnetic field">magnetic field</a> with a stationary <a href="/wiki/Armature_(electrical_engineering)" class="mw-redirect" title="Armature (electrical engineering)">armature</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Slemon_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Slemon-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Occasionally, a <a href="/wiki/Linear_alternator" title="Linear alternator">linear alternator</a> or a rotating armature with a stationary magnetic field is used. In principle, any <a href="/wiki/Alternating_current" title="Alternating current">AC</a> <a href="/wiki/Electrical_generator" class="mw-redirect" title="Electrical generator">electrical generator</a> can be called an alternator, but usually, the term refers to small rotating machines driven by <a href="/wiki/Car" title="Car">automotive</a> and other internal combustion engines. </p><p>An alternator that uses a <a href="/wiki/Magnet" title="Magnet">permanent magnet</a> for its <a href="/wiki/Magnetic_field" title="Magnetic field">magnetic field</a> is called a <a href="/wiki/Magneto" title="Magneto">magneto</a>. Alternators in <a href="/wiki/Power_station" title="Power station">power stations</a> driven by <a href="/wiki/Steam_turbine" title="Steam turbine">steam turbines</a> are called turbo-alternators. Large 50 or 60 Hz <a href="/wiki/Three-phase" class="mw-redirect" title="Three-phase">three-phase</a> alternators in <a href="/wiki/Power_plants" class="mw-redirect" title="Power plants">power plants</a> generate most of the world's electric power, which is distributed by <a href="/wiki/Electric_power_grid" class="mw-redirect" title="Electric power grid">electric power grids</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png/220px-Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="187" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png/330px-Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png/440px-Ames_Colorado_generator_alternating_current_power_plant_1891_Gold_King_Mine.png 2x" data-file-width="1500" data-file-height="1274" /></a><figcaption>In what is considered the first industrial use of alternating current in 1891, workers pose with a Westinghouse alternator at the <a href="/wiki/Ames_Hydroelectric_Generating_Plant" title="Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant">Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant</a>. This machine was used as a generator producing 3,000-volt, 133-hertz, single-phase AC, and an identical machine 3 miles (4.8 km) away was used as an AC motor.<sup id="cite_ref-books.google.com_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-books.google.com-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p>Alternating current generating systems were known in simple forms from the discovery of the <a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_induction" title="Electromagnetic induction">magnetic induction of electric current</a> in the 1830s. Rotating generators naturally produced alternating current, but since there was little use for it, it was normally converted into <a href="/wiki/Direct_current" title="Direct current">direct current</a> via the addition of a <a href="/wiki/Commutator_(electric)" title="Commutator (electric)">commutator</a> in the generator.<sup id="cite_ref-Christopher_Cooper_2015,_page_93_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Christopher_Cooper_2015,_page_93-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The early machines were developed by pioneers such as <a href="/wiki/Michael_Faraday" title="Michael Faraday">Michael Faraday</a> and <a href="/wiki/Hippolyte_Pixii" title="Hippolyte Pixii">Hippolyte Pixii</a>. Faraday developed the "rotating rectangle", whose operation was <i>heteropolar</i> – each active conductor passed successively through regions where the magnetic field was in opposite directions.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Lord_Kelvin" title="Lord Kelvin">Lord Kelvin</a> and <a href="/wiki/Sebastian_Ziani_de_Ferranti" title="Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti">Sebastian Ferranti</a> also developed early alternators, producing frequencies between 100 and 300 <a href="/wiki/Hertz" title="Hertz">Hz</a>. </p><p>The late 1870s saw the introduction of the first large-scale electrical systems with central generation stations to power <a href="/wiki/Arc_lamp" title="Arc lamp">Arc lamps</a>, used to light whole streets, factory yards, or the interior of large warehouses. Some, such as <a href="/wiki/Yablochkov_candle" title="Yablochkov candle">Yablochkov arc lamps</a> introduced in 1878, ran better on alternating current, and the development of these early AC generating systems was accompanied by the first use of the word "alternator".<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Christopher_Cooper_2015,_page_93_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Christopher_Cooper_2015,_page_93-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Supplying the proper amount of voltage from generating stations in these early systems was left up to the engineer's skill in "riding the load".<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1883 the <a href="/wiki/Ganz_Works" title="Ganz Works">Ganz Works</a> invented the constant voltage generator<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> that could produce a stated output voltage, regardless of the value of the actual load.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The introduction of <a href="/wiki/Transformer" title="Transformer">transformers</a> in the mid-1880s led to the widespread use of alternating current and the use of alternators needed to produce it.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> After 1891, <a href="/wiki/Polyphase_system" title="Polyphase system">polyphase</a> alternators were introduced to supply currents of multiple differing phases.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Later alternators were designed for various alternating current frequencies between sixteen and about one hundred hertz for use with arc lighting, incandescent lighting, and electric motors.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Specialized radio frequency alternators like the <a href="/wiki/Alexanderson_alternator" title="Alexanderson alternator">Alexanderson alternator</a> were developed as <a href="/wiki/Longwave" title="Longwave">longwave</a> <a href="/wiki/Radio_transmitter" class="mw-redirect" title="Radio transmitter">radio transmitters</a> around World War 1 and used in a few high power <a href="/wiki/Wireless_telegraphy" title="Wireless telegraphy">wireless telegraphy</a> stations before vacuum tube transmitters replaced them.