Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

Unit II
Charging, Starting & Ignition System

By,
Mr. A J Bhosale
Asst. Professor
Dept. of Automobile Engineering
Govt. College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Syllabus:
• Magnetos Constant current & voltage systems, Current
& voltage regulator, Semi-conductor type regulator,
Alternator with regulator, starting system with layout,
selection of motor, matching battery, Drive mechanisms,
Ignition coil, Distributor, Cam angle & Contact angle
gap, Spark Advance mechanisms, Ballast Resistance,
Limitations of coil ignition, Electronic Ignition system,
Spark plugs, types, construction & characteristics.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Requirements of the charging system

 Supply the current demands made by all loads.
 Supply whatever charge current the battery
demands.
 Operate at idle speed.
 Supply constant voltage under all conditions.
 Have an efficient power-to-weight ratio.
 Be reliable, quiet, and have resistance to
contamination.
 Require low maintenance.
 Provide an indication of correct operation.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

Methods of Generating Electric Current:

1. DC Generator (Dynamo and Magneto)
2. AC Generator (Alternator)

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

316482 A J Bhosale Automotive Electrical & Electronics

 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Current and Voltage Regulator:

 To prevent the vehicle battery from being
overcharged the regulated system voltage
should be kept below the gassing voltage of
the lead-acid battery. A figure of 14.2 ±0.2
V is used for all 12 V charging systems.
 The output of an alternator without
regulation would rise linearly in proportion
with engine speed.
 Alternator output is also proportional to
magnetic field strength and this, in turn, is
proportional to the field current.
 Accurate voltage control is vital with the
ever-increasing use of electronic systems. It
has also enabled the wider use of sealed
batteries, as the possibility of over-charging
is minimal

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 A voltage regulator is an electromagnetic device. It

operates in the same way as cutout relay.
 The voltage regulator prevents generation of excessive
voltage, thus avoiding the damage to the electronic
devices and overcharging of the battery.
 The current regulator limits the current and thus output
of the generator is prevented from increasing beyond the
rated output.
 The voltage produced depends on
 The physical thing,
 The speed of rotation
 The strength of magnetic field

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Constant Current System:

 In this system, the shift of the magnetic
field by armature reaction is made use of in
controlling the output of generator.
 Referred as third brush regulation.
 In this the field windings are not connected
across the two main brushes but instead
they are connected across an auxiliary brush
and one main brush.
 Figure shows the wiring circuit of the third
brush generator.
 The third brush as shown is placed on
leading side of main brush while main
brushes are placed at correct positions on
the commutator.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 This arrangement ensures imposition of maximum voltage on

the main brushes which is induced in the armature
conductors.
 The voltage imposed on the field windings connected across
brushes A and C is of lower value.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The magnetic field produced because of current flow in

the armature conductors increases in strength with an
increase in generator speed and output.
 The increase in the strength of this field increases the
distortion of the main field in the distortion of rotation.
 This distortion weakens the field under the leading tips
of the pole shoes.
 This shifts part of the magnetic field past the third
brush. This means that conductors between the third
brush and the main brush are operating in weak field,
resulting in lower induction of voltage in the field
windings. This reduces the generator output.
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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The maximum output of the generator is

determined by the position of the third
brush.
 When it has reached its, maximum, the
magnetic field produced by the field
windings becomes so weak that no further
increase in generator output is possible.
 If the generator speed is further increased,
it produces additional main field distortion
and the generator output tapers off.
 By changing the position of the third-
brush, the maximum o/p of the generator
of this type can be adjusted.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Constant Voltage System:

 This method of regulation utilizes the principle of inserting
resistance in series with field windings by some automatic
means when the voltage of the generator reaches a certain
value.
 It is used in cars of small, medium and large classes.
 As compared with the constant current system, this method
of output regulation is controlled by generator voltage.
 In fact, the output of the generator in amps may vary to a
considerable extent.
 Depending upon the conditions of lighting and of the starting
system, it may be great or small.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Fig. shows schematic of const. voltage

system.
 A resistance in series is connected with
the field winding which is short circuited
when the contact points close under the
pressure of the spring.
 The voltage regulator consists of an
electromagnet wound with many turns of
fine wire which is excited by the
armature current.
 When the predetermined value of voltage
is reached the vibrating bar attached with
movable contact point is attracted by the
magnet inserting resistance in the
generator field circuit.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 This insertion of resistance in the field circuit increases the

total resistance of field circuit, thus dropping the armature
voltage allowing the spring to close the contact points.
 The closing of contacts will again increase the voltage and
break the contacts.
 This sequence of operation is repeated and is continued
rapidly as long as the generator is in operation.
 Thus, the generator voltage is automatically maintained
between two relatively small limits.
 When the battery is connected to the generator, its voltage will
increase until the predetermined voltage is reached.
 At this stage, the contacts of the regulator will start opening
and closing to maintain the voltage.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 If the battery is in partially or totally discharged

condition, the contact will stay closed for
longer time and the rate of charge will be high.
 As soon as the battery voltage rises due to
charging the opening and closing the contacts
will take place and low charging current will be
fed to battery.
 The movable contact frequency is proportional
to the generator speed.
 Hence at low speed, the contacts will remain
closed for longer period.
 The contact vibration are up to the extent of 70
per second normally but in some designs a
more rapid rate is provided.
 The contacts are generally made of tungsten
and in some cases, these may be made of pure
silver.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Comparison:
 Constant Voltage System:
 It is efficient in operation and has definite limitation of
voltage.
 It can operate without battery.
 Its charging rate is as per state of battery and responds to
increase in load.

