Alternator Amperage?

[blubuckaroo]

Yes, the alternator load definitely changes.
Back when I was in high school, I competed in Plymouth's National Troubleshooting Competition. We found and fixed the test problem, problem but had to crank the starter quite a bit. We set the engine to proper idle speed, made a lap around the track, and pulled into the judges stand. By that time the battery had recharged from all the cranking, and because of that the idle speed was now too fast. We lost points. We would have won if had set the idle a bit slower.

 

[Dinger]

Steve83, thanks again for taking this much time to science me/us up on the subject. For starters, had no idea load affected alternator resistance. That certainly changes my understanding of the challenge. I think I may have confused the situation as it relates to loss of efficiency, but your answer seemed to agree with my line of thinking: so long as the load remains the same the, the alternator resistance remains the same, right? Agreed, that the purpose of the entire cooling system is to maintain a correct temperature range, not to necessarily get to the lowest temp possible. And, I agree that low speed/high load would create the most heat, but the practical application of this for my specific purposes is more likely stop-n-go traffic, and of that idling generates still a fair amount of heat, with little to no passive ventilation. I hear you on some of the heat dumping out the bottom, but just wondering if anyone has experimented with a dedicated system for engine compartment ventilation cold in/hot out.

Damn combustion engines and all their energy conversion to useless heat!!! Come on cold fusion.... Thank you again, Sir. I have learned a lot!

 

[Steve83]

...so long as the load remains the same the, the alternator resistance remains the same, right?

Yes, but that's rare & fleeting. Especially with an electricity-hog like an e-fan.

...idling generates still a fair amount of heat, with little to no passive ventilation.

If idling taxes the cooling system, the coolant would virtually explode as soon as you hit the gas. Idling does NOT produce a significant amount of heat, compared to what the cooling system has to be able to handle; regardless of ambient temp.

...a dedicated system for engine compartment ventilation cold in/hot out.

Yeah, that's exactly what the fan is (any radiator fan). If you read that article I linked in my last post, you'll probably understand it better, and how it can be (has been) enhanced.

Damn combustion engines and all their energy conversion to useless heat!!!

It happens every time energy is converted from one form to another, or transferred from one mass to another - regardless where the energy originates.

Come on cold fusion...

That only refers to the average temperature at which the fusion takes place - energy is still lost as heat during that process. You can't get around it - that's why there's no perpetual motion machine (smaller than the universe ).

I'm glad you feel like you're learning - I've tried to explain this concept here on CB and on several other BBSs before, and it usually results in a lot of angry people.

 

[Dinger]

Anger, like heat, is lost (not truly lost, just converted to a less useful form) potential for forward motion. Unless, of course, you are a steam engine.

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