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Principle_of_operation">Principle of operation</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Principle of operation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Alternator_1.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Alternator_1.svg/220px-Alternator_1.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="244" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Alternator_1.svg/330px-Alternator_1.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Alternator_1.svg/440px-Alternator_1.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="454" data-file-height="504" /></a><figcaption>Diagram of a simple alternator with a rotating magnetic core (rotor) and stationary wire (stator) also showing the current induced in the stator by the rotating magnetic field of the rotor.</figcaption></figure> <p>A conductor moving relative to a magnetic field develops an <a href="/wiki/Electromotive_force" title="Electromotive force">electromotive force</a> (EMF) in it (<a href="/wiki/Faraday%27s_law_of_induction" title="Faraday's law of induction">Faraday's Law</a>). This EMF reverses its polarity when it moves under magnetic poles of opposite polarity. Typically, a rotating magnet, called the <a href="/wiki/Rotor_(electric)" title="Rotor (electric)">rotor</a>, turns within a stationary set of conductors, called the <a href="/wiki/Stator" title="Stator">stator</a>, wound in coils on an iron core. The field cuts across the conductors, generating an induced EMF (electromotive force), as the mechanical input causes the rotor to turn.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Rotating_magnetic_field" title="Rotating magnetic field">rotating magnetic field</a> induces an <a href="/wiki/Alternating_current" title="Alternating current">AC voltage</a> in the stator windings. Since the currents in the stator windings vary in step with the position of the rotor, an alternator is a synchronous generator.<sup id="cite_ref-Slemon_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Slemon-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The rotor's magnetic field may be produced by permanent magnets or by a field coil electromagnet. Automotive alternators use a rotor winding, which allows control of the alternator's generated voltage by varying the current in the rotor field winding. Permanent magnet machines avoid the loss due to magnetizing current in the rotor, but are restricted in size due to the cost of the magnet material. Since the permanent magnet field is constant, the terminal voltage varies directly with the speed of the generator. Brushless AC generators are usually larger than those used in automotive applications.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>An automatic voltage control device controls the <a href="/wiki/Field_current" class="mw-redirect" title="Field current">field current</a> to keep the output voltage constant. If the output voltage from the stationary armature coils drops due to an increase in demand, more current is fed into the rotating field coils through the <a href="/wiki/Voltage_regulator" title="Voltage regulator">voltage regulator</a> (VR). This increases the magnetic field around the field coils, which induces a greater voltage in the armature coils. Thus, the output voltage is brought back up to its original value.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Alternators used in central <a href="/wiki/Power_station" title="Power station">power stations</a> also control the field current to regulate <a href="/wiki/Reactive_power" class="mw-redirect" title="Reactive power">reactive power</a> and to help stabilize the power system against the effects of momentary <a href="/wiki/Fault_(power_engineering)" class="mw-redirect" title="Fault (power engineering)">faults</a>. Often, there are three sets of stator windings, physically offset so that the rotating magnetic field produces a <a href="/wiki/Three_phase" class="mw-redirect" title="Three phase">three phase</a> current, displaced by one-third of a period with respect to each other.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Synchronous_speeds">Synchronous speeds</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Synchronous speeds"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>One cycle of alternating current is produced each time a pair of field poles passes over a point on the stationary winding. For three-phase power, the relation between speed and frequency is <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle N=120f/P}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>N</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mn>120</mn> <mi>f</mi> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mo>/</mo> </mrow> <mi>P</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle N=120f/P}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/732496a3f088512fd01bf429e87194b8817ddc2f" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:12.836ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle N=120f/P}"></span>, where <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle f}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>f</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle f}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/132e57acb643253e7810ee9702d9581f159a1c61" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.671ex; width:1.279ex; height:2.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle f}"></span> is the frequency in Hz (cycles per second). <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle P}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>P</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle P}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/b4dc73bf40314945ff376bd363916a738548d40a" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:1.745ex; height:2.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle P}"></span> is the number of poles (2, 4, 6, …), and <span class="mwe-math-element"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle N}"> <semantics> <mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0"> <mi>N</mi> </mstyle> </mrow> <annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle N}</annotation> </semantics> </math></span><img src="https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/f5e3890c981ae85503089652feb48b191b57aae3" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:2.064ex; height:2.