 Constant Current System:

 It is less costly to manufacture.
 It is simple in design and construction and quiet reliable.
 It has minimum number of components which require
adjustments

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Limitations of Third Brush Regulation:

 In the case of this system of regulating the o/p of the generator,
the battery state of charge has a prominent effect.
 The generator having this system of regulation will supply more
current to a fully charged battery than to a discharged battery.
 It is because a fully charged battery will have a higher terminal
voltage, thus providing a higher voltage to the field winding of
the generator.
 It causes an increase in the generator field strength and ultimately
leads to arise in voltage and output of the generator
 The discharged battery, similarly will result in a lower o/p of the
generator.
 This is certainly an undesirable thing, keeping in view the
electrical requirements of automobiles. It is ,therefore, essential to
have some other means of regulating the generator output in
addition to this method.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Figure shows third brush generator with

thermostatic controlled field resistance.
 In case of a cold generator, the contact
points remained closed, thus directly
grounding the field for full o/p of the
generator.
 When the generator became hot during
operation, the contacts points got opened by
the thermostatic blade, thereby inserting the
resistance in the field circuit.
 This resulted in the reduction of the field
current and hence that of the o/p of the
generator.
 This how thermostatic control was used for
protecting the generator from damage due to
overheating.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 On some generators, drivers were controlling the field resistance, the

driver could insert or short out the resistance depending upon the
condition of the battery.
 One drawback of this system was that the driver often did not
understand what he was expected to or else he forget to operate the
switch.
 An improvement was made over this system by inserting the resistance
in the light switch. The resistance was introduced in the field circuit
when the light switch was off which in turn reduced the o/p of generator.
 As the light switch was turned on, the resistance was shorted out thereby
allowing the generator to produce higher o/p

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The schematic wiring diagram shows step voltage control unit.

 This device operated on the circuit voltage in two steps. Increase in
the circuit voltage increased the magnetism in the winding till it was
sufficient to pull the armature towards it.
 When this happened, it inserted the resistance in the field circuit by
opening the contact points.
 This resulted in a reduced output of the generator till such time as the
battery became partly discharged.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 When the circuit voltage fell enough so that the pull of

the spring overcame the magnetic pull, the points again
closed, thereby allowing the generator o/p to increase.
 This method of controlling the o/p provided only two
steps of control and hence it was not very satisfactory
under different operating conditions.
 This lead to the use of a vibrating voltage regulator
which suited different operating conditions
 This method prevents the generator voltage form
exceeding a certain predetermined safe value.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Fig. shows the schematic of the vibrating voltage regulator

used with the third brush generator for controlling its o/p
under varying operating conditions. With this method, almost
const. voltage is maintained in system.
 The voltage regulator and the cutout relay are mounted on the
same base and enclosed by the same cover.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 There are two windings on the voltage regulator core, namely,

shunt winding and series winding. The shunt winding is of fine
wire, whereas the series winding is of heavy wire.
 The shunt winding is connected across the generator and hence
the generator voltage is impressed upon it.
 The series winding is connected in series with the field winding
and carries direct field current to earth when the contact points are
closed.
 The lower contact point is movable and earthed all the time,
whereas the upper contact point is stationary and insulated.
 This point is connected to the regulator series winding. The
contact points are held together when the battery is low and high
generator o/ is required.
 The o/p of the generator is decided by the generator speed and the
setting of the third brush.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 When the battery approaches the charged condition, the voltage

increases.
 This in turn increases the magnetic pull in the shunt winding of
the regulator.
 This increase in pull separates the contact points by pulling the
armature towards the core after overcoming its spring tension.
 This action inserts the resistance in the field circuit, causing the
o/p of the generator to fall. The fall in voltage decreases the
magnetic pull and the spring tension again closes the points,
thereby directly grounding the field.
 This once again increases the voltage and o/p of the generator.
 It causes the voltage to reach a predetermined maximum value
and the shunt winding of the regulator pulls the armature towards
the core, thus separating the points once more.
 This sequence of opening and closing the points is very
rapid.(200 times a second)

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 It should be noted that the series winding, which carries

the field current when the points are closed, is only
helper winding.
 It produces a small percentage of the total pull and
speed up the action of the armature.
 The magnetic field of this winding collapses entirely as
soon as the points open because the winding is open-
circuited. Hence the magnetic strength of the winding
core is reduced this quickly accomplishes the closing of
the points.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The constant voltage type has one

disadvantage, it needs a large o/p
generator for its satisfactory operation.
 If a battery is in discharged condition and
the electrical load is switched on, the
voltage will fall further.
 For the regulator to maintain its set
voltage, very heavy current will flow
through the armature coils and the
battery, thus posing a danger of burning
the armature coils.
 The compensated type of regulator
overcomes this drawback.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Compensated voltage regulator

