Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Charging circuit, stator rotor, light hovercraft

Question
Need your assistance to help me understand how the battery gets the energy to recharge the battery when engine is running. The engine is ROTAX582UL used in my light hovercraft. What is the unit called. is it the rectifier/regulator?

Answer
Hi Yahaya

i have found web site for you to take a look at and download parts catalogue

http://www.challengers101.com/Manuals.html  

and maintenance manual

http://www.challengers101.com/files/RotaxMaintenanceManual.pdf

you are correct   it is a rectifier/regulator unit  

from memory  rotax units have  a stator / rotor assy   with  3 windings  - 2  ignition charge windings  and  the battery  a/c charging winding- ( this should have 3 wires ) all the same color   unit casing needs to be grounded to earth and get some cooling air over its fins to help get cool - it gets hot from converting a/c  to d/c  voltage.

when engine is running a rotor with magnets  spins over a stator winding  inducing  a  a/c voltage or sine wave is being output via those  3 wires to a solid state  rectifier/ regulator unit ( this unit  converts a/c voltage  to d/c voltage  by running a/c through a diode to become d/c )  the unit is also preset to a specific voltage where any excess output voltage not needed by the battery and system load  is directed to ground , and when system senses battery voltage is below a preset level - unit once again passes voltage back to battery to continue charging  in that way battery should never  boil or be undercharged   with the exception of  a fault of course!

take a look at web site and  down load mauals as above from web sites
i'am sure it will help you

cheers  

paul