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle N}"></span> is the rotational speed in <a href="/wiki/Revolutions_per_minute" title="Revolutions per minute">revolutions per minute</a> (r/min). Old descriptions of <a href="/wiki/Alternating_current" title="Alternating current">alternating current</a> systems sometimes give the frequency in terms of alternations per minute, counting each half-cycle as one <i>alternation</i>; so 12,000 alternations per minute corresponds to 100 Hz.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>An alternator's output <a href="/wiki/Frequency" title="Frequency">frequency</a> depends on the number of poles and the rotational speed. The speed corresponding to a particular frequency is called the <i>synchronous speed</i>. This table<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> gives some examples: </p> <table class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"> <tbody><tr> <th rowspan="2">Poles </th> <th colspan="3">Rotation speed (r/min), giving… </th></tr> <tr> <th>50 Hz </th> <th>60 Hz </th> <th>400 Hz </th></tr> <tr> <td>2 </td> <td>3,000 </td> <td>3,600 </td> <td>24,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td>4 </td> <td>1,500 </td> <td>1,800 </td> <td>12,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td>6 </td> <td>1,000 </td> <td>1,200 </td> <td>8,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td>8 </td> <td>750 </td> <td>900 </td> <td>6,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td>10 </td> <td>600 </td> <td>720 </td> <td>4,800 </td></tr> <tr> <td>12 </td> <td>500 </td> <td>600 </td> <td>4,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td>14 </td> <td>428.6 </td> <td>514.3 </td> <td>3,429 </td></tr> <tr> <td>16 </td> <td>375 </td> <td>450 </td> <td>3,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td>18 </td> <td>333.3 </td> <td>400 </td> <td>2,667 </td></tr> <tr> <td>20 </td> <td>300 </td> <td>360 </td> <td>2,400 </td></tr> <tr> <td>40 </td> <td>150 </td> <td>180 </td> <td>1,200 </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Classifications">Classifications</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Classifications"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Alternators may be classified by the method of excitation, number of phases, the type of rotation, cooling method, and their application.<sup id="cite_ref-faa_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-faa-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="By_excitation">By excitation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: By excitation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There are two main ways to produce the magnetic field used in the alternators: by using <a href="/wiki/Permanent_magnet" class="mw-redirect" title="Permanent magnet">permanent magnets</a>, which create their persistent magnetic field, or by using <a href="/wiki/Field_coil" title="Field coil">field coils</a>. The alternators that use permanent magnets are specifically called <a href="/wiki/Magneto_(generator)" class="mw-redirect" title="Magneto (generator)">magnetos</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>In other alternators, wound field coils form an <a href="/wiki/Electromagnet" title="Electromagnet">electromagnet</a> to produce the rotating magnetic field.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>A device that uses permanent magnets to produce alternating current is called a permanent magnet alternator (PMA). A permanent magnet generator (PMG) may produce either alternating current or direct current if it has a <a href="/wiki/Commutator_(electric)" title="Commutator (electric)">commutator</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Direct-connected_direct-current_(DC)_generator"><span id="Direct-connected_direct-current_.28DC.29_generator"></span>Direct-connected direct-current (DC) generator</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Direct-connected direct-current (DC) generator"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>This method of excitation consists of a smaller <a href="/wiki/Direct_current" title="Direct current">direct-current</a> (DC) generator fixed on the same shaft as the alternator. The DC generator generates a small amount of electricity, just enough to <i>excite</i> the field coils of the connected alternator to generate electricity. A variation of this system is a type of alternator that uses direct current from a battery for initial excitation upon start-up, after which the alternator becomes self-excited.<sup id="cite_ref-faa_19-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-faa-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Direct-connected_alternating-current_(AC)_generator"><span id="Direct-connected_alternating-current_.28AC.29_generator"></span>Direct-connected alternating-current (AC) generator</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Direct-connected alternating-current (AC) generator"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>This method of excitation consists of a smaller <a href="/wiki/Alternating_current" title="Alternating current">alternating-current</a> (AC) generator fixed on the same shaft as the alternator. The AC stator generates a small amount of field coil excitation current, which is induced in the rotor and rectified to DC by a bridge rectifier built in to the windings where it excites the field coils of the larger connected alternator to generate electricity. This system has the advantage of not requiring brushes, which increases service life, although with a slightly lower overall efficiency. A variation of this system is a type of alternator that uses direct current from a battery for initial excitation upon start-up, after which the alternator becomes self-excited.<sup id="cite_ref-faa_19-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-faa-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Transformation_and_rectification">Transformation and rectification</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Transformation and rectification"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>This method depends on residual magnetism retained in the iron core to generate a weak magnetic field, which would allow a weak voltage to be generated. This voltage is used to excite the field coils so the alternator can generate stronger voltage as part of its <i>build up</i> process. After the initial AC voltage buildup, the field is supplied with <a href="/wiki/Rectifier" title="Rectifier">rectified voltage</a> from the alternator.