Patent ID: 7312550

Claim:
An alternator comprising a rotor; a stator; at least one stator winding for providing an alternating current to a load electrical circuit, the stator winding having a plurality of serially-connected first and second portions, the first portions spaced apart circumferentially from one another relative to the stator; a control electrical circuit including at least one control winding and a control apparatus for controlling current flow through the control winding, the control winding having a plurality of legs, one of said legs disposed adjacent to each second portion of the stator winding; a plurality of rotor magnetic flux paths defined co-operatively by the rotor and stator for conducting rotor magnetic flux around the plurality of first portions of the stator winding; and a plurality of secondary magnetic flux paths for conducting secondary magnetic flux induced by current flow through the stator winding, the secondary magnetic flux paths defined around the stator winding second portions and adjacent control winding legs, the secondary magnetic flux paths being isolated from the rotor and the rotor magnetic flux paths.