Double alternator and electrical system for a vehicle

Abstract

A double alternator for a vehicle and a vehicle electrical system employing the double alternator.

1 . An electrical system, comprising:
 (a) a housing including an adapter housing disposed between opposing front and rear housing sections;   (b) a shaft journalled in the front and rear housing sections and a pulley fixed radially about the shaft for being driven by a prime mover;   (c) a pair of stators, each of the stators including an output winding for providing a multi-phase AC voltage;   (d) a pair of rotors each fixed radially about the shaft for rotation therewith to produce a magnetic field to induce the multi-phase AC voltage across the output windings of the stators;   (e) two sets of slip rings, each ring encircling the shaft and electrically connected to one of the windings of one of the pair of rotors and insulated from the other slip rings and the shaft;   (f) a pair of multi-phase full wave rectifiers, each electrically connected to one of the stators, for receiving the three-phase AC voltage produced across the winding of one of the stators and converting the AC voltage to DC voltage;   (g) two sets of brushes, each set electrically connected to one of the slip rings to receive field current from a voltage regulator; and   (h) a pair of voltage regulators for controlling DC voltage output.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical system according to  claim 1  further comprising a storage battery comprising a main system terminal and a ground terminal connected to a system ground, the main terminal connected to both the of the rectifiers for receiving the DC voltage and providing electrical power. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical system according to  claim 2 , wherein said voltage regulators are connected to the field windings and sense an amount of current in the system to control an amount provided to the field windings. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical system according to  claim 1 , and further comprising a pair of single pole switches, each one of the pair for selectively connecting one of the field windings. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical system according to  claim 4 , and further comprising a pair of indicator lamps, each one of the pair connected between one of the pair of single pole switches and one of the field windings to indicate whether the field winding is receiving current from the main terminal. 
     
     
         6 . An electrical system, comprising:
 (a) a housing including an adapter housing disposed between opposing front and rear housing sections;   (b) a shaft journalled in the front and rear housing sections and a pulley fixed radially about the shaft for being driven by a prime mover;   (c) a pair of rotors each including a field winding and fixed radially about the shaft for rotation therewith and for providing current to produce a magnetic field to induce three-phase AC voltage and;   (d) a pair of stators each including an output winding fixed around one of the rotors for producing the three-phase AC voltage;   (e) a set of brushes corresponding to each rotor;   (f) a pair of three-phase full wave rectifiers each electrically connected to one of the output windings for receiving the three-phase AC voltage produced across the windings of one of the stators and converting the AC voltage to DC voltage;   (g) a pair of voltage regulators, each one of the pair controlling DC voltage output from one of the rectifiers;   (h) a first storage battery connected to a system ground and a first electrical power subsystem to receive DC voltage from one of the pair of three-phase full wave rectifiers;   (i) a second storage battery connected to a system ground and a second electrical power subsystem to receive DC voltage from the other of the pair of three-phase full wave rectifiers; and   j) a cross feed switch for selectively cross feeding DC voltage between the first and second subsystems.   
     
     
         7 . The electrical system according to  claim 6 , and further comprising a front bus bar connected to the first power subsystem. 
     
     
         8 . The electrical system according to  claim 7 , and further comprising a computer, connected to the front bus bar. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical system according  7 , and further comprising a rear bus bar connected to the second power subsystem. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical system according to  claim 9 , and further comprising a light connected to the rear bus bar. 
     
     
         11 . The electrical system according to  claim 6 , and further including a cross feed contactor between the electrical power subsystems. 
     
     
         12 . The electrical system according to  claim 6 , and further including a double pole starter switch. 
     
     
         13 . The electrical system according to  claim 6 , and further comprising a manual double pole master switch. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical system according to  claim 6 , wherein both batteries are energized to start the prime mover. 
     
     
         15 . The electrical system according to  claim 6  further including a starter for starting the prime mover. 
     
     
         16 . An electrical system, comprising: a housing enclosing a pair of rotor windings fixed to a shaft to rotate to produce magnetic fields inducing AC voltage across a stator windings corresponding to each rotor, a rectifier electrically connected to one of the pair of stators to convert AC voltage from the first of the pair to DC voltage for charging a storage battery, a rectifier electrically connected to the other of the pair of stators to convert AC voltage from the other stator to DC voltage for charging the storage battery, a controller connected to both of the rotor windings for controlling an amount of voltage supplied to the rotor windings and hence the voltage supplied by the stators to charge the storage battery, and an electrical circuit supplying power to the battery. 
     
     
         17 . The electrical system according to  claim 16 , wherein the voltage regulators employ shunts for measuring output voltage and or amperage from the rectifiers. 
     
     
         18 . The electrical system according to  claim 17 , wherein the controller equalizes the field current provided to the rotor windings. 
     
     
         19 . The electrical system according to  claim 18 , and further including independent annunciator lamps for indicating alternator operating statuses.