1 - V-belt pulley; 2 - fan; 3 - bearing cap on the drive side; 4 - stator winding; 5 - connecting bolt; 6 - rotor with slip rings; 7 - cover from the side of slip rings; 8 - rectifier with diodes; 9 - plastic cover; 10 - voltage regulator with brush holder.
The three-phase alternator, located on the side of the engine, constantly rotates with the engine and supplies electricity not only to the ignition and injection system, but also to the connected electrical consumers. The remainder of the generated electricity is diverted to the battery.
Alternator
Renault 19 uses an alternator, and the generally accepted concept «light generating machine» (literal translation from German) is erroneous, since it provides energy to various current consumers and is a small power plant.
The generator is driven by the engine via a V-belt and is practically maintenance-free, as it does not require lubrication. Carbon brushes in it pass 80,000 km or more.
The alternator produces the electric current taken from these brushes due to the occurrence of magnetic fields that are formed by the excitation windings. This produces an alternating current. Since the battery must be charged with direct current, semiconductor diodes provide the conversion of alternating current to direct current. Diodes are very susceptible to high voltages.
Generator Handling
1. When the engine is running, do not remove or connect the wires between the battery and the generator. Because of this, a power surge can occur and the diode will burn out.
2. The generator must not operate with an incorrectly connected or defective battery. The battery serves as a voltage limiter for the generator and to some extent performs the function «buffer» against excessive stress.
3. All wires connected to a bunch of generator - battery - ground must be fixed very tightly. One loose contact can lead to significant power surges.
4. When fast charging the battery and when doing electric welding on the body, both wires must be removed from the battery.
Power of various types of three-phase generators
Depending on the type of engine, vehicle modification, special equipment and place of sale, alternators from 3 manufacturers can be installed on Renault 19. The power of the generator varies, depending on the type, from 60 to 110 A and, accordingly, from 840 to 1540 W. The generator produces two-thirds of this power already at 2000 rpm. The ratio of the generator speed to the speed of the oilcloth shaft is 1:2, which is why almost 2/3 of the generator power is realized at speeds that are slightly higher than the idle speed.