 The core of the regulator is
provided with three windings,
namely, series coils A and B and
voltage coil C.
 Coil A is placed in the external
circuit of the generator and coil B
in the lead from the battery to the
electrical equipments of the
vehicle.
 The combined effect of theses three
coils governs the movement of the
hinged armature in such way that it
gives the desired regulator action
under different speed, load and
battery conditions.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 With this type of regulator, the

generator develops its full o/p
due to coil A when the battery
is discharged and there is no
electrical load in the circuit.
 Further the generator o/p is
prevented from increasing by
connecting the main electrical
load through coil B. This
maintains the o/p of the
generator at its full, quite
independent of the electrical
load.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Fig. shows the curves of battery

voltage and generator current
reflective the performance of the
compensated voltage control system.
 A, A1 and A2 corresponds to fully
charged, almost discharged and fully
discharged battery.
 When the battery is fully charged, the
generator supplies only a small
amount of charge.
 The charging rate increases as the
battery is in lower state of charge (A1
and A2 Curves)
 Hence the charging is automatically
adjusted as per the state of battery
conditions.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Current and Voltage Regulator

 This system of control is different from the compensated
voltage control system. In this system two independent
regulators are used for controlling the current and
voltage.
 The winding of one regulator is used to control the
generator o/p current, while that of other is used to
control the voltage of generator.
 The net effect of using both the current and the voltage
control systems is that both the current and voltage
values of the generator are controlled to suit the
electrical loadings and the conditions of battery.
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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The characteristics of the two

systems of control under the same
operating conditions.
 It can be observed that, with the
current and voltage regul. System a
constant charging current is fed into
the battery till a pre-set value of
voltage is reached.
 At this point the voltage regulator
takes over and gradually reduces
the charging current until the
conditions of drop charge are
obtained.
 The charging current falls steadily
from the beginning of the
compensated voltage system.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 It is also evident form fig. that in the case of the current and
voltage system, the ampere-hour input to the battery in a
given time is much greater when compared with the
compensated voltage system.
 The current and voltage control system provides much closer
control of the generator o/p. The short circuited battery cell,
short circuited wiring, or excessive lamp load do not
overload the generator.
 The fig. shows the circuit diagram for a current and voltage
control regulator system together with the cutout relay
mounted on the same base having certain common leads.
 It should be noted that the cut out relay is entirely
independent unit and it does not affect the operation of the
regulator.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The current regulator is wound with a few

turns of a heavy gauge wire because it is
subjected to full current o/p of the
generator.
 The voltage regulator is wound with
larger number of fine wire turns as it
carries only a small value of current. Two
resistances are provided, one each for the
voltage and current regulators.
 When the speed of the generator is
increased from idle state, the contacts of
the cutout relay close, allowing the
current o/p of the generator to flow
through the closed contacts of the cutout
relay and also through the winding and
also through the current regulator
winding.
Current and Voltage regulator

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 When the current reaches its predetermined value, the

contacts of the current regulator separate, thus inserting
resistance A in the generator field circuit.
 It reduces the current o/p the generator, thereby reducing the
pull on the current regulator armature. The spring again
closes the contacts allowing the current o/p of the generator
to increase.
 Whenever the voltage attains its predetermined maximum
value, the voltage regulator is sufficiently energized to open
the voltage regulator contacts. Thus inserting the resistance
B, resulting in the reduction of the current o/p of the
generator. The spring again closes the contacts allowing the
current o/p of the generator to increase.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Semi-conductor type Regulator:

 This type of regulator has been developed by
Bosch and has been more recently employed
on automobiles. It is known as pn-junction.
 The characteristic curve of this regulator is
similar to that of the current and voltage
regulator but it has no current control member.
 It consists of germanium doped with indium
or antimony. The principle of this unit is that
when antimony is used, an excess of negative
charge is produced and it produces an excess
of positive charge when indium alloy is used.
 The essential element of this regulator is the
junction of the n-type and p-type materials.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The regulator permits only a weak current to flow through it

when it is subjected to a low voltage current in the forward
direction; but the current is increased at a much more rapid rate
as the voltage is increased.
 Fig. shows the wiring diagram for a variode type of regulator
along with the cutout relay.
 It operates in the same manner as the compensated voltage
regulator, giving the same type of a drooping voltage
characteristic curve.
 It can be seen that a weaker conductor is connected in parallel
with main current conductor, that is from +D through the cutout
relay current winding leading to the variode element to the
control winding on the regulator element and receiving the
voltage drop that takes place in the main current conductor
because of the resistance.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

When the generator loads are low,

the voltage drop is very low and
only a very weak current passes
through variode.
When the pre-determined voltage
drop is attained corresponding to a
given generator load, a considerable
rise in current takes place in the
control winding.
The main current conductor
resistance is selected in such a
manner that the full action of the
variode takes place at the maximum
permissible current.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 A rapid decrease in the generator voltage takes place due to

the magnetic field generated by the control winding, thus
protecting the generator against overloading.
 In the case of the ordinary voltage regulator, a temperature
compensation device is provided to accommodate the
effects of the temperature changes.
 This is distinct advantage of the variode, that the current
intensity at which the voltage is reduced on the cold
regulator is much above the peak value allowed for the
generator.
 However, it does not affect the cold generator in an adverse
manner. When the temperature of the regulator and
generator rises, the current is limited to the allowable safe
value.
 Hence the provision of the variode in the regulator allows
the generator to be better utilized under heavy load
conditions such as city driving with frequent stops and low
speeds allowing the battery to be kept in the well charged
condition.

