Chris Zell wrote: > The last car to use generators that I'm aware of was the VW Bug. I > suppose alternators were cheaper to build.
That would make sense. Once cheap reliable high current diodes became available, the alternator design appears simpler. On the other hand, I've always heard that alternators are preferred because they perform better than generators at low RPM -- in other words, their "power band" is wider, which is important for something which turns at a fixed rate relative to the engine (no transmission on the generator). I've never checked that claim out, however. Most of my experience with generators comes from the old flathead Willys Jeep engines we used in my father's boat, back in the day. (Two in succession; first replaced when the cylinder walls rusted through, due to use of an open cooling system in brackish water. It's a tradeoff -- a closed system is more expensive, more complex, and takes more maintenance, but an open system requires replacing the engine block every ten years or so.) > >
