LAMP GP-FLOOD 3886288 - Caterpillar

Never operate the alternator without the battery in the circuit. Making or breaking an alternator connection with heavy load on the circuit can cause damage to the regulator.
Illustration 1 g00285111
Alternator components (typical example)
(1) Regulator
(2) Roller bearing
(3) Stator winding
(4) Ball bearing
(5) Rectifier bridge
(6) Field winding
(7) Rotor assembly
(8) Fan The alternator is driven by a belt from an auxiliary drive at the front right corner of the engine. This alternator is a three-phase, self-rectifying charging unit, and regulator (1) is part of the alternator.This alternator design has no need for slip rings or brushes, and the only part that has movement is rotor assembly (7). All conductors that carry current are stationary. The conductors are field winding (6), stator windings (3), six rectifying diodes, and the regulator circuit components.Rotor assembly (7) has many magnetic poles. Air space is between the opposite poles.The poles have residual magnetism that produces a small amount of magnetic lines of force between the poles. As rotor assembly (7) begins to turn between field windings (6) and stator windings (3), a small amount of alternating current (AC) is produced in stator windings (3). This current is from the small, magnetic lines of force that are made by the residual magnetism of the poles. This alternating current (AC) is changed to a direct current (DC). The change occurs when the current passes through the diodes of rectifier bridge (5). Most of this current completes two functions. The functions are charging the battery and supplying the low amperage circuit. The remainder of the current is sent to field windings (6). The DC current flow through field windings (6) (wires around an iron core) now increases the strength of the magnetic lines of force. These stronger lines of force increase the amount of AC current that is produced in stator windings (3). The increased speed of rotor assembly (7) also increases the current and voltage output of the alternator.Voltage regulator (1) is a solid-state, electronic switch. The regulator feels the voltage in the system. The regulator will start and the regulator will stop many times in one second in order to control the field current to the alternator. The output voltage from the alternator will now supply the needs of the battery and the other components in the electrical system. No adjustment can be made in order to change the rate of charge on these alternator regulators.