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Reduction of alternator noise has become an increasingly important task in automotive industry as requirements for passenger compartment comfort increase, and other components such as the engine, exhaust system, etc. are made quieter. However, the aim of this study is to identify the noise sources of a numbers of alternator bands and to develop design guidelines to reduce the overall noise levels sacrificing the specified performance. With these guidelines, design engineers can reduce alternator noise effectively. To identify mechanical, aerodynamic and electromagnetic noise generation mechanisms, the alternator was reconfigured in many different ways, so as to separate each individual noise source. Noise generated by each configuration running at different speeds was measured, and its characteristics were analyzed. A special test stand was designed and fabricated, and tests were conducted in the automotive laboratory.