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 Alternators:
 With increase in installation of electrical equipment in
present day vehicles, the demand on direct current
generator has increased.
 This can only be met by increasing the size and weight
of the generator and also by running it at higher speeds.
 Because of brush and commutator limitations, the DC
generator speed can not be increased beyond a certain
limit.
 Hence, it has become necessary to employ alternators in
certain cases.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Advantages of Alternators over DC generators:

 About 30% higher speeds can be achieved when compared with a dc
generator whose operating speed is restricted to 9000 rpm. Alternators
can run safely at about 2½ times the engine speed, whereas a dc
generator is limited to about 1¾ times the engine speed.
 Has higher power to weight ratio.
 Does not require maintenance attention because of light slip rings.
 Simple in design and robust design when compared with dc generator.
 High o/p at low engine speed can be obtained.
 Cutout relay is not necessary because rectifiers does not allow reverse
current to pass to alternator.
 The alternators can be made to provide
self-regulation due to its winding reactance.

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 Regulators for Alternators:

 Regulators for alternators operate in the same manner as
regulators for generators. The regulation is achieved in both
system by varying the amount of resistance in the field
circuit of the alternator/generator.
 It is not essential to employ an external device for limiting
the current in order to control the o/p of the alternator.
 The reactance of the alternator is such that the current is
limited to 65 A when cold and to 57 A when hot at all speeds
up to 11000 rpm.
 In a recent years, a good variety of regulators for alternators
have been developed and some of them look like the
regulators used for generators and are operated and adjusted
in the same way.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 There are some regulators which have no cutout relays since

the rectifying diodes prevent the flow of reverse current.
 There are still others which make use of transistors. The
transistors work with the vibrating contact points to control
the alternator field current and the o/p.
 There is another variety which has no moving parts at all.
The make use of transistor only for control.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

Torque Terms:
1. Engine Breakaway Torque
 It is the torque required to start moving engine
crankshaft from the rest position.
2. Engine Resisting Torque
 Once the engine has started moving, the torque required
to keep it moving is termed as resisting torque. It is
about one half of that of the breakaway torque.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

3. Motor Locked Torque

 It is the torque developed immediately the battery
current is switched on, so that the armature starts
rotating from the rest position. It is more than the engine
breakaway torque, since it has to commence rotating the
crankshaft.
4. Motor Driving Torque:
 It is the toque of the motor when the armature shaft
pinion gear is driving the flywheel gearing. It is greater
than that of the engine resisting torque.

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 Starting System:
 An internal combustion engine
requires the following criteria in
order to start and continue running.
 Combustible mixture.
 Compression stroke.
 A form of ignition.
 The minimum starting speed (about
100 rev/min).
 In order to produce the first three of
these, the minimum starting speed
must be achieved. This is where the
electric starter comes in.

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 The ability to reach this minimum speed is again

dependent on a number of factors.
 Rated voltage of the starting system.
 Lowest possible temperature at which it must still be possible
to start the engine. This is known as the starting limit
temperature.
 Engine cranking resistance. In other words the torque required
to crank the engine at its starting limit temperature (including
the initial stalled torque).
 Battery characteristics.
 Voltage drop between the battery and the starter.
 Starter-to-ring gear ratio.
 Characteristics of the starter.
 Minimum cranking speed of the engine at the starting limit
temperature.

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 Figure shows effect of temperature

on starting torque and cranking
speed, as temperature decreases,
starter torque also decreases and the
torque required to crank the engine
to its minimum speed increases.
 Typical starting limit temperatures
are -18 °C to -25 °C for passenger
cars and -15 ° C to -20 °C for trucks
and buses. Figures from starter
manufacturers are normally quoted at
both +20 ° C and -20 ° C.

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Starting Motor Types:

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Starting system design

 The starting system of any vehicle
must meet a number of criteria in
excess of the eight listed above.
 Long service life and maintenance
free.
 Continuous readiness to operate.
 Robust, such as to withstand
starting forces, vibration, (For -20 °C)
corrosion and temperature cycles.
 Lowest possible size and weight

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 It is important to determine the minimum cranking speed for

the particular engine. This varies considerably with the
design and type of engine. Some typical values are given in
Table 7.1 for a temperature of -20 ° C.
 The rated voltage of the system for passenger cars is, almost
without exception, 12V. Trucks and buses are generally 24 V
as this allows the use of half the current that would be
required with a 12V system to produce the same power.
 It will also considerably reduce the voltage drop in the
wiring, as the length of wires used on commercial vehicles is
often greater than passenger cars.
 The rated output of a starter motor can be determined on a
test bench. A battery of maximum capacity for the starter,
which has a 20% drop in capacity at -20 ° C, is connected to
the starter by a cable with a resistance of 1mΩ.

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 These criteria will ensure the starter is able to operate

even under the most adverse conditions.
 The actual output of the starter can now be measured
under typical operating conditions.
 The rated power of the motor corresponds to the power
drawn from the battery less copper losses (due to the
resistance of the circuit), iron losses (due to eddy
currents being induced in the iron parts of the motor)
and friction losses.
 There are two other considerations when designing a
starting system. The location of the starter on the engine
is usually pre-determined, but the position of the battery
must be considered.

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 Other constraints may determine this, but if the battery is

closer to the starter the cables will be shorter.
 A longer run will mean cables with a greater cross-
section are needed to ensure a low resistance.
 Depending on the intended use of the vehicle, special
sealing arrangements on the starter may be necessary to
prevent the ingress of contaminants.
 Figure shows an equivalent circuit for a
starter and battery. This indicates how the
starter output is very much determined by line
resistance and battery internal resistance. The
lower the total resistance, the higher the
output from the starter.

