Patent ID: 7199987

Claim:
A generator arrangement comprising: a generator; a diode system including: Zener diodes, wherein: the diode system includes AC voltage terminals connected to corresponding AC voltage terminals of the generator and DC voltage terminals connected to a DC system; the Zener diodes are operable in a forward direction to rectify an AC voltage present at the AC voltage terminals of the diode system, a lower limit being provided for a Zener voltage of the Zener diodes; the diode system is operable to generate a preset lower DC voltage; the lower limit of the Zener voltage is provided so as to be lower than the preset lower DC voltage; a portion of the Zener diodes are operated in a Zener mode, insofar as a DC voltage that largely exceeds the lower limit is present at the DC voltage terminals; the lower limit of the Zener voltage is set to approximately 42 V; and the preset lower DC voltage is set to approximately 48 V.