Gen Head wiring

[carlb23]

I want to replace this rats nest with a bridge rectifier but can't figure out what is going on with this wiring.
this is a 4kva Indian gen head anyone have any idea
I can't seem to insert an image into my post but here is a link to it 


  http://listerenginegallery.com/main.php?g2_itemId=1585

[trigzy]

Wow, I couldn't imagine a crappier way of doing that!!!  And I thought the chinese could come up with some cheap half assed ideas.

Anyways, lets see if we can help you fix it.  Without being there to draw the diagram myself, can you see if you can draw us one??  First of all, identify where the wires that leave this area go: field brushes/stator etc.


-------->|--------------   That is the electrical symbol for diode.   The siver line at the end of each diode in your picture, is the the vertical line in the diagram.  You dont have to draw each individual diode in your diagram, treat each group as one.  And show us how everything in connected.  When you draw the diagram, draw a dot where wires are connected, so we can tell the difference between a connection, and circuits that just overlap.   I hope that is clear.

Best of luck!


Steve

[Doug]

Thats a very interesting looking thing I don;t thik I have ever seen anyone use that many wrong diodes in place of the correct one for the job lol......

I am told in India they have some old ideas about wire colours and markings so be careful about what your draw.

This may be wrong but I think Black in India might be ground unders some conditions ( very old standards from England ). So realy pay head to where the wires are going.

[carlb23]

Yes i will try to trace each wire and see exactly where it goes.  I never seen anything like this in my life.

[greasy_burger]

I have a dead one if you want another, fist my rectifier in the top went, I changed that and then a wire at that rats nest rectifier became disconnected and shorted out so I have new rectifiers for top and bottom, I would sell it pretty cheap if anyone wanted it:)

[M61hops]

I had a 7.5KW Indian made gen head that used those type diodes to keep the current flowing through the rotor in only one direction.  I think that was to keep the same poles of the rotor always North and South as it turned.  My gen head was series wound, all the output current flowed through the stator windings, brushes, diodes and rotor windings.  It worked well but I always worried what would happen if one of those little diodes shorted and stopped rectifing  acting as just a wire.  I don't know if that ever happens, I've only seen them open when they fail.  It gives me a headache to think about stuff like that too much  !                      Leland

[carlb23]

Thanks for the reply's guys, i think i will leave well enough alone since it's a backup gen and we don't have power outages for more than a few at a time.  I will look around for a st5 down the road and just replace it.