Alimentator

Alimentator is a term used in several languages with meanings related to nourishment or supply. In Romanian and some technical contexts, it most often denotes a power supply or charger for electronic equipment—a device that provides the electrical power required by hardware, usually converting mains AC to a stable DC or other voltage. Alimentators may be linear or switching and commonly include protection features such as short-circuit and overvoltage protection, along with regulation to maintain output within specified limits.

In other contexts, alimentator refers to a feeder or supply mechanism that delivers food or nutrients to a system. In agriculture and aquaculture, automatic feeders dispense feed to animals according to schedule or sensor input. In manufacturing, feeding devices move parts into machines or along production lines, enabling a continuous flow.

Etymology and scope: the term derives from the Latin alimentare, meaning to nourish. The precise meaning depends on language and field, spanning electrical power supplies to mechanical feeding devices. See also power supply, feeder, and alimentary.