alternator Chevy

[cees]

Has any one a idea where you can find specs of a alternator and its regulator from a chevy 3600 6.0 liter 140 amp year 2005 express
Its a Thor Four winds 28A

I just want to know how long its going in bulk charge and how high in volts
This to charge also my house batteries when i am driving
It seems to me that its a very short time that it stays on 140 amp
Any one a idea where i can find those specs
And even better how i can change them(if uberhaupt)

[TQ60]

The alternator is a stupid device.

Meaning if it is turning and functional it will attempt to output a constant voltage or its maximum current at a lower voltage until the set voltage is reached.

A low charge battery will have a virtual lower resistance resulting in higher currents but as it charges the virtual resistance rises reducing the charge current.

I use the term virtual resistance to replace explaining the chemical magic in the battery.

The alternator is continuous duty so to speak but not sure on duty cycle meaning it may output 140 amps but maybe not be happy doing it for 3 hours of freeway cruise.

Most cases the batteries come up fairly well to where the bulk rate is not at maximum but still high.

[Skip426]

Your tow vehicle's alternator out put is tied to the battery in the vehicle, when the truck battery gets to full charge the alternator output will drop to a maintenance charge for the truck battery.
If the truck charge wire to your trailer is factory installed , it will probably be protected by a 40 amp circuit breaker and that is also a limiting factor.
If you're boondocking and running your RV batteries down frequently , maybe solar on the RV would be your best option.

[twinboat]

What should my system voltage be?

On a 12 volt system the high cutout voltage should be between 14.3 - 14.9 depending on the voltage regulator installed on your alternator. This voltage will be maintained when the battery is fully charged and the electrical load is low. As you add electrical load by turning on more accessories, the voltage will drop. By using Ohm's Law, you can calculate that when amperage goes up, voltage will go down. The higher the amperage load is to the alternator's maximum rated output, the lower the voltage will be. For example, if you have a 100 amp alternator and are using 80 amp, the voltage will be about 13.5V. If you bring your load up to 101 amp, then the voltage in the system will drop below 12.8V because the extra 1 amp that is needed and not coming from the alternator will have to be stolen from the vehicle's battery and hence the voltage will start dropping below the static battery level. Keep in mind that you might experience this scenario more often at idle speeds because an alternator will not be able to produce its rated capacity at low RPM speeds. Using a smaller diameter pulley or raising the vehicle's idle RPM can sometimes give you the added RPM to get the alternator to charge at a higher rate.

Lots of good info here,
http://www.qualitypowerauto.com/pages/AlternatorFAQ.php