Question About Voltage Regulators

[johnd]

My son asked me a question and I don't know the answer-maybe someone here will.

Did anyone ever make a solid state voltage regulator for a generator? All the ones I ever had were completely mechanical. I vaguely remember something about MOPARS having one that worked on a pulse modulated basis. Anybody able to help me on this?

 

[rmattingley]

I think my 1970's snowmobile has a solid state regulator on it.

 

[Smoky14]

Do you include alternators? DC gen had a few solid state reg but they were few as the advent of the alternator replaced the DC gen at about the same time.
Hope that helps. If not more info please

 

[johnd]

Well, that at least establishes that a solid state regulator for a dc generator was actually manufactured at one time. Now I need to find out when and for what car and see if I can find one. My son and I restored a 1968 VW bug that has a generator and he wanted to put a solid state regulator on it. I designed on for him but he has never gotten up the nerve to actually try it.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

What's he afraid of?

If you designed a new regulator, he11, a new wiring harness for a 1968 VW should be a snap!

 

[labman]

My 71 Valiant, 318 V-8 had a solid state regulator. It mounted on the firewall, so I am sure it was all DC, so it should work with with a generator.

 

[Master ACiD]

how about a motorcycle voltage regulator?

 

[Chris142]

The wiring between a system with an Alt is completly differernt than one with a gen.

With an Alt the power wire goes directly to the battery and the regulator controls the power output to the field to control the output. I think Chrysler controls the ground instead but the same principle.

With a generator the power wire goes into the regulator and then out it to the battery.

I don't think that building a solid state regulator would be feasable from a cost standpoint. Points can carry 30 or more amps but most electronic stuff would burn up quickly.

I just learned this 2weeks ago. The truck I bought has a generator and someone had attempted to wire in a regulator for a alt....Won't work.

 

[Ben Boyle]

The great part about the old VWs is that virtually all parts are available, even wiring harnesses.
http://www.aircooled.net/new-bin/viewproductdetail.php?keyword2=LHA0001&cartid=

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

The old mechanical regulators were quite simple.

There were 2 relays. A current sensing relay, and a voltage sensing relay. The current relay was also refered to as a cutout. When you turned the key, the voltage relay was picked and the field was energized. When the car started, the current relay picked and and the generator output was connected to the battery. Some were more complicated, you should have seen the regulator for a 100amp generator on a police car. Some were simpler. When I was in college, I drove a 30 Model A coupe. It had just a single cutout relay and it was bad. I would start the car, then open the hood and connect the field wire to the relay and drive off.

The only addational thing a solid state regulator would need would be an Isolation diode. Shouldn't be that hard to do.