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Old 24th Oct 2016, 19:59
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The Flying Pram
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Norfolk U.K.
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By short circuiting both the field and the load connections of the alternator, either with a bit of (thick!) wire or, perhaps even more prudent, with a low resistance, a car bulb or so
I was tempted to say that, but didn't want to push my luck! I have experimented quite a bit with car alternators (which are basically the same technology). I once had to jump start my car after finding the battery had failed completely open circuit whilst driving - predictably a week after the warranty had expired. I deliberately left the side lights on, to provide a resistive load, and no damage ensued on the return journey. Diodes have both a forward and a reverse maximum voltage, and exceeding this is asking for trouble. With no load on the output even a small amount of field magnetism can produce surprisingly high stator voltages, and consequently the risk of damaging the diode pack.
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