Hi again,
Yes that sounds reasonable Mike.
I looked a little more carefully at this and found that at a continuous current of 5 amps the average current though each rectifier will be about 1/3 of that, so 5/3 amp average through one small diode. That's a little more reasonable, so with 3 ohms and a target of 15v we'd see 5 amps average through the coil but much less through each diode. I guess they can take it, and also the rotating current is probably less due to the brushes.
But i also figured out a simple way to get around any worries i might have about trying a direct short to ground to bypass the regulator (temporarily of course). That is, instead of shorting it to ground just use some low value resistance like 5 ohms to start, then see how much that changes things. If it doesnt, then 3 ohms, 1 ohms, etc. That way i dont have to worry about an overcurrent ruining anything.
I'd probably try the diode trick first though, just to see how that works, because that's the simplest to do. I was thinking maybe bring out the two terminals where the diode is to connect after breaking the connection inside (which i still have to verify where it is). That way i can always connect them back together without removing the alternator again or use an external switch to connect it back to normal operation.
Interesting, any series diode will have to handle the full 5 amps continuous.
Any ideas how to bring the wires out, as to what kind of terminals to use?
They have to go through metal that is grounded, so they must be insulated like binding posts going through a metal front panel. They have to survive high heat, and lots of vibration, and possibly some oil contamination on the outside surface.
Or maybe some wires, connected to a terminal strip on the outside of the alternator housing?
It has to be super industrialized so it can handle the harsh environment.