Charging systems

Requirements of the charging system

Introduction
The current demands made by modern vehicles are considerable. The charging system must be able to meet these demands under all operating conditions and still fast charge the battery. The main component of the charging system is the alternator and on most modern vehicles with the exception of its associated wiring this is the only component in the charging system. Figure 6.1 shows an alternator in common use. The alternator generates AC but must produce DC at its output terminal as only DC can be used to charge the battery and run electronic circuits. The output of the alternator must be a constant voltage regardless of engine speed and current load. To summarize, the charging system must meet the following criteria (when the engine is running). _ Supply the current demands made by all loads. _ Supply whatever charge current the battery demands. _ Operate at idle speed. _ Supply constant voltage under all conditions. _ Have an efficient power-to-weight ratio. _ Be reliable, quiet, and have resistance to contamination. _ Require low maintenance. _ Provide an indication of correct operation.

charging system voltage is set to this value then there can be no risk of overcharging the battery. This is known as the constant voltage charging technique. The chapter on batteries discusses this issue in greater detail. The figure of 14.2 _ 0.2 V is the accepted charging voltage for a 12 V system. Commercial vehicles generally employ two batteries in series at a nominal voltage of 24V, the accepted charge voltage would therefore be doubled. These voltages are used as the standard input for all vehicle loads. For the purpose of clarity the text will just consider a 12 V system. The other areas for consideration when determining the charging voltage are any expected voltage drops in the charging circuit wiring and the operating temperature of the system and battery. The voltage drops must be kept to a minimum, but it is important to note that the terminal voltage of the alternator may be slightly above that supplied to the battery.

Charging system principles

Basic principles
Figure 6.3 shows a representation of the vehicle charging system as three blocks, the alternator, battery and vehicle loads. When the alternator voltage is less than the battery (engine slow or not running for example), the direction of current flow is from the battery to the vehicle loads. The alternator diodes prevent current flowing into the alternator. When the alternator output is greater than the battery voltage, current will flow from the alternator to the vehicle loads and the battery. From this simple example it is clear that the alternator output voltage must be greater than the battery voltage at all times when the engine is running. The actual voltage used is critical and depends on a number of factors.

Charging voltages
The main consideration for the charging voltage is the battery terminal voltage when fully charged. If the