Quote:
Originally Posted by Fastbuck
Is it not a case that the alternator is "switched off" in most circumstances and automatically switches on during breaking to reduce the load on the engine under nromal driving conditions? It' not like the new KERS system that the F1 race cars have.
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No, since the alternator is driven direct from one of the belts. If you wanted the alternator to be disconnected from the engine to reduce the load, you would require an electromagnetic clutch (similar to what the compressor for the AC has). And as you can see from the above picture, there is no such clutch on the alternator. Even if you were to disconnect the electrical connections from the alternator to reduce the load, you would still have the alternators own load that the engine has to drive. Not to mention that once the electrical connection would be re-established, you would see a massive disturbance on the power bus! If I remember correctly, the alternator puts out 210A@14V or 2940W (those are the specs for the 750, they may be different for the 730 and 740).