A vehicle power generation control apparatus has a power supply circuit, a
rotation detecting circuit, an exciting current detecting circuit, a
torque detecting/maximum exciting current determining circuit, and an
exciting current control circuit. The rotation detecting circuit detects
a rotation speed of a generator (or vehicle alternator) and the exciting
current detecting circuit detects an exciting current flowing through an
exciting winding of the generator. The torque detecting/maximum exciting
current determining circuit calculates a power generation torque of the
generator based on the output voltage, the exciting current, the rotation
speed, and calculates an inertia torque of the generator based on a
change rate of the rotation speed. The exciting current control circuit
suppresses the exciting current flowing through the exciting winding so
that a change rate of a total sum of the generation torque and the
inertia torque does not exceed a predetermined value, for example, during
the idling condition.