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Re:Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic ... by jondumbau on Sunday September 15, 2019 @08:10AM (#20976872)
Cheers, alternators are essentially magic to me. Id have presumed they were generating 'enough' power at all times the engine was running.
Re:Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic ... by whenchamenia on Sunday September 15, 2019 @10:06AM (#20977257)
They produce based on current draw, but have a maximum output, usually around 60-85a for and older car, to 120-240a at 14.4vdc for a newer car or truck. There is no permanant magnet, so the coils require power to generate power. Its quite interesting.
Re:Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic ... by fyfy18 on Sunday September 15, 2019 @11:34AM (#20977673)
Further to this the 12V battery effectively acts as a big capacitor while the car is running, to smooth out the power that is available.

I found this out the hard way a couple of years ago. My 12V was dead, yet I managed to jump start the car and get it running. I thought it would be ok to drive to get a new battery, as long as I kept the engine running high enough. After a couple of km the dashboard lights started to dim, so I tried reving it as high as I could, but the battery wasn't able to buffer the power and supply the ignition system, so the engine stopped. It was rush hour and I was in the middle lane, so it wasn't a particularly fun wait for the tow truck.