Posted by gtk on Monday, July 07, 2003 at 1:18AM :
In Reply to: New Generator posted by Bob Cocivi on Sunday, July 06, 2003 at 4:28PM :
From the www.ply33.com site...
The "polarizing" operation is to set the residual magnetic field in the iron core of the generator. It only needs to be done if the generator has been rebuilt or if the generator was polarized for negative ground operation. Actually, most of the time you don't have to polarize the generator after rebuild anyway as the rebuilder will have tested it and polarized it in the process.
Side note: The way a generator is wired, there is no field voltage until there is output from the armature. Since you need a magnetic field for the armature to turn through to generate electricity you have a "chicken and the egg" situation. The way that is solved is to rely on the "memory" of the iron core that the field wires are wrapped around to provide a small field. Setting the memory in those iron cores is what polarization is about.
When you polarize the generator you usually do it at the regulator because all the wires you need to get at are conviently located there. Because of this some people think you are or need to polarize the voltage regulator. Not true.
Just bolt in the regulator and you are done. No polarization required.