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 Starting Motor Selection:

 As a guide, the starter motor must meet all
the criteria previously discussed.
 Referring back to Figure (the data showing
engine cranking torque compared with
minimum cranking speed) will determine the
torque required from the starter.
 Manufacturers of starter motors provide data
in the form of characteristic curves.
 The data will show the torque, speed, power
and current consumption of the starter at +20
°C and -20 °C. The power rating of the motor
is quoted as the maximum output at -20 ° C
using the recommended battery.
 Figure shows how the required power output
of the starter relates to the engine size.

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 As a very general guide the stalled (locked) starter torque required

per litre of engine capacity at the starting limit temperature is as
shown in Table 7.2.
 A greater torque is required for engines with a lower number of
cylinders due to the greater piston displacement per cylinder. This
will determine the peak torque values. The other main factor is
compression ratio.
 To illustrate the link between torque and power, we can assume
that, under the worst conditions (-20 °C), a four-cylinder 2-litre
engine requires 480 Nm to overcome static friction and 160 Nm
to maintain the minimum cranking speed of 100 rev/ min.
 With a starter pinion-to-ring gear ratio of 10 : 1, the motor must
therefore, be able to produce a maximum stalled torque of 48 Nm
and a driving torque of 16 Nm. This is working on the assumption
that stalled torque is generally three to four times the cranking
torque.

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 Torque is converted to power as follows:

where P = power, T = torque and ω = angular velocity.

where n = rev/min.
 In this example, the power developed at 1000 rev/min with
a torque of 16 Nm (at the starter) is about 1680W.
 Referring back to Figure, the ideal choice would appear to
be the starter marked (e).
 The recommended battery would be 55 Ah and 255 A cold
start performance

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 This graph shows how the speed of

the motor varies with load.
 Owing to the very high speeds
developed under no load conditions,
it is possible to damage this type of
motor.
 Running off load due to the high
centrifugal forces on the armature
may cause the windings to be
destroyed.
 Note that the maximum power of
this motor is developed at midrange
speed but maximum torque is at zero
speed.

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 Starting System Layout:

 In comparison with most other circuits on the
modern vehicle, the starter circuit is very simple.
 The problem to be overcome, however, is that of
volt drop in the main supply wires.
 The starter is usually operated by a spring-loaded
key switch, and the same switch also controls the
ignition and accessories.
 The supply from the key switch, via a relay in
many cases, causes the starter solenoid to operate,
and this in turn, by a set of contacts, controls the
heavy current.
 In some cases an extra terminal on the starter
solenoid provides an output when cranking, which
is usually used to bypass a dropping resistor on the
ignition or fuel pump circuits.
 The basic circuit for the starting system is shown
in Figure

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 The problem of volt drop in the main supply circuit is due to the
high current required by the starter, particularly under adverse
starting conditions such as very low temperatures.
 A typical cranking current for a light vehicle engine is of the
order of 150 A, but this may peak in excess of 500 A to provide
the initial stalled torque.
 It is generally accepted that a maximum volt drop of only 0.5 V
should be allowed between the battery and the starter when
operating.
 An Ohm’s law calculation indicates that the maximum allowed
circuit resistance is 2.5mΩ when using a 12 V supply.
 This is a worst case situation and lower resistance values are used
in most applications.
 The choice of suitable conductors is therefore very important.

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 Drive Mechanisms:
 The starting motor makes use of some sort of gear reduction
in order to transmit its starting power to the engine.
 Keeping in view its present size, it would not have been
possible for the motor to drive the engine, had it been
coupled directly to the crankshaft of the engine.
 The general method of gear reduction makes use of pinion
on the armature shaft which engages with the flywheel ring
gear.
 The general gear reduction ratio used is of the order of 10 to
16.
 The starting motor may revolve as fast as up to 3000 rpm
making the engine to run up to 200 rpm.
 Once the engine has started operating under its own power,
it may attain speed up to 4000 rpm.

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 If pinion not disengaged, the armature of the starting

motor is likely to be spun at the terrific speed of about
60000 rpm.
 This speed is likely to damage the cranking motor
throwing the windings out of the armature slots and also
the commutator segments due to centrifugal force.
 In order to prevent this, it is necessary to provide some
means of automatic engaging and disengaging of the
pinion from the flywheel ring gear.

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 The drives used are as follows,

1. Bendix drive (Inertia Type)
2. Folo-thru drive
3. Barrel type drive
4. Rubber compression drive
5. Compression spring bendix
6. Friction clutch drive
7. Overrunning clutch (Pre-engaged Starters)
8. Dyer drive
9. Axial or sliding armature

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Inertia Starters (Bendix Drive):

 Invented by Vincent Hugo Bendix in 1910.
 The inertia type of starter motor has been the technique used for over
80 years, but is now becoming redundant.
 The starter shown in Figure is the Lucas M35J type. It is a four-pole,
four-brush machine and was used on small to medium-sized petrol
engine vehicles.
 It is capable of producing 9.6 Nm with a current draw of 350 A.
The M35J uses a face-type commutator and axially aligned brush
gear. The fields are wave wound and are earthed to the starter yoke.

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 The starter engages with the flywheel ring gear by means of a small
pinion. The toothed pinion and a sleeve splined on to the armature
shaft are threaded such that when the starter is operated, via a remote
relay, the armature will cause the sleeve to rotate inside the pinion.
 The pinion remains still due to its inertia and, because of the screwed
sleeve rotating inside it, the pinion is moved to mesh with the ring
gear.
 When the engine fires and runs under its own power, the pinion is
driven faster than the armature shaft.

