New brushless alternator for automotive applications

The main contribution of this paper is the description, design and experimental testing of a new brushless synchronous generator with no permanent magnets. Such an alternator is particularly attractive for automotive applications where brushes create liabilities such as reliability, limited lifetime and low field current through brushes. Due to the increasing power demand, there has been a growing interest in new alternator technologies that can replace the Lundell (or claw-pole) alternator. The alternator presented here has the potential to overcome the efficiency and power rating limits associated with the Lundell alternator without added manufacturing cost. This paper presents the design, control and electrical performance of such an alternator including analysis and experimental results.