how an alternator works? well two magnets passing by each other really fast with little space between them, make electricity.

You find me the magnets in your alternator and I'll mail you a cookie. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Chris-

You are close, but not quite. Electricity is "used" only at the rate needed. That means the alternator only produces exactly what it sees as resistance (resistance=usage) from accessories. It may produce 135A, but unless there is a 135A load on it it does not produce that. If it did, our trucks would burn up every time we started them (no, Chris, that is not normal). It is also what the "Tester" at the parts store does to your alternator. There is a huge carbon pile in that thing that applies a load to the alternator to test its output. This is also why you can use the same outlet to run your welder and then run a light bulb. The welder sucks down 50 amps, the light bulb is sucking down something like 0.5amp. So, hooking up two light bulbs to an alternator will require more amperage and it will require the alternator to work harder to produce that. Keep adding light bulbs and then you would not be able to pedal the bike.

Where does the resistance come from? It is mechanical and it is actually electro-mechanical. When the field on the alternator is charged (the outside part) it creates an magnetic field. Actually, it creates several. That is why I was making fun of Kevin a bit and that is why the old generators in cars were HUGE. They had magnets.

When the poles on the armature spin (the spinny thing in the middle), they cut through the fields. This flux through the magnetic field creates an alternating current. That AC current is then run through a rectifying bridge (the thing on or in the back of the alternator) to create DC current, which feeds the vehicle. That is how it all works. The regulator keeps regulated to the 12v (for ease, we'll use 12, but it is 13.7 because of the number and spacing of the field and armature poles, but that is for another discussion, on another day). Pull the regulator and you get unlimited (well...unregulated) voltage or a voltage increase with RPM. I.e. on board welder. The regulator keeps it producing 12 volts at all RPM levels.

Now, load. Well, we are sorta beating the dead horse without seeing any actual numbers. How much loss? I don't know. But we are talking about taking engine power and transferring it through a belt, to some bearings, converting it into AC, then into DC and shoving it through some wires. I would almost guess that you might suck down between 5-10 HP at peak alt output. There are a lot of variables that need to be considered.

Back to the blower. CPOM, you are forgetting the blow vs. compression idea. Yes, your leaf blower can blow at 130mph, but you can put your hand over the end and stop it. Good flow, bad compression. Same thing in your engine. The air has to be physically compressed and you can't do that in the intake. It just cannot happen.

Second, look at the fan, how much internal diameter is taken up by it. All that stuff is in the way of flow. I don't know, nor do I care what the flow rating is on the fan, but consider this. On each cycle of the a 3.2 engine, it sucks in 1.6L of air. At 3000RPM, you need 4800 CFM to just feed the engine. Yeah, there are some volumetric inefficiencies, but...you get the idea. For that fan to work, it first off has to flow more than 4800 CFM just to let the engine run. Then, ignoring the inability to compress air, it has to provide enough extra flow to actually push more into the engine. Again, impossible because of how things work.

This thing is bunk. We have discussed it before. There is no new, secret twist that will make it work, or something out there that nobody has thought of. Even the leaf blower will not work. How much HP or amp draw does one of those have? 5 amps, let say. That is 600 watts of power at 120V. To provide that same amount you would need 50 amps at 12V. Of course, the blower would not work on DC current, but you get the idea. Then you still have the issue of it not compressing air, just blowing it.

Good Luck and good discussion.
Michael