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 This causes the pinion to be screwed back along the sleeve and out of
engagement with the flywheel.
 The main spring acts as a buffer when the pinion first takes up the driving
torque and also acts as a the buffer when the engine throws the pinion back
out of mesh.
 One of the main problems with this type of starter was the aggressive nature
of the engagement.
 This tended to cause the pinion and ring gear to wear prematurely. In some
applications the pinion tended to fall out of mesh when cranking due to the
engine almost, but not quite, running.

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 The pinion was also prone to seizure often due to

contamination by dust from the clutch.
 This was often compounded by application of oil to the
pinion mechanism, which tended to attract even more
dust and thus prevent engagement.

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 Pre-engaged Starters:
 Pre-engaged starters are fitted to the majority of vehicles in use
today. They provide a positive engagement with the ring gear, as
full power is not applied until the pinion is fully in mesh.
 They prevent premature ejection as the pinion is held into mesh by
the action of a solenoid. A one-way clutch is incorporated into the
pinion to prevent the starter motor being driven by the engine.
 One example of a pre-engaged starter in common use is shown in
Figure, the Bosch EF starter.

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 Figure shows the circuit associated with operating this type of pre-
engaged starter. The basic operation of the pre-engaged starter is as
follows.
 When the key switch is operated, a supply is made to terminal 50 on
the solenoid. This causes two windings to be energized, the hold-on
winding and the pull-in (draw-in) winding. Note that the pull-in
winding is of very low resistance and hence a high current flows.

This winding is connected in series with

the motor circuit and the current flowing
will allow the motor to rotate slowly to
facilitate engagement.

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 At the same time, the magnetism created in the solenoid attracts the
plunger and, via an operating lever, pushes the pinion into mesh with
the flywheel ring gear.
 When the pinion is fully in mesh the plunger, at the end of its travel,
causes a heavy-duty set of copper contacts to close. These contacts
now supply full battery power to the main circuit of the starter
motor.
 When the main contacts are closed, the pull-in winding is
effectively switched off due to equal voltage supply on both ends.
 The hold-on winding holds the plunger in position as long as the
solenoid is supplied from the key switch.

Manually Operated Overrunning

Clutch
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 When the engine starts and the key is released, the main
supply is removed and the plunger and pinion return to their
rest positions under spring tension.
 A lost motion spring located on the plunger ensures that the
main contacts open before the pinion is retracted from mesh.
 During engagement, if the teeth of the pinion hit the teeth of
the flywheel (tooth to tooth abutment), the main contacts are
allowed to close due to the engagement spring being
compressed. This allows the motor to rotate under power
and the pinion will slip into mesh.

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 Figure shows a sectioned view of a one-way clutch

assembly. The torque developed by the starter is passed
through the clutch to the ring gear.
 The purpose of this free-wheeling device is to prevent the
starter being driven at an excessively high speed if the
pinion is held in mesh after the engine has started.
 The clutch consists of a driving and driven member with
several rollers between the two. The rollers are spring loaded
and either wedge-lock the two members together by being
compressed against the springs, or free-wheel in the opposite
direction.
 Many variations of the pre-engaged starter are in common
use, but all work on similar lines to the above description.
The wound field type of motor has now largely been
replaced by the permanent magnet version.

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 Ignition System: (Requirements)

 The fundamental purpose of the ignition system is to supply
a spark inside the cylinder, near the end of the compression
stroke, to ignite the compressed charge of air–fuel vapor.
 For a spark to jump across an air gap of 0.6mm under
normal atmospheric conditions (1 bar), a voltage of 2–3 kV
is required.
 For a spark to jump across a similar gap in an engine
cylinder, having a compression ratio of 8 : 1, approximately
8 kV is required. For higher compression ratios and weaker
mixtures, a voltage up to 20 kV may be necessary.
 The ignition system has to transform the normal battery
voltage of 12 V to approximately 8–20 kV and, in addition,
has to deliver this high voltage to the right cylinder, at the
right time. Some ignition systems will supply up to 40 kV
to the spark plugs.

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 Conventional ignition is the forerunner of the more

advanced systems controlled by electronics.
 It is worth mentioning at this stage that the fundamental
operation of most ignition systems is very similar.
 One winding of a coil is switched on and off causing a
high voltage to be induced in a second winding.
 A coil-ignition system is composed of various
components and sub-assemblies, the actual design and
construction of which depend mainly on the engine with
which the system is to be used.

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 When considering the design of an

ignition system many factors must
be taken into account, the most
important of these being:
 Combustion chamber design.
 Air–fuel ratio.
 Engine speed range.
 Engine load
 Engine combustion temperature.
 Intended use.
 Emission regulations.

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 If two coils (known as the primary and secondary) are

wound on to the same iron core then any change in
magnetism of one coil will induce a voltage into the other.
This happens when a current is switched on and off to the
primary coil. If the number of turns of wire on the secondary
coil is more than the primary, a higher voltage can be
produced. This is called transformer action and is the
principle of the ignition coil.
 The value of this ‘mutually induced’ voltage depends upon:
 The primary current.
 The turns ratio between the primary and secondary coils.
 The speed at which the magnetism changes.
 Figure on previous slide shows a typical ignition coil in
section. The two windings are wound on a laminated iron
core to concentrate the magnetism. Some coils are oil filled
to assist with cooling.

