Grabbed this off a scrap heap. No idea what the plan was, wondering what make this alternator is, might keep it around.
At the local car factory we used to have 2 1/2 horse Briggs horozonal shaft motor with an alternator mounted with it. Remote battery charger.
Who's to say the big pulley isn't an accessory drive to something else? There is a small pulley as well after all.
Yeah if I had to guess I would say a windmill or river paddle or a hamster or a combination of things turned it. I know they make windmill generators out of car alternators.
I'd say he hit it spot on. The alternator is driven by the small pulley and the large one drives some added accessory. Maybe someone's attempt at an off the grid setup where the large pulley drove a pump to pump water.
Unusual to say the least. We used to modify a generator or alternator in drag cars with a larger than stock pulley in- stalled on them to slow them down, especially generators to help prevent them from tossing solder. But, never with THAT large of a pulley. Alternators charge at a more consistent rate regardless or pulley size or speed. I think it's someones attempt at off grid power also. Maybe look at some online, DIY off grid, power stations/windmill power/hydro power. The big pulley looks like it came off a clothes dryer. Let us know if you get it figured out; kinda cool. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
or the alternator was just a convenient way to make a jackshaft, for a pulley speed reduction system for something like a bandsaw.
The 3 wires coming out of it are new, somebody wanted it to do something electronically. They control the field coils I assume? And no more diodes for DC?
This is what the plastic gizmo with the round black thing looks like when removed. The brushes...and the voltage regulator, I think. The diodes would be inside the housing. The three flat blade terminals stick into the rectangular hole, and the big screw threaded terminals are bolts that go through the brass grommets near them.
I would bet money the big pulley is from what is generally called a "swamp cooler" or evaporative air conditioner used in dry climates. I also agree that it is either powering something else or part of a homebrew off grid generator thing.
The middle part of that pulley, having a small pulley attached to it, does not look at all like a swamp cooler pulley. There's a swamp cooler right above my head, running, at this moment...I'm pretty well acquainted with them.
I’ve always thought a GM 10si windmill battery charger would be a fun mini project... but then I remember I have cars I should be working on