What is Alternator?
[[File:Gorskii 04414u.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Early 20th-century alternator made in [[Budapest]]]] An '''alternator''' is a [[generator]] which converts [[mechanical energy]] to [[electrical energy]] in the form of [[alternating current]]. There is one in every [[car]], with the exception of [[classic car|older cars]] that use a DC generator. Most alternators use a rotating [[magnetic field]] with a stationary [[armature]]. The armature reacts to the rotating field and carries the current caused by the [[rotation]]. In principle, any [[alternating current|AC]] [[electrical generator]] can be called an alternator, but usually the term refers to small rotating machines driven by automotive and other internal combustion engines. An alternator that uses a [[magnet|permanent magnet]] for its [[magnetic field]] is called a [[magneto]]. Alternators in [[power station]]s driven by [[steam turbine]]s are called turbo-alternators. ==History== Alternating current generating systems were known from the discovery of the [[Electromagnetic induction|magnetic induction of electric current]]. The early machines were developed by pioneers such as [[Michael Faraday]] and [[Hippolyte Pixii]]. [[Category:Electricity]] [[Category:Machines]]