Electrical engineering question - power generation

[Christ]

This is actually a fairly simple question, but despite all the reading I've done recently, there are some things not necessarily clear in my head, so given my past experience with helpful members of this forum, I thought his would be a good place to inquire.

Basically, my question is this:

If I make two barrel type coils (a LA Faraday Flashlight) of identical specification, and use them in conjunction with two magnets of identical specification, I have in essence made two identical generators.

For the purpose herein, well say that at 300 passes per minute, each generator is capable of making 1.5VDC @ 1A after being rectified.

If I want to wire the two separate generators' coils in series, this creates 3.0 VDC @1A, while parallel link creates 1.5VDC @ 2A, is this correct?

A second question - When combining the outputs of the two generators, should this be done before or after rectifying output from each coil?

Third - Given that the magnets travel through the coils is variable, is it feasible that one magnet should induce current in more than one coil, wired parallel, with a series of magnets inducing each set of parallel coils, their outputs wired in series (to increase voltage).

If the questions are unclear or require more information, I can provide crude diagrams to he'll explain..

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Christ

If I want to wire the two separate generators' coils in series, this creates 3.0 VDC @1A, while parallel link creates 1.5VDC @ 3A, is this correct?

No, I don't think you'll get a free 1A by wiring two 1A sources in parallel.

[Christ]

Typo, fixed.

[jakobnev]

Unless you can keep them exactly in sync, it is better to rectify first.

[redpoint5]

I would tend to agree with Jakob, but I'm no expert in this regard.

Christ, you ask good questions, and now I'm curious as well.

Perhaps your testing will educate us.

[aerohead]

Are you looking for 3-volts? Like to run LEDs? Or would you wind your coils with a secondary (a transformer) to step up your voltage to 12-volts AC before the rectifier?

[Christ]

I'm actually looking at building a tubular setup with multiple coils and magnets its length that is capable of producing 14.4 or better, which will then be rectified and converted to DC, used in a situation similar to an automotive electrical system, to charge batteries that are in use. I don't know if there is a single iteration that could replace an existing charging system, but there is most certainly room to use such a device concurrently to extract otherwise wasted motion.

Need the magnets be isolated from each other or stacked in opposing orientation? I feel like stacking them complementary to each other destroys the possibility of flux lines existing outside then surface of the magnets...

[Christ]

The design I have in my head is basically a stack of magnets oriented north facing south, passing through several stacked coils. The variable and unpredictable stroke is really at issue here, so it may be best to make each coil capable of providing the necessary voltage by itself, so that shorter strokes don't 'miss' producing the correct voltage to drive the circuit.

In other words, each stacked coil provides, say, 14.5 vdc @ 500ma, so a longer stroke just boosts the amperage in the circuit by passing more coils through more flux lines, but a shorter stroke will still produce the correct voltage to power the circuit, despite being less 'driven' in terms of charging ability.

[P-hack]

typically designers use a buck and/or boost converter to stabilize the output when the input is variable (i.e. regen)