aftermarket rectifier??

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by marty
How can you shut off a permanent magnet and a winding? Current is going to be induced if the magnet is spinning. Do thay just open the circut so the poor little electrons have nowhere to go? And does the magnet realy suffer more drag from higher electical demand? And 100 other questions now running through my head. I must medditate on this. Thanks fo keeping the gray matter working. marty

You're still awake after reading all that?

You're on the right track, almost. A voltage will always be generated, but not always a current. Yes, they just open the circuit so the electrons have nowhere to go. If the electrons cannot flow, there is no current. (Current is defined as the movement of electrons)

Everybody has played with magnets, right? You can push them around on a desk and they will repel each other, if the polarity is right. This is how the generator will "fight back". Once you get a current flow, those electrons moving will create their own magnetic field that will "fight" the magnetic field of the magnets. The more current flow, the more it will fight, so the more force it takes to overcome. More power out requires more power in.

Like I said, if current is not flowing, you are not fighting that extra magnetic field, you are only fighting a small amount of friction.

So, to answer your question, yes, there can be lots of extra drag, depending on your generator size. Large power station require HUGE horsepower to turn those big generators. However, for your quad, it's really not all that much. I'd be kinda surprised if you saw a 1hp difference, and i'd be REALLY surprised if you saw a 2hp difference.

[marty]

I was kind of thinking that today. Once the current started to flow the windings thay would become eletromagnets. Or a simpler thought, for ever action theres a equal and oppisit reaction. You cant get output with out input. So for a race you could just unplug your rectifier. Trail riders could put a switch on the lead from the stator to the rectifier and control when you get that .7hp. Insted of when that rectifier decides it's ok. But be carefull thats a LOT of power. I may do the switch for when I try to race my friends, attack a too big hill, or to save some fuel on long day trips. Thanks for the input this could be a very cheep way to get some extra power wheen needed. marty

[wilkin250r]

It may not be quite as simple as that. I'm not sure if the rectifier and regulator are the same unit, and I don't have a full schematic in front of me to determine if this plan is safe or not.

In theory you are absolutely correct, but I don't have the whole picture to give you a definitive answer. Proceed with caution.

[zlam27]

wilkin - first of all, great write-up. i read it all and found it very informative/interesting. i dont know about everyone else, but electronics is one of my weak points when it comes to mechanics.

BTW: what kind of engineer are you and where do you work (if you can tell me/us). i am thinking of changing my major from diesel mechanics to mechanical engineering and i want to know what im getting into

zach

[wilkin250r]

I'm an electrical engineer, and I design magnetics. I work for a small branch of much bigger corporation, Tyco Electronics.

Mechanical engineering requires lots of math.

[redrunner]

Originally posted by wilkin250r
Guarenteed cure for insomnia...

j/k

Yeah were still awake, once again I love this chit! I am not an engineer but aspire to be a hands on one. I have some info on getting a Engineering cert by work related time and experience. Been to lazy or not inspired enogh to fill out the forms Hey I bought a 200 ton press from a Tyco plant in Detriot a couple years back.
Any way great post.

[duneittilludie]

I just recently put a big gun rectifier on my wifes 440 and i can tell you that without a doubt you can tell a difference in performance.It is kind of hard to explain what it does in terms of change but it makes your motor seem to get through the rpms faster or with less effort than without the rectifier.I too was skeptical but it only took a few seconds to feel that there was a difference from the stock rectifier.Those of you that feel that the rectifier is a waste of money should remember that a pipe on a 400 ex will give you maybe a two horsepower gain at best so a rectifier that costs around 100.00 is a much better power to dollar ratio than most other bolt ons.

[marty]

Hay DUNEITTILLUDIE do you feel it turn on and off, or does it know when your accelerating hard and shut the charging system down regardless of the batterys state of charge? Does it charge any better? It's cool to here from someone who has this thing. I too don't think pipes are the best investment. Several hundred dollars for maby 2 peak hp. and a shorter torque curve. There is better, cheaper ways to get more usable power. The loud pipes may just get annoyed nonatvers to call the cops or their congressman. On a street bike LOUD AND PROUD can save your life. On a quad it will just get us baned. Sorry for preaching J.M.O. Remember TORQUE MOVES MASS !

[marty]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I just looked at their ad again and thay never say thay shut the charging system off. Thay say "when the battery reaches 100% the system switches over to allow 100% of the spark from the charging system to go directly to the plug to create a hotter better burn that creates more horsepower."
First there is no "spark in the charging system". Second you cant send anything "directly to the plug" or even the coil without sending it through the C.D.I. Third these systems are separate. The C.D.I dose not get power from the same windings as the rest of the quad. If I had a scanner I'd post my wiring diagrams so wilkin250r could have a peek. Maby some one else can. I don't know where I'm going with this so lets go. I still say TORQUE MOVES MASS !

[TORO1968]

Originally posted by wilkin250r
Mechanical engineering requires lots of math.

I can vouch for that...