This webinar recording looks at several aspects of winding design to prevent increased temperature rise and decreased efficiency.

We begin this article by clarifying the terms "alternator" and "generator." Both terms refer to a machine that converts mechanical to electrical power. An alternator is a synchronous machine that converts mechanical to AC electrical power. A generator is a more general term and is a machine that converts mechanical to electrical power, either AC or DC. An alternator is always a generator, but not vice-versa. Our focus in this article will be on 3-phase alternators. However, much of the information provided also applies to single-phase alternators and single- or three-phase generators. Key steps are:

• Identifying the leads
• Determining lead wire size
• Determining the internal connections
• Current density
• Winding changes
• Voltage changes