<sup id="cite_ref-faa_19-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-faa-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Brushless_alternators">Brushless alternators</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Brushless alternators"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A brushless alternator is composed of two alternators built end-to-end on one shaft. Until 1966, alternators used brushes with rotating field.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> With the advancement in semiconductor technology, brushless alternators are possible. Smaller brushless alternators may look like one unit, but the two parts are readily identifiable in the large versions. The main alternator is the larger of the two sections, and the smaller one is the exciter. The exciter has stationary field coils and a rotating armature (power coils). The main alternator uses the opposite configuration with a rotating field and stationary armature. A <a href="/wiki/Bridge_rectifier" class="mw-redirect" title="Bridge rectifier">bridge rectifier</a>, called the rotating rectifier assembly, is mounted on the rotor. Neither brushes nor slip rings are used, which reduces the number of wearing parts. The main alternator has a rotating field and a stationary armature (power generation windings). </p><p>Varying the amount of current through the stationary exciter field coils varies the 3-phase output from the exciter. This output is rectified by a rotating rectifier assembly mounted on the rotor, and the resultant DC supplies the rotating field of the main alternator and hence alternator output. The result is that a small DC exciter current indirectly controls the output of the main alternator.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="By_number_of_phases">By number of phases</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: By number of phases"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="/wiki/Single-phase_generator" title="Single-phase generator">Single-phase generator</a> and <a href="/wiki/Polyphase_coil" title="Polyphase coil">Polyphase coil</a></div> <p>Another way to classify alternators is by the number of phases of their output voltage. The output can be single phase or polyphase. Three-phase alternators are the most common, but polyphase alternators can be two-phase, six-phase, or more.<sup id="cite_ref-faa_19-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-faa-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="By_rotating_part">By rotating part</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: By rotating part"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The revolving part of alternators can be the <a href="/wiki/Armature_(electrical_engineering)" class="mw-redirect" title="Armature (electrical engineering)">armature</a> or the magnetic field. The revolving armature type has the armature wound on the rotor, where the winding moves through a stationary magnetic field. The revolving armature type is not often used.<sup id="cite_ref-faa_19-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-faa-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The revolving field type has a magnetic field on the rotor to rotate through a stationary armature winding. The advantage is that then the rotor circuit carries much less power than the armature circuit, making the <a href="/wiki/Slip_ring" title="Slip ring">slip ring</a> connections smaller and less costly; only two contacts are needed for the direct-current rotor, whereas often a rotor winding has three phases, and multiple sections which would each require a slip-ring connection. The stationary armature can be wound for any convenient medium voltage level, up to tens of thousands of volts; manufacture of slip ring connections for more than a few thousand volts is costly and inconvenient.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Cooling_methods">Cooling methods</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Cooling methods"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Many alternators are cooled by ambient air, forced through the enclosure by an attached fan on the shaft that drives the alternator. In vehicles such as transit buses, a heavy demand on the electrical system may require a large alternator to be oil-cooled.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In marine applications water-cooling is also used. Expensive automobiles may use water-cooled alternators to meet high electrical system demands.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Specific_applications">Specific applications</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Specific applications"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Synchronous_generators">Synchronous generators</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Synchronous generators"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Most power generation stations use synchronous machines as their generators. The connection of these generators to the utility grid requires synchronization conditions to be met.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Automotive_alternators">Automotive alternators</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Automotive alternators"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Alternator_(automotive)" title="Alternator (automotive)">Alternator (automotive)</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg/220px-Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="293" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg/330px-Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg/440px-Jeep_2.5_liter_4-cylinder_engine_chromed_e.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1944" data-file-height="2592" /></a><figcaption>Alternator mounted on an automobile engine with a <a href="/wiki/Serpentine_belt" title="Serpentine belt">serpentine belt</a> pulley (belt not present.)</figcaption></figure> <p>Alternators are used in modern <a href="/wiki/Internal_combustion_engine" title="Internal combustion engine">internal combustion engine</a> <a href="/wiki/Automobile" class="mw-redirect" title="Automobile">automobiles</a> to charge the <a href="/wiki/Automotive_battery" title="Automotive battery">battery</a> and to power the electrical system when its engine is running.