more amps

[one_dusty_hoot]

Jay,
I certainly don't want to frost anyone's flakes, or fry anyone's
alternator ;>) however, replacing the wire from the alternator to
the shunt you mentioned with 4-0, or, any other wire could cause
your coach to go up in smoke!

I am not an expert, never have been, never will be, but chances are
you have a "fuse link" from the alternator to the terminal point
which acts as current limiter for the alternator.

An alternator as the word implies, puts out an Alternating Current
(AC) voltage as it is rotated. Slip rings carry this voltage to a
rectifier bridge which filters the AC voltage into DC voltage using
diodes.

Output votltage of the alternator is maintained by an internal
rectifier which atempts to steady the output at around 14.5 volts.

The rated output of the alternator is dependant on the total
components, which include, windings, armature, diodes, and other
components to a maximun safe peak operating load.

Because the alternator is rated at 320, 160, or, how many Amps,is
dependant on the load and doesn't mean that a say 320A. alternator
will put out 320 Amps, rather, that it "is" capable of delivering
this much if called upon to do so.

A battery will only charge as fast as the hydrogen ions will move
from plate to plate when a "potential" (the 14.5V from the
alternator) is connected to the positive and negative terminals.

If say, the batteries were at 12 Volts, and, voltage from the
alternator of 14.5 Volts was attached to the terminals, the maximum
amount of current the alternator would produce is that required to
bring the charging batteries to 14.5 Volts, this happens regardless
of what capability you alternator is rated.

This would be the same current no matter what the rating of the
alternator being it 320, 160, or 40. Your old 160 and the replaced
320 will output the same current no difference.

Now, if you have a large load requiring a lot of current connected
to the batteries where moving to a new page, another animal.

I once had a 100 watt linear amplifier connected to a CB. Every time
I keyed the mike the belts would squeal even if they were new and
tensioned correctly.

I would hate to see you, or anyone else, have a fire by overloading
the alternator, or, burn the belts off in a remote location and that
is the reason for responding in this long post.

I really didn't understand why the meter was reading 150 Amps,
unless of course you have one heck of a load attached to the
batteries, current that is going elsewhere and is not battery
charging current.

Bob Janes
77FC31
Greenville, SC








--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "dandarst"
wrote:
> Jay and I just removed the 160 amp and installed a 320 amp Leece
> Neville alternator. Anybody know what trouble I would be asking
for
> with this change? Have not been out on the road yet, but spun it
in
> the drive way. Gauge only goes to 150 amps and got all of that.
> Probably need to watch the belts. Will this cook the Trojans?
>
> Thanks.
> dandarst86fc35rbhuntleyil.