How does does a DC generator work?

[Jake DAprile]

The way I understand most generators that are used in plants is that they take the heat form combustion or fission and use It to create steam to run a turbine with magnets on it that create AC power over a coil. how could a dc generator work?

 

[berkeman]

The way I understand most generators that are used in plants is that they take the heat form combustion or fission and use It to create steam to run a turbine with magnets on it that create AC power over a coil. how could a dc generator work?

Via rectification?

 

[nsaspook]

It's common to use a slip ring commutator on a DC generator to sequence the voltage output to DC.
http://www.mercotac.com/html/commutator.html

 

[Dr.D]

The result of the slip-ring assembly is to produce a pulsating DC, not a perfectly constant voltage. It is still DC in that the potential does not change sign, but it is unsteady.

 

[anorlunda]

This video does a pretty good job explaining it.

 

[jrmichler]

And a teaching tool for showing the difference between slip rings and a commutator.

If somebody has a use for this, PM me and it's yours.