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Until the 1960s, automobiles used DC <a href="/wiki/Dynamo" title="Dynamo">dynamo</a> generators with <a href="/wiki/Commutator_(electric)" title="Commutator (electric)">commutators</a>. With the availability of affordable <a href="/wiki/Diode" title="Diode">silicon-diode</a> rectifiers, alternators were used instead.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Diesel-electric_locomotive_alternators">Diesel-electric locomotive alternators</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Diesel-electric locomotive alternators"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In later <a href="/wiki/Diesel-electric_locomotive" class="mw-redirect" title="Diesel-electric locomotive">diesel-electric locomotives</a> and <a href="/wiki/Diesel_electric_multiple_unit" class="mw-redirect" title="Diesel electric multiple unit">diesel electric multiple units</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Prime_mover_(locomotive)" title="Prime mover (locomotive)">prime mover</a> turns an alternator which provides electricity for the <a href="/wiki/Traction_motor" title="Traction motor">traction motors</a> (AC or DC).<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The traction alternator usually incorporates integral silicon diode rectifiers to provide the traction motors with up to 1,200 volts DC.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The first diesel electric locomotives, and many of those still in service, use DC generators as, before silicon power electronics, it was easier to control the speed of DC traction motors. Most of these had two generators: one to generate the excitation current for a larger main generator.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Optionally, the generator also supplies <a href="/wiki/Head-end_power" title="Head-end power">head-end power</a> (HEP) or power for <a href="/wiki/Electric_train_heating" class="mw-redirect" title="Electric train heating">electric train heating</a>. The HEP option requires a constant engine speed, typically 900 r/min for a 480 V 60 Hz HEP application, even when the locomotive is not moving.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Marine_alternators">Marine alternators</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Marine alternators"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Marine alternators used in yachts are similar to automotive alternators, with appropriate adaptations to the salt-water environment. Marine alternators are designed to be <a href="/wiki/Explosion_proof" class="mw-redirect" title="Explosion proof">explosion proof</a> (ignition protected) so that brush sparking will not ignite explosive gas mixtures in an engine room environment. Depending on the type of system installed, they may be 12 or 24 volts. Larger marine diesels may have two or more alternators to cope with the heavy electrical demand of a modern yacht. On single alternator circuits, the power may be split between the engine starting battery and the domestic or house battery (or batteries) by use of a <a href="/wiki/Split-charge_diode" title="Split-charge diode">split-charge diode</a> (<a href="/wiki/Battery_isolator" title="Battery isolator">battery isolator</a>) or a voltage-sensitive relay. Due to the high cost of large house battery banks, Marine alternators generally use external regulators. Multistep regulators control the field current to maximize the charging effectiveness (time to charge) and battery life. Multistep regulators can be programmed for different battery types. Two temperature sensors can be added: one for the battery to adjust the charging voltage and an over-temperature sensor on the actual alternator to protect it from overheating.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Aviation">Aviation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Aviation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Auxiliary_power_unit" title="Auxiliary power unit">APU</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ram_air_turbine" title="Ram air turbine">RAT</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Hydraulic_motor" title="Hydraulic motor">Hydraulic motor</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Radio_alternators">Radio alternators</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Radio alternators"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>High-frequency alternators of the variable-reluctance type were applied commercially to radio transmission in low-frequency radio bands. These were used for transmitting <a href="/wiki/Morse_code" title="Morse code">Morse code</a> and, experimentally, for transmitting voice and music. In the <a href="/wiki/Alexanderson_alternator" title="Alexanderson alternator">Alexanderson alternator</a>, both the field winding and armature winding are stationary, and current is induced in the armature by the changing magnetic reluctance of the rotor (which has no windings or current-carrying parts). Such machines were made to produce radio frequency current for radio transmissions, although the efficiency was low.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bottle_dynamo" title="Bottle dynamo">Bottle dynamo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dynamo" title="Dynamo">Dynamo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electric_generator" title="Electric generator">Electric generator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Engine-generator" class="mw-redirect" title="Engine-generator">Engine-generator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Flux_switching_alternator" title="Flux switching alternator">Flux switching alternator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Folsom_Powerhouse_State_Historic_Park" title="Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park">Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hub_dynamo" title="Hub dynamo">Hub dynamo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Induction_generator" title="Induction generator">Induction generator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jedlik%27s_dynamo" class="mw-redirect" title="Jedlik's dynamo">Jedlik's dynamo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Linear_alternator" title="Linear alternator">Linear alternator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magneto" title="Magneto">Magneto</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyphase_coil" title="Polyphase coil">Polyphase coil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Revolving_armature_alternator" class="mw-redirect" title="Revolving armature alternator">Revolving armature alternator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Single-phase_generator" title="Single-phase generator">Single-phase generator</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160211052141/http://riowang.com/2015/09/abraham-ganz-at-hindukush.html">"Abraham Ganz at the Hindukush"</a>. <i>Poemas del río Wang</i>. Studiolum. