Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryland
I haven't seen an alternator with a fan on it for years, so if your field windings are turned off then the only drag on the alternator are the carbon brushes, the bearings and the rotor, adding a clutch you will be adding another set of bearings, more rotating weight and more air drag.
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Oh, they still have fans; they've just moved inside the housing (probably for noise reduction). Except for the liquid cooled ones.
The only potential savings I see from a clutched alternator are from not spinning a cooling fan. The added drag from the clutch itself may cancel out even that meager benefit.