Generators generate AC, while Alternators produce AC.
However, there might be a more technical answer, and this my friend is one of the biggest issues in this life. Unfortunately, our language is going to hell in a handbag with no improvement signs.
In the past, there was a major difference between generators and alternators, but the lines have blurred over the years so much that one is silently replacing the other.
The same thing with Motors vs Engines. The two words today are used to mean the same thing, incorrectly.
Engines by original definition rotate as a product or combustion, while Motors rotated using a rotor/stator combination.
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Why am I saying all these? Simple, I care about distinction, a lot. You wanting to know what a generator produces is using the correct language and I appreciate it.
Now, back to my point. A motor is not an engine, neither is an engine a motor. When someone asks me what Motor I have under the hood of my truck, I tell them that the only motor under the hood is the Starter motor and that it is not really that impressive. now my ENGINE on the other hand is pretty snazzy. I get stupid looks like “who cares?” I care, that’s who!
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Does A Generator Generate Ac Or Dc?
Originally generators generated DC and Alternators AC,
Today generator sets are units that generate power so you can have a DC generator that generates DC or can be used to generate DC which is converted to AC. You can get an AC generator that produces AC, single or polyphase, 60Hz [used in USA] 50Hz [Europe].
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Similarities and Difference between Ac and Dc Generators
Thanks for reading this far. Now, let’s learn about the differences and similarities.
Differences | Similarities |
| 1. AC generators are mainly for Homes appliances such as vacuum cleaners, food mixers, juicers and electrical fixtures.
DC generators power very large electric motors — such as those needed for subway systems, banks of batteries used for mobile and off-grid uses.
2. In AC generators, the coil through which the current flows is fixed, and the magnet is moving.
But, in DC generators the coil through which the current flows rotates in a fixed field.
3. There have been an overwhelming majority of generators are the AC type, because the DC units have brushes that require periodic replacement. | 4. DC & AC generators use relative motion between a coil of wire and a magnetic field to produce electricity.
5. They both generate AC in the generator circuit ( In an DC generator the commutator in conjunction with the brushes converts the AC to DC).
6. Another difference between an AC generator and a DC generator is that the DC generator needs a mechanism to provide a DC output.
This can be done mechanically with a commutator or electronically with a rectifier. Internally, all generators produce an alternating voltage. All generators require a magnetic field |
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