Hi Gamber,
Oops, remembering my "older-school' alternator, with semi-external regulator/brushes! Your alternator simply has everything inside the alternator casing. So no easy exciter switching.
Now the battery provides a constant large 'load' for the regulator to work against and helps smooth any AC ripple. Without the battery the alternator becomes an ineffectively controlled and underloaded AC (and DC) generator.
What usually happens when you disconnect the alternator from the battery (in a car) is the considerable electromagnetic energy stored in the alternator has to be dumped somewhere, usually into (either) the delicate car electronics and/or the alternator's diode pack. Either way, something gets damaged. With no car connected, it'll be internal alternator damage.
Oh, by the way, newest cars may actually be controlling the alternator, through the ECU now...so the newest alternators may have that input (and several other input/output wires) again.
Last edited by Pitrack_1; 08/05/16 12:11 PM. Reason: formatting