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://riowang.com/2015/09/abraham-ganz-at-hindukush.html">the original</a> on 11 February 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">30 September</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Poemas+del+r%C3%ADo+Wang&rft.atitle=Abraham+Ganz+at+the+Hindukush&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Friowang.com%2F2015%2F09%2Fabraham-ganz-at-hindukush.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAlternator" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAylmer-Small1908" class="citation book cs1">Aylmer-Small, Sidney (1908). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=jdk7AAAAMAAJ">"Lesson 28: Alternators"</a>. <i>Electrical railroading; or, Electricity as applied to railroad transportation</i>. Chicago: Frederick J. Drake & Co. pp. <span class="nowrap">456–</span>463.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Lesson+28%3A+Alternators&rft.btitle=Electrical+railroading%3B+or%2C+Electricity+as+applied+to+railroad+transportation&rft.place=Chicago&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E456-%3C%2Fspan%3E463&rft.pub=Frederick+J.+Drake+%26+Co.&rft.date=1908&rft.aulast=Aylmer-Small&rft.aufirst=Sidney&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3Djdk7AAAAMAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAlternator" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Slemon-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Slemon_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Slemon_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Gordon R. Selmon, <i>Magnetoelectric Devices</i>, John Wiley and Sons, 1966 no ISBN pp. 391-393</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="List_of_Plug/Sockets_and_Voltage_of_Different_Countries" class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/">"List of Plug/Sockets and Voltage of Different Countries"</a>. <i>World Standards</i>. 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Mattox, The Foundations of Vacuum Coating Technology, page 39</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation magazine cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160728160650/http://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/files/Researchers/ColoradoMagazine_v49n3_Summer1972.pdf">"Charles C. Britton, An Early Electric Power Facility in Colorado"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Colorado Magazine</i>. Vol. 49, no. 3. Summer 1972. p. 185. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/files/Researchers/ColoradoMagazine_v49n3_Summer1972.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 28 July 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">15 August</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Colorado+Magazine&rft.atitle=Charles+C.+Britton%2C+An+Early+Electric+Power+Facility+in+Colorado&rft.ssn=summer&rft.volume=49&rft.issue=3&rft.pages=185&rft.date=1972&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.historycolorado.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Ffiles%2FResearchers%2FColoradoMagazine_v49n3_Summer1972.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAlternator" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Milestones:Ames_Hydroelectric_Generating_Plant,_1891">"Milestones:Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, 1891"</a>. <i>IEEE Global History Network</i>. 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IEEE Global History Network<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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M. Weedy. <i>Electric Power Systems Second Edition</i>, John Wiley and Sons, 1972, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0%2B471%2B92445%2B8" title="Special:BookSources/0+471+92445+8">0 471 92445 8</a>, p. 141</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">The Electrical Year Book 1937, published by Emmott & Co. Ltd., Manchester, England, page 72</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-faa-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-faa_19-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-faa_19-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-faa_19-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-faa_19-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-faa_19-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-faa_19-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130906013000/http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/amt_handbook/media/FAA-8083-30_Ch10.pdf"><i>Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook—General (FAA-H-8083-30)</i></a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Federal Aviation Administration. 2008. pp. 10_160–10_161. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aircraft/amt_handbook/media/FAA-8083-30_Ch10.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 6 September 2013<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">6 September</span> 2013</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Aviation+Maintenance+Technician+Handbook%E2%80%94General+%28FAA-H-8083-30%29&rft.pages=10_160-10_161&rft.pub=Federal+Aviation+Administration&rft.date=2008&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faa.gov%2Fregulations_policies%2Fhandbooks_manuals%2Faircraft%2Famt_handbook%2Fmedia%2FFAA-8083-30_Ch10.