[Shop-talk] Voltage regulators

[Douglas Braun]

Unlike most regulators, that one is not potted.  So it is in theory fixable,
if you can identify what component is bad, and get a replacement for it.

The circuit may be nothing but a rectifier and a voltage regulator with
current limiting.  A constant voltage of 7.0 volts or so will charge a
6-volt battery OK.  In any case, it is entirely different than the type of
regulators used with alternators.

Doug

On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Randall <tr3driver at ca.rr.com> wrote:

> > Neither-  it's an alternator, and it's built into and under the
> > flywheel which
> > has permanent magnets.
>
> Aha again!  In that case, please ignore everything I said before.  I
> thought
> we were talking DC generator as found on old cars, where the regulator
> controls the field.  Permanent magnet alternators are yet another kettle of
> fish.
>
> For one thing, the 'regulator' is also providing the rectification to turn
> AC from the windings into DC.  Since the magnetic field cannot be
> controlled, it also has to throttle the output in some way.  Looking at
> your
> photos, I would guess that those are SCRs, and that the regulator uses some
> sort of phase-change circuitry to adjust how early or late in the cycle the
> SCRs are triggered.  Kind of like a lamp dimmer, except only conducting for
> the right polarity.
>
> But that's just a SWAG, not to be taken internally.
>
> I've not ridden a bike for many years, but I believe some variation of that
> is still common today.  If so, it shouldn't be too hard to find a modern
> equivalent; although you might wind up using only one phase of a 3-phase
> rectifier/regulator.
>
> -- Randall
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