Alternator brushes will carry the full?

The correct answer is that alternator brushes will carry the full field current. In an alternator, the brushes make contact with the rotating slip rings in order to supply electrical energy to the rotor windings. The rotor windings require field current to generate a magnetic field necessary for the operation of the alternator, which in turn induces voltage in the stator windings.

It is important to note that the armature current is carried by the stator windings, not the brushes. The stator produces the output current that powers the electrical load, which is different from the field current supplied to the rotor. Similarly, the term "generator current" is more generic and often refers to the total output current provided by the alternator, which does not specifically pertain to the function of the brushes. In contrast, the brushes have the specific function of facilitating the field current flow that energizes the magnetic field needed for the generating process. This distinction is essential for understanding the operation of alternators in heavy-duty applications.