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 Conventional Ignitions System Components

1. Spark plug
 Seals electrodes for the spark to jump across in the cylinder. Must
withstand very high voltages, pressures and temperatures.
2. Ignition coil
 Stores energy in the form of magnetism and delivers it to the
distributor via the HT lead. Consists of primary and secondary
windings.
3. Ignition switch
 Provides driver control of the ignition system and is usually also
used to cause the starter to crank.
4. Ballast resistor
 Shorted out during the starting phase to cause a more powerful
spark. Also contributes towards improving the spark at higher
speeds.

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5. Contact breakers (breaker points)

 Switches the primary ignition circuit on and off to charge and discharge
the coil.
6. Capacitor (condenser)
 Suppresses most of the arcing as the contact breakers open. This allows
for a more rapid break of primary current and hence a more rapid
collapse of coil magnetism, which produces a higher voltage output.
7. HT Distributor
 Directs the spark from the coil to each cylinder in a pre-set sequence.
8. Centrifugal advance
 Changes the ignition timing with engine speed. As speed increases the
timing is advanced.
9. Vacuum advance
 Changes timing depending on engine load. On conventional systems the
vacuum advance is most important during cruise conditions.

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 Ignition Coil:
 In the beginning, it was the usual practice to
wind the primary coil over the core and the
secondary coil over the primary coil.
 But nowadays, the primary coil is wound over
the secondary coil. The later arrangement
gives stronger magnetic field. The mutual
inductance is also higher for the latter
arrangement than for the former type.
 The arrangement of primary wound over
secondary reduces the length of relatively
expensive fine gauge secondary wire.
 It also reduces the amount of insulation
between the outside of the coil and the frame,
provided the core is insulated from the frame.

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 The marked advantage in winding the

primary coil over the secondary coil in that
there is better heat flow from the primary
windings to the case of the ignition coil.
 Further, when the primary coil is outside,
its resistance can be conveniently
increased, so that the ballast resistance is
dispensed with.
 Two types of ignition coil construction
have been used, namely, open core with a
long air-gap and closed core with a short
air-gap.
 Figure shows the open-core ignition coil
with the primary wound over the
secondary.

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 This type of construction is generally used

in modern ignition coils. However, it may
be mentioned that both the constructions
can be so designed as to give fully
satisfactory ignition coil operation.
 The open-core type ignition coil need
more copper than the closed core type,
although the latter needs more iron in the
circuit
 The figure shows an exploded view of the
ignition coil.
 The core of the coil is made of iron
laminations of 24-28 SWG (Standard wire
gauge) thickness (0.559- 0.3759 mm Dia.)
and insulated by a coating varnish or
enamel.

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 On the core, first the secondary winding of about 20,000 turns of

44SWG (0.0813 mm dia.) enamel covered wire is wound and the
layers are insulated from each other by thin paper strips. The
resistance of the winding is of the order of 2000-4000 Ω.
 More recently, with the higher voltage requirements at the spark
plugs, the windings have been increased, giving the resistance of
7000-9000Ω.
 The primary winding is wound over the secondary winding and it
is insulated with varnish paper. It consists generally of a few
hundred turns of enameled copper wire having a low resistance
of 0.8-1.5 Ω.
 In case of the 12V coil, the primary winding has about 360 turns
of 25.5 SWG enameled wire. It may be noted that the resistance
of the primary circuit is such that in most cases, the current
drawn from the battery is about 2-2.5 A when the engine is at rest
and it is about 3.5-5.0 A when engine is running.

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 Distributor:
 The distributor performs two functions, namely, it opens
and closes the primary circuit of the ignition coil and it
distributes the resulting high voltage surges from
secondary winding of the ignition coil to various spark-
plugs of the engine.
 There are two types of distributors, viz.
1. distributors with contact points and
2. distributors with magnetic pick-up’s.

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 Distributors with contact points:

 These type of distributors consists of the following parts:
1. Housing
2. Drive shaft having advance mechanism and breaker cam
3. Breaker plate having condenser and contact points
4. Rotor
5. Cap
 The camshaft drives the distributor shaft through spiral
gears. It roates at one half the speed in case of a four stroke
engine.
 The contact points are opened and closed by the rotation of
the shaft and breaker cam.
 There are the same number of lobes on braker cam as the
number of cylinders in the engine.

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 The contact points open and close once with every

breaker cam rotation for each cylinder. The rotor is
mounted on the breaker cam and rotates along with it.
 As it rotates, a segment on the rotor and a metal spring
connect the central terminal of the cap with each out
side terminal leading to plugs in turn.
 It thus distributes the high voltage surges from the coil
to the spark plugs according to the firing order.

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 Distributors with magnetic pick-up:

 Fig. shows the simple wiring diagram of the ignition system
using the magnetic pulse distributor and transistor control unit.
 The magnetic pulse amplifier unit is connected between the
primary winding and the battery.
 It permits the current to flow to the primary winding and
interrupt the same in a signal from the distributor.
 This action is similar to that of the opening and closing of the
points in case of a distributor with contact points.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The magnetic pick-up distributor is

mounted and driven in the same
manner as other distributors.
 The magnetic pick-up contains a
permanent magnet on the top of
which a pole piece is mounted. It
provides signals to the amplifier.
 The pole piece has a series of teeth
which point inwards. The number of
teeth is same as the number of
cylinders in the engine.
 There is pick-up coil which having
number of turns of wire inside the
permanent magnet.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

Cam
. angle and contact point gap
 The cam or dwell angle is the number of
degrees travelled by the distributor cam
while the contact points are closed.
 The usual value of cam angle for a six-
cylinder engine is of the order of 32-37°
and the general value used is 36°.

