Noun
an old term for an electric generator that produces alternating current (especially in automobiles)
Source: WordNetA common method of harnessing this thermal energy is to use it to boil water to produce pressurized steam which will then drive a steam turbine that turns an alternator and generates electricity. Source: Internet
An alternator is simpler and lighter, but doesn’t output the DC a car wants. Source: Internet
“If a car sits, the battery slowly loses its charge, and the alternator doesn’t have the chance to replenish it. Source: Internet
Electrical power came from a 24 volt DC generator on the starboard (No. 2) engine and an alternator on the port engine which supplied AC power for radios. Source: Internet
Normally, both are charged from a single alternator, and a heavy-duty split-charge diode is used to prevent the higher-charge battery (typically the engine battery) from discharging through the lower-charge battery when the alternator is not running. Source: Internet
History The first alternator to produce alternating current was a dynamo electric generator based on Michael Faraday 's principles constructed by the French instrument maker Hippolyte Pixii in 1832. Source: Internet