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAlternator" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.stamford-avk.com/heritage/cummins-generator-technologies">"Cummins Generator Technologies"</a>. <i>stamford-avk.com</i>. Cummins Generator Technologies<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 August</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=stamford-avk.com&rft.atitle=Cummins+Generator+Technologies&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stamford-avk.com%2Fheritage%2Fcummins-generator-technologies&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAlternator" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">G. K. Dubey, <i>Fundamentals of Electrical Drives</i>, CRC Press, 2002, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/084932422X" title="Special:BookSources/084932422X">084932422X</a>, page 350</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Gus Wright, <i>Fundamentals of Medium/Heavy Duty Diesel Engines</i>, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2015, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/128406705X" title="Special:BookSources/128406705X">128406705X</a> page 1233</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=6175812">Soft synchronization of dispersed generators to micro grids for smart grid applications</a></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Alternator&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/45px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></a></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Alternators" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Alternators">Alternators</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li>White, Thomas H.,"<i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://earlyradiohistory.us/sec008.htm">Alternator-Transmitter Development</a> (1891–1920)</i>". 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colspan="2"><div> <ul><li>AC - <a href="/wiki/Alternating_current" title="Alternating current">Alternating current</a></li> <li>DC - <a href="/wiki/Direct_current" title="Direct current">Direct current</a></li> <li>PM - <a href="/wiki/Magnet" title="Magnet">Permanent magnet</a></li> <li>SC - Self-<a href="/wiki/Commutator_(electric)" title="Commutator (electric)">commutated</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Components and<br />accessories</div></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Armature_(electrical)" title="Armature (electrical)">Armature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Braking_chopper" title="Braking chopper">Braking chopper</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brush_(electric)" title="Brush (electric)">Brush</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coil_winding_technology" title="Coil winding technology">Coil winding technology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Commutator_(electric)" title="Commutator (electric)">Commutator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Damper_winding" title="Damper winding">Damper winding</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DC_injection_braking" title="DC injection braking">DC injection braking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Field_coil" title="Field coil">Field coil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rotor_(electric)" title="Rotor (electric)">Rotor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slip_ring" title="Slip ring">Slip ring</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stator" title="Stator">Stator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_coil" title="Electromagnetic coil">Winding</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Electric_generator" title="Electric generator">Generators</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Alternator</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Flux_switching_alternator" title="Flux switching alternator">Flux switching</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magneto" title="Magneto">Magneto</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Linear_alternator" title="Linear alternator">Linear</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dynamo" title="Dynamo">Dynamo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electric_generator" title="Electric generator">Electric generator</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Permanent_magnet_synchronous_generator" title="Permanent magnet synchronous generator">PM synchronous generator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Induction_generator" title="Induction generator">Induction generator</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doubly_fed_induction_generator" class="mw-redirect" title="Doubly fed induction generator">Doubly fed (DFIG)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Single-phase_generator" title="Single-phase generator">Single-phase generator</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Electric_motor" title="Electric motor">Motors</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/AC_motor" title="AC motor">AC motor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Induction_motor" title="Induction motor">Induction motor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shaded-pole_motor" title="Shaded-pole motor">Shaded-pole</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dahlander_pole_changing_motor" title="Dahlander pole changing motor">Dahlander pole changing motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wound_rotor_motor" title="Wound rotor motor">Wound-rotor (WRIM)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Linear_induction_motor" title="Linear induction motor">Linear induction</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Synchronous_motor" title="Synchronous motor">Synchronous motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Repulsion_motor" title="Repulsion motor">Repulsion</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DC_motor" title="DC motor">DC motor</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Homopolar_motor" title="Homopolar motor">Homopolar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brushed_DC_electric_motor" title="Brushed DC electric motor">Brushed DC electric motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brushless_DC_electric_motor" title="Brushless DC electric motor">Brushless DC electric motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unipolar_motor" title="Unipolar motor">Unipolar</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Universal_motor" title="Universal motor">Universal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Switched_reluctance_motor" title="Switched reluctance motor">Switched reluctance (SRM)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reluctance_motor" title="Reluctance motor">Reluctance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doubly_fed_electric_machine" title="Doubly fed electric machine">Doubly fed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Linear_motor" title="Linear