Alternator: How many batteries can it take?
I have a diesel, so two batteries for truck, there are two 6-volt for the Truck Camper, and I want to put a deep cycle battery in the cargo trailer. The Camper does have 200 watt solar to charge it...
Forum Discussion
Making use of the alternator while underway to get some amount of charging, is different than expecting the alternator to keep various distant batteries happy.
Few can expect the alternator to properly and fully recharge depleted distant batteries. Well many might expect this, but they are delusional, or misinformed or both.
Whether the alternator is overloaded by huge loads, of which a healthy depleted battery connected via thick copper circuit, can be considered, is not something one can just assume to be or not be the case.
In the marine world large banks of AGM batteries can indeed fry alternators, and some of the voltage regulators have battery temp sensors, alternator temps sensors in addition or programmable voltage settings.
Whether any particular alternator in a vehicle is going to overheat, is unknown. I sought out this information quite a while back and concluded nobody could give me anything more than a somewhat educated guess. More an issue was to figure out who might be educated so they could guess.
So, I adhered the K type thermocouple to my Stator, and have an Ammeter and can see just how hot my alternator gets at certain outputs, rpms and driving speeds. Actual data, not just an opinion. But it is applicable to my vee hickle, its alternator, and the amount of underhood airflow.
I suggest if one is indeed suspicious they might be overloading their alternator with large capacity of depleted batteries, to actualy deplete them and either aim an IR gun at the alternator and see the results, or get a 3 meter K type thermocouple to attach to their multimeter that supports temperature measurement, and a adhere it to the stator with some JB weld or some dedicated thermal epoxy.
I'm going to insulate my thermocouple from airflow as I believe that at least 15 degrees F is knocked off at highway speeds, as I also have one on my T stat housing and it reads ~180F when driving 65mph but rises to 195f when idling at a red light.
Few can expect the alternator to properly and fully recharge depleted distant batteries. Well many might expect this, but they are delusional, or misinformed or both.
Whether the alternator is overloaded by huge loads, of which a healthy depleted battery connected via thick copper circuit, can be considered, is not something one can just assume to be or not be the case.
In the marine world large banks of AGM batteries can indeed fry alternators, and some of the voltage regulators have battery temp sensors, alternator temps sensors in addition or programmable voltage settings.
Whether any particular alternator in a vehicle is going to overheat, is unknown. I sought out this information quite a while back and concluded nobody could give me anything more than a somewhat educated guess. More an issue was to figure out who might be educated so they could guess.
So, I adhered the K type thermocouple to my Stator, and have an Ammeter and can see just how hot my alternator gets at certain outputs, rpms and driving speeds. Actual data, not just an opinion. But it is applicable to my vee hickle, its alternator, and the amount of underhood airflow.
I suggest if one is indeed suspicious they might be overloading their alternator with large capacity of depleted batteries, to actualy deplete them and either aim an IR gun at the alternator and see the results, or get a 3 meter K type thermocouple to attach to their multimeter that supports temperature measurement, and a adhere it to the stator with some JB weld or some dedicated thermal epoxy.
I'm going to insulate my thermocouple from airflow as I believe that at least 15 degrees F is knocked off at highway speeds, as I also have one on my T stat housing and it reads ~180F when driving 65mph but rises to 195f when idling at a red light.
