"Jim Thompson" wrote in
message ...
On Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:50:39 -0800, Fred Abse
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:28:17 -0800, John Larkin wrote:

Alternators like this are often designed with a lot of internal series
inductance. As speed increases, open-circuit terminal voltage
increases, but the series inductance impedance increases too, tending
to make them constant-current sources, ideal for driving light bulbs
at sorta constant brightness at various speeds.

What I was going to say.

I think there is an ancient patent somewhere about just that.

Well! Alternators _are_ current sources, but not for the reason
Larkin claims... no surprise ;-)

...Jim Thompson


That's all we need - the schoolyard bully just turned up!