motor">Linear</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Permanent_magnet_motor" title="Permanent magnet motor">Permanent magnet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dual-rotor_permanent_magnet_induction_motor" class="mw-redirect" title="Dual-rotor permanent magnet induction motor">Dual-rotor permanent magnet induction motor (DRPMIM)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Servomotor" title="Servomotor">Servomotor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stepper_motor" title="Stepper motor">Stepper</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Traction_motor" title="Traction motor">Traction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electrostatic_motor" title="Electrostatic motor">Electrostatic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Piezoelectric_motor" title="Piezoelectric motor">Piezoelectric</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ultrasonic_motor" title="Ultrasonic motor">Ultrasonic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/TEFC_motor" title="TEFC motor">TEFC</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Axial_flux_motor" title="Axial flux motor">Axial flux</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Motor_controller" title="Motor controller">Motor controllers</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/AC-to-AC_converter" title="AC-to-AC converter">AC-to-AC converter</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cycloconverter" title="Cycloconverter">Cycloconverter</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Amplidyne" title="Amplidyne">Amplidyne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Motor_drive" title="Motor drive">Drives</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Variable-frequency_drive" title="Variable-frequency drive">Variable-frequency drive</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Direct_torque_control" title="Direct torque control">Direct torque control</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vector_control_(motor)" title="Vector control (motor)">Vector control</a></li></ul></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metadyne" title="Metadyne">Metadyne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Motor_soft_starter" title="Motor soft starter">Motor soft starter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ward_Leonard_control" title="Ward Leonard control">Ward Leonard control</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">History, education,<br />recreational use</div></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_the_electric_motor" title="Timeline of the electric motor">Timeline of the electric motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ball_bearing_motor" title="Ball bearing motor">Ball bearing motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Barlow%27s_wheel" title="Barlow's wheel">Barlow's wheel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lynch_motor" title="Lynch motor">Lynch motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mendocino_motor" title="Mendocino motor">Mendocino motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mouse_mill_motor" title="Mouse mill motor">Mouse mill motor</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Experimental, futuristic</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Coilgun" title="Coilgun">Coilgun</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Railgun" title="Railgun">Railgun</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superconducting_electric_machine" title="Superconducting electric machine">Superconducting machine</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related topics</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Blocked_rotor_test" title="Blocked rotor test">Blocked-rotor test</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Circle_diagram" title="Circle diagram">Circle diagram</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Electromagnetism" title="Electromagnetism">Electromagnetism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Open-circuit_test" title="Open-circuit test">Open-circuit test</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Open-loop_controller" title="Open-loop controller">Open-loop controller</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Power-to-weight_ratio" title="Power-to-weight ratio">Power-to-weight ratio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Two-phase_electric_power" title="Two-phase electric power">Two-phase system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inchworm_motor" title="Inchworm motor">Inchworm motor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Starter_(engine)" title="Starter (engine)">Starter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Voltage_controller" title="Voltage controller">Voltage controller</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">People</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Arago" title="François Arago">Arago</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Peter_Barlow_(mathematician)" title="Peter Barlow (mathematician)">Barlow</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Giuseppe_Domenico_Botto" title="Giuseppe Domenico Botto">Botto</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Davenport_(inventor)" title="Thomas Davenport (inventor)">Davenport</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Robert_Davidson_(inventor)" title="Robert Davidson (inventor)">Davidson</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mikhail_Dolivo-Dobrovolsky" title="Mikhail Dolivo-Dobrovolsky">Dolivo-Dobrovolsky</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Michael_Faraday" title="Michael Faraday">Faraday</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Galileo_Ferraris" title="Galileo Ferraris">Ferraris</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Z%C3%A9nobe_Gramme" title="Zénobe Gramme">Gramme</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Joseph_Henry" title="Joseph Henry">Henry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Moritz_von_Jacobi" title="Moritz von Jacobi">Jacobi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%81nyos_Jedlik" title="Ányos Jedlik">Jedlik</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emil_Lenz" title="Emil Lenz">Lenz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell" title="James Clerk Maxwell">Maxwell</a></li> <li><a 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