Patent ID: 6566845
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: F02D,H02J

Abstract:
An automotive alternator, comprising:a rotor having a plurality of field poles; a field winding for magnetizing the field poles; an armature for generating alternating voltage induced by a rotating field of the rotor, the armature including three-phase windings; a rectifier for rectifying the alternating voltage into a direct current voltage, the rectifier including at least one negative-side diode; a voltage regulator including a resistor for detecting a low voltage induced in one of the three-phase windings by residual magnetism in the field poles, the resistor being connected to the one of the three-phase windings; and a capacitor connected between another one of the three-phase windings and a negative terminal of the rectifier, wherein the voltage regulator detects initiation of rotation of the rotor based on a voltage across the resistor thereby to start excitation current supply to the field winding, and thereafter controls the excitation current to control an output voltage of the alternator.