"Q"s On Charging Systems.

[jayzx10r]

I am electrically inept. :biggrin: I've found I make a GREAT electrical current pathway to direct ground!!

 

That being said, I was wondering if an upgraded stator setup uses more engine HP when used at the same electrical requirement level as an OEM setup.

 

For instance...picking an arbitrary number only for sake of discussion... if the parasitic HP loss using a stock stator to drive stock headlights (call it a 70 watt load) at 6000RPM was 5HP, would one incur the same HP loss to drive a 250 watt stator under the same load and RPM?

 

What if you added one of the Ricky Stator flywheels that have "stronger magnets" and were operating with the same variables as the test question? Would it take more HP to run on the stock stator and/or the aftermarket stator under the same load?

 

Are these flywheels worth buying...or is it a gimmick?

 

Obviously the generator will require more power relative to the demand placed upon it, so i know that driving a pair of 75watt lights (150 watt combined) will take more HP to generate the required power.

 

Just kinda wondering if you incur a HP penalty at all times because you have a higher capacity stator.

 

Thanks, Jay.

 

BTW: I still have to figure out if I have an aftermarket stator. If not, I have seen offerings from Moose, Electrex, and Ricky Stator. I've read postings on the RS, anyone have an opinion on the others? Should I get the RS Flywheel and the additional regulator as well?

Edited October 9, 2007 by jayzx750

[Snopczynski]

You know these are good questions. The only insight I can provide on this is the following. The load thing, there is a charge created by the flywheel spinning its magnets past the stator coils. When you turn on the lights on a bike with a rs stator and flywheel (what I have on mine), the rpms will drop down a little. One would assume a stator with lighter wound coils would make less of a load when the lower wattage lights are turned on. The rs flywheel creates more voltage at a lower rpm, it does work. Its just a heavier magnet that allows the lights to be a little brighter lower down in the rpm range. Blowit can probably answer the load/hp question a little better. I know in cars that it typically takes more hp to create more charge because of what the system is drawing and what it takes to create the field charge in the alternator. So I would assume the same is true on a banshee. Things that could alleviate the load though are capacitors or a battery I would think.

[blowit]

I am electrically inept. :biggrin: I've found I make a GREAT electrical current pathway to direct ground!!

 

That being said, I was wondering if an upgraded stator setup uses more engine HP when used at the same electrical requirement level as an OEM setup.

 

For instance...picking an arbitrary number only for sake of discussion... if the parasitic HP loss using a stock stator to drive stock headlights (call it a 70 watt load) at 6000RPM was 5HP, would one incur the same HP loss to drive a 250 watt stator under the same load and RPM?

 

What if you added one of the Ricky Stator flywheels that have "stronger magnets" and were operating with the same variables as the test question? Would it take more HP to run on the stock stator and/or the aftermarket stator under the same load?

 

Are these flywheels worth buying...or is it a gimmick?

 

Obviously the generator will require more power relative to the demand placed upon it, so i know that driving a pair of 75watt lights (150 watt combined) will take more HP to generate the required power.

 

Just kinda wondering if you incur a HP penalty at all times because you have a higher capacity stator.

 

Thanks, Jay.

 

BTW: I still have to figure out if I have an aftermarket stator. If not, I have seen offerings from Moose, Electrex, and Ricky Stator. I've read postings on the RS, anyone have an opinion on the others? Should I get the RS Flywheel and the additional regulator as well?

 

 

Very insightful question and the answer is that the charge system "capacity" is what is increased with a bigger stator setup. No, you will not incur any more parasitic loss when comparing the two stators at the same load. What you might want to research is EM fielding and flux in motors. This will apply to all induction type generators including alternators. They will basically only use what they need to drive the load. This will be the same for the flywheel as long as weights are equal. If rotational mass increases, obviously, it will take more power to turn it at all engine loads. Good question.

 

Brandon

[FireHead]

Very insightful question and the answer is that the charge system "capacity" is what is increased with a bigger stator setup. No, you will not incur any more parasitic loss when comparing the two stators at the same load. What you might want to research is EM fielding and flux in motors. This will apply to all induction type generators including alternators. They will basically only use what they need to drive the load. This will be the same for the flywheel as long as weights are equal. If rotational mass increases, obviously, it will take more power to turn it at all engine loads. Good question.

 

Brandon

 

This is a great question. Brandon hits a major point here that given equal loading there would not be more parasitic loss. However, with a higher output unit, you have the potential to generate more power, thus you also have the potential to have greater parasitic loss. To keep this discussion as basic as possible, when broaching electromechanical issue such as this you always have to remember that there is no "free lunch." In any given system if you take out more, you have to put in more. This principle holds true for everything except robbing banks.

 

My brain has sghut off for this evening so I can't come up with anything better than what I wrote. Professionally, I usually tip my hat to the electronics folks in the nerdery with their calculators for such issues as I am generally not the best source for such things. :biggrin:

[blowit]

Here is another common question I get, " the lights are now much brighter at idle than with my stock stator, does this mean it is making more power at idle"? Fire cabeza , you wanna have a go?