Question: What is a permanent Magnet Alternator and what are they used for?
Answer: Permanent Magnet Alternators are commonly use for wind Generators, Hydro Power and Homemade Generators. Common Automotive Alternators use an electromagnet core to turn the alternator off. Permanent Magnet Alternators have permanent magnets in place of the electromagnet core. The reason automotive uses and electromagnet core is so they can use it to control the output of the alternator through the use of the voltage regulator which controls the voltage sent to the electromagnet core. With permanent magnet alternators you cannot control the alternator output as it doesn't have a voltage regulator or the electromagnet core to control it. Control of permanent alternators is commonly don by controlling the speed. With permanent magnet alternators the faster you spin them the more electricity the produce/