Patent ID: 7508172
Filing Date: 2009-03-24
Classification: G01R,H02P

Abstract:
1. A failure detection apparatus for an alternator comprising: an armature coil; a full-wave rectifier circuit that is connected to said armature coil and has a positive side diode with its positive terminal electrically connected to a positive terminal of a battery, and a negative side diode with its negative terminal electrically connected to a ground terminal of said battery; and a failure detection circuit with its detection terminal connected to a P terminal or a neutral point of said armature coil; wherein when in a non-power generation state of said armature coil, said detection terminal is in a floating state or a high impedance state in which a voltage at said detection terminal is indefinite, said failure detection circuit determines that said full-wave rectifier circuit is normal; and when in the non-power generation state of said armature coil, said detection terminal is not in a floating state nor a high impedance state, said failure detection circuit determines that said full-wave rectifier circuit is in a failure.