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Umm..."adding magnets to convert from dc to ac"? You do not appear to understand how alternators work. Automotive alternators already produce DC, because they have rectifiers built in. If you want to removed the rectifier you would get three phase AC.

 

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@ Nasor,
My point has been that there are better ways to help third world countries than participate in a scam, and have seen many alternators converted to home power during my years backpacking, although I have not done the conversion myself.

I do understand the concept of alternators (generators/motors) though but obviously not enough. Wouldn't removing the bridge cause the alternator to stop working? Do alternators require DC current to feed their magnets? Wouldn't you need to add permanent magnets to the rotor to make that change as I mentioned? Where does the field come from if you remove the rectifier? I have replaced alternators in my vehicles (as a teen), but have never tried converting one to AC. I thought if you are converting DC to AC you would need to add permanent magnets for the field. I thought my understanding of electricity and motors was above average, but perhaps not.

@ Nasor,
EDIT: I have looked on the internet and still feel you need to add magnets to convert from DC to AC unless you opt for an inverter as the alternator requires DC otherwise to operate the electromagnets. How is this wrong? I am not an expert obviously, but cannot see the mistake. I am guessing my error is with cost effectiveness as an inverter sounds cheaper?

Anyways I still think the OP of this thread is in support of a scam, and third world countries would be better off with instructions/education on how to build simple items. Send them all a set of Foxfire Magazines/Encyclopedias.

 

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An automotive alternator takes DC input (from you car battery) to charge its electromagnetic coils and then spins to generate 3 phase AC output. The AC is sent to a rectifier, which turns it back into DC output. If you removed the rectifier then the alternator will still work, but you will only get the 3 phase AC, which is probably not what you want.

Adding magnets will make it generate more power per RPM and probably also cause the voltage to change with the RPM, unlike a regular alternator that outputs a constant voltage and only increases the current with higher RPMs.

 

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@ Nasor,
I'm sorry. I will try to phrase it better, but I am as confused as before. That last post just makes me think I was correct all along. I think you are thinking of turning it back to DC now for battery storage, and then using that for powering alternator? It makes sense but is confusing. I think I think I understand it, and I think I was right about adding magnets being a necessity?

Where does battery get power then if you remove rectifier? Sorry. I am not wanting to discuss this in detail, but I am not sure you understood my position. An AC windmill would not have a battery, and if the alternator was reliant upon a battery that was not being fed by dc regulator the battery would die sooner or later and the system would crash. It is my understanding that a normal alternator requires DC input to run the magnets. Where does your version get this power? I still think you either need to add a magnetic rotor or an inverter. I am thinking I was correct. I think we just misunderstood each other. I think you were thinking of an inverter because it sounds cheaper but am not sure.

I do see where storing power as DC would seem necessary. I give up. Explain please, I am lost. Do we convert to AC and then back to DC so we don't lose energy over distance?

My main question though is how we power the alternator magnets without a DC source and the suggestion of battery is moot unless it is being charged? That is why I still think Magnets are needed to convert DC to AC (in the rotor) to prevent the need for feed DC, unless we use an inverter which you opt against by saying remove the bridge.

If I ever attempted this I'd want full schematics ahead of time. The last several posts have just made me question my judgement.

 

Ok, I think I see what you mean now. Yes, with a regular automotive alternator you need a power source (eg, car batteey) to send current through the rotor before you start it spinning. Replacing the rotor's coils with magnets would let you start generating power without an external source. And yes, you need the rectifier to charge the battery so that you can start it next time.

 

My brain hurts. Even though I was correct about needing batteries to do AC, I still cannot fathom why they would not store energy in batteries first. How are they storing AC energy (They Can't)? I'm guessing it is best run as AC for creation and transmission, but they would still need to convert to DC for storage. Sigh.