What are the differences between alternators, generators, and dynamos?

[davidcowling]

What is the difference between,

- Alternators
- Generators
- Dynamos

- Rotors
- Stators
- Armature
- Field

- Commutators
- Brushes.

My mind is filling up with terms and I am struggling to make sense and define the difference between each!

your help is appreciated.

 

[vk6kro]

You really need to look at a diagram. Always try Wikipedia.

Try this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_generator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternator

Alternators produce power from a stationary winding while a rotating field coil produces magnetic field.

- Rotors rotate
- Stators stay still
- Armature produces power
- Field produces magnetic field

- Commutators are the part of a rotating armature that brushes make contact with. They are for producing DC from a rotating armature or for making a motor work from DC.
- Brushes are sometimes graphite blocks that make contact with an armature.

see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commutator_(electric )

 

[davidcowling]

- Armature produces power

- Commutators are the part of a rotating armature that brushes make contact with. They are for producing DC from a rotating armature or for making a motor work from DC.




you said the armature produces the power, but is stationary.

then you say that the commutator is located on the rotating armature.

sorry if I am being stupid.

 

[berkeman]

- Armature produces power

- Commutators are the part of a rotating armature that brushes make contact with. They are for producing DC from a rotating armature or for making a motor work from DC.




you said the armature produces the power, but is stationary.

then you say that the commutator is located on the rotating armature.

sorry if I am being stupid.

Another wikipedia article that should help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brushed_DC_electric_motor

.

 

[vk6kro]

Normally, the armature and the rotor are the same thing. The bit that spins around in a motor or generator.
In the special case of a generator that has the power coming out of the stationary part, the armature is the stator.

Armature just means the bit that power comes out of in a generator. It doesn't have to be rotating. If it does rotate, and produces DC it will have a commutator and brushes.

Did you read the Wikipedia references Berkeman and I sent you? What did you think?

 

[davidcowling]

ok got it...

now what's the difference between

- asynchronous generator (induction)

- synchronous generator

and what is synchronous speed / frequency?

do asynchrounous generators allow wind turbines to produce 50hz electricity even when the gearbox isn't spinning this fast?

cheers

 

[vk6kro]

All generators are synchronous with the driving engine. They produce an exact number of cycles of output for each rotation caused by the drive.

However to get certain exact speeds of rotation and hence get an exact standard electrical output, the drive engine has to be regulated precisely.

This is from one of the Wikipedia references I sent you:

The output frequency of an alternator depends on the number of poles and the rotational speed. The speed corresponding to a particular frequency is called the synchronous speed for that frequency. This table [6] gives some examples:
Poles RPM at 50 Hz RPM at 60 Hz
2... 3,000... 3,600
4... 1,500... 1,800
6... 1,000... 1,200
8... 750... 900
10... 600 ... 720
12... 500 ... 600
14... 428.6... 514.3
16... 375 ... 450
18 ... 333.3... 400
20 ... 300 ... 360