Alternator

An alternator comprising:

• a rotor having a centrifugal fan at one end thereof;
• a stator core disposed around said rotor and having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of said centrifugal fan;
• a housing having an air intake passage extending from an axially outside portion of said rotor to a central portion of said centrifugal fan and an air discharging passage from an outer periphery of said centrifugal fan to a radially outside portion of said rotor;
• and
• a rectifier fixed to said housing and having cooling fins and rectifier elements thermally connected to said cooling fins which are exposed to said air intake and air discharging passages;
• wherein said rectifier has a portion axially spaced from said centrifugal fan and extending in an arc formed around said air intake passage to be exposed thereto and a portion disposed radially outside said centrifugal fan to be exposed to said air discharging passage.

An alternator comprising:

• a housing having an air intake formed on an end wall thereof and an air outlet formed on a circumferential wall thereof;
• a stator core fixed to said housing and having a stator coil with a coil end protruding axially from said stator core;
• a rotor core supported rotatably by said housing inside said stator core;
• a cooling fan located inside said housing and fixed to said rotor core to generate cooling wind in a radial direction;
• a rectifier fixed to said housing and having a radiating plate, said radiating plate having a cylindrical extension disposed between said cooling fan and said air outlet, said cylindrical extension having an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of said coil end of said stator coil to provide a space between said cooling fan and said cylindrical extension.