charge battery while battery still connected?

Jan 28, 2008 25 Replies

I'd suggest you put a 'scope across the battery in your car with the engine running and see just how clean the DC is...

But any sensitive silicon devices in the ECU will already be protected by a voltage regulator - they need that to function correctly off the very dirty and varying DC supply in a car. The actual DC voltage input can vary by about 50% between cranking on a cold day and full charge from the alternator.

They're three phase because this is a more efficient way of generating power. Especially with the very wide rev range.

My Mother, a schoolteacher, once left her lights on and flattened the battery. So a helpful physics teacher charged the battery up for her.

(you can guess the punchline)

He'd make a good subject for an Amstrong & Miller sketch. "... after causing the leak at 3 Mile Island, I worked in the Ukraine for a few years, but found myself out of work following a small upset at the plant ... so I became a physics teacher."

Your Dad used to be a physics teacher?

A single phase alternator, for the same power output would be huge, the same as a singe phase motor Vs 3 phase! Just a thought!

Well about 30% larger, startup torque etc. isn't an issue on an alternator & you don't care which way it's spinning.

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