Generators consist of two major components: an engine and an alternator. The engine turns the alternator, producing AC (alternating current) power that goes through a voltage regulator to deliver ...

In the simplest of terms, an AC generator supplies power directly to a 120-volt circuit to run AC accessories throughout a boat, as well as charge the boat’s batteries (through an AC-to-­DC charger).

This is alternating current or ac. The output of an alternator can be represented on a potential difference-time graph, with potential difference on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis.