Importance

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Abstract

An inexpensive semi enclosed alternator provides high power prolonged operation in environments having particle contamination in the ambient atmosphere. An alternator housing has front and rear housing portions, and a drive shaft carrying a rotor assembly is within the housing. A drive shaft extension from the housing holds a fan assembly. The rear housing portion has cylindrical sidewalls joined to a closed end portion 27 and forms an air sealed cavity except for an open end facing the front housing portion. The front housing portion comprises cylindrical sidewalls, having through-openings therein, which terminate in a first end opening 31, facing rear housing open end 28, and a substantially open second end opening 30 facing the fan assembly and the ambient atmosphere. Preferably rotor and stator assemblies, and rectifying diodes, are positioned within the housing substantially between the through openings and the closed end portion of the rear housing. During normal drive shaft rotation, the fan assembly draws cooling ambient air into the housing through the through-openings 33, and this air is then drawn out of the housing through the second end opening 30 of the front housing portion. This causes cooling air turbulence within the housing, while not directly exposing most internal alternator components to particle contamination in the ambient atmosphere. A voltage regulator is provided in a sealed protective cavity external to the internal cavity. A heatsink which is part of the voltage regulator is utilized to form part of the walls that create the protective cavity.

First Claim