What is the major difference in construction between an AC generator and a DC generator?

Is it in the number of coils? For an AC generator, how does the coil continually rotate up and back down again? Does it have to do with force from a magnetic field? Any diagrams helpful. Thanks.

One Response to “What is the major difference in construction between an AC generator and a DC generator?”

rathieiv Says:
16. June 2010 at 6:20 pm

The only significant difference in physical construction between an AC and DC generator is the rotor’s electrical connections. In an AC generator, they are made with slip rings. In a DC generator, it is made with a commutator. Both of these are connected by carbon brushes that ride along the slip rings or commutator as they spin. A slip ring is a continuous ring of copper used as a connection point. A commutator is a series of small copper segments arranged into a ring shape, each segment being a different connection point than the one next to it. Otherwise, in theory, the two are basically identical, at least physically. They are operated rather differently. As far as a moving coil in an AC generator, the only coil that moves is the field winding contained within the rotor. It is supplied with a DC voltage (referred to as exciting the field, which turns it into an electromagnet, which spins with the rotor. The magnetic field it produces spins along with it. The movement of the magnetic field across the stator windings (the non moving part of the generator) causes an AC voltage to be induced in the stator windings.

rathieiv Says:
16. June 2010 at 6:20 pm
The only significant difference in physical construction between an AC and DC generator is the rotor’s electrical connections. In an AC generator, they are made with slip rings. In a DC generator, it is made with a commutator. Both of these are connected by carbon brushes that ride along the slip rings or commutator as they spin. A slip ring is a continuous ring of copper used as a connection point. A commutator is a series of small copper segments arranged into a ring shape, each segment being a different connection point than the one next to it. Otherwise, in theory, the two are basically identical, at least physically. They are operated rather differently. As far as a moving coil in an AC generator, the only coil that moves is the field winding contained within the rotor. It is supplied with a DC voltage (referred to as exciting the field, which turns it into an electromagnet, which spins with the rotor. The magnetic field it produces spins along with it. The movement of the magnetic field across the stator windings (the non moving part of the generator) causes an AC voltage to be induced in the stator windings.