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To start with what type of alternator do you have at the moment?
is it the standard type which has brushes and a rotating field winding?
regarding efficiency even though your alternator is fairly old you may not get much better efficiency out of a new one unless your current alternator is damaged some how. Its likely something like 60% efficient at the moment.
The ideally efficient alternator for you would have the following features
- permanent magnets for the rotating field as this will not require brushes and energy to energize the field winding
- low loss diodes schotcky diodes which have low voltage drop
- Some method to disable the alternator charging the battery such as field disabling, a clutch to stop the shaft rotating or a relay to disconnect the output for the alternator.
- no fan fins on the rotor, there are usually fan fins on both ends of the alternator, this takes up energy from the drive train but it cools the alternator.
I am not sure the ideal alternator exists but maybe you will be able to modify something that is out there.
good luck
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