On Mon, 31 May 2004 12:08:06 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

Dan Thomas wrote:
: The alternator should be a bit more than 50% efficient, I think.

It depends on where it's operating, but for a claw-pole automotive alternator
(read: practically *all* alternators), efficiency sucks. It's designed to produce
somwhere close to its rated output at somewhere slightly above idle. At 2-3:1 for a
car, that'd be about 1500-2500 rpm. A Lycoming gearing would probably put it at
4-5:1, or roughly the same 2000-3000 rpm. Over its range of speed and
loading, efficiency ranges from 50-80% is typical.


Thanks for the input everyone!

-Nathan