A dynamo is an electrical generator that creates direct current using a commutator. The word "dynamo" was originally another name for an electrical generator and was coined in 1831 by Michael Faraday. Dynamos were the first electrical generators capable of delivering power for industry and were widely used in power stations to generate electricity for industrial and domestic purposes. They were usually driven by steam engines, but they have since been replaced by alternators. Dynamos were also used in motor vehicles to generate electricity for battery charging, but they have again been replaced by alternators. Modern dynamos still have some uses in certain applications.
A dynamo is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy using electromagnetism. It produces power measured as a combination of voltage and current (watts) . When charging a battery, the dynamo voltage must be above that of the battery for a current to flow. Dynamos convert external power to electrical power. The field coil, when electric current flows through it, makes the outer iron frame into an electromagnet. The iron armature completes the magnetic circuit, just like putting a nail across the end of a horseshoe magnet. The more current flowing in the field coil, the stronger the magnet until a maximum, dependent on the metal inside the coil, is reached.