 It means that during the 60° of cam rotation meant for the
firing of each cylinder, the contact points remain closed
for 36° and open for the remaining 24°.
 It is evident that an increase in the contact points gap will
result in a decreased cam angle and vice versa.

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 The 8 cylinder engine has a cam angle of about 26-30° which is

smaller than that of the 6-cylinder engine.
 The 4-cylinder engine has a larger cam angle, of the order of 41°,
than that of the 6-cylinder engine.
 The figure above shows the measurement of cam angle. The cam
angle or dwell angle can be measured with the help of the cam
angle or dwell meter.
 The dwell meter is connected across the distributor during
operation in the engine or while the distributor is being turned in
a test stand.
 In some of the service procedures, it is recommended that the cam
angle be set with a meter, whereas in others the preference is to
adjust the contact points gap to the correct clearance.
 The feeler or dial gauge is utilized for measuring the gap when
the points are at their widest opening.

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 It is important to keep the correct cam angle because when

the points are closed the coil is building up, which will make
available the proper amount of high tension current at the
spark plug when the contact points are opened.
 If the contact points are adjusted too closely, the engine will
not run smoothly as the contact points will not remain open
long enough to give the ignition coil a chance to do its work.
 On the other hand, if the contact points are adjusted with too
much clearance, the engine will miss at high speeds because
the contact points will not be closed long enough to allow
the ignition coil to build up properly.
 Hence, it is of utmost importance to adjust the contact points
gaps to the correct clearance or cam angle before adjusting
the ignition timing.

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• Contact breaker is a mechanical device for making and breaking

the primary circuit of the ignition coil whenever demanded. This
is done by using a mechanically operated cam. The Fig. shows the
contact breaker assembly. It consists of two metal point viz. fixed
metal point and movable metal point on spring loaded arm. The
fixed metal point (generally made up of tungsten) bears against
movable metal point.
• The movable arm is spring loaded so whenever these points are
closed, the spring ensures a good contact between these points.
These points are made of circular flat face of 3 mm in diameter
each. When the contact breaker points are open (not connected),
the electric current flow stops and when they are closed
(connected) the electric current flow starts.

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 Capacitor:
 The capacitor acts as an electric energy storage device. The
capacitor is made up of two conductor plates separated by an
insulating material. They are placed face to face.
 These conductor plates are narrow and long made of lead or
aluminium foil, these are insulated by a special type of insulating
material. These are wrapped on an arbor which forms a winding.
This winding assembly is placed in one container.
 The capacitor absorbs or minimizes the arcing and pitting of the
points.
 It is an essential part ignition system. Without the use of capacitor
or with the faulty capacitor, no engine will run.

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 Spark Advance Mechanism:

 There are a number of variables to determine the correct instant
for producing a spark into the cylinder. Engine speed is one of
the most important ones. At high engine speeds, it is very
essential to make the spark occur earlier in the compression
stroke, in order to ignite the mixture effectively and thus deliver
its power to the piston of the engine.
 Depending upon the design of the engine, speed, compression
ratio and other minor factors, the spark must occur about 20-40°
in advance before the piston reaches its top dead center during
compression stroke.
 It may be noted that when the spark is over-advanced, not only
loss of power takes place but there is a tendency for the engine
to run rough with probable detonation effects because of more
rapid rates of pressure rise and attainment of appreciable higher
pressures.

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 On the other hand, when the spark is retarded in relation

to its correct position, there is reduced power output due
to late combustion. Also, the engine will have the
tendency of overheating, leading to pre-ignition of the
charge before the spark takes place. Even too much
advance spark can lead to overheating.
 There are two general ways of advancing the spark, viz.
centrifugal and vacuum. The spark timing is varied for
different engine operating conditions with the help of
these methods.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Centrifugal Advance Mechanism:

• The centrifugal advance mechanism consists of two weights which
are thrown out against spring tension as the engine speed increases.
• The weights are hinged and are moved outwards by the centrifugal
action, resulting in change of angular relation of the driving and the
driven shafts.
• This movement is transmitted to the breaker cam through a toggle
arrangement or to the timer core on a magnetic pick up type
distributor.
• In turn, it moves ahead the cam or the timer core with regard to the
drive shaft of the distributor.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• At high speeds, the cam opens and

closes the contact points earlier due to
this advance in the case of the contact
point distributor and in the case of
magnetic pic-up distributors, the timer
core advance making the pick-up coil to
send its signals to the transistor control
unit in advance.
• It may be noted that the advance spring
strength and the contours of the toggle
arrangement are designed in such a
manner as to suit the requirements of the
engine and to give advance at each
engine speed so that maximum power
and the best possible engine
performance are obtained.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• Figure Shows the graph of engine speed and

spark advance. Considering the engine
idling and the correct initial ignition timing,
the centrifugal advance mechanism should
advance the timing as the increase in engine
speed takes place.
• It should advance approximately in the
manner as shown in figure. The curved
portion AB of the curve corresponds to a
more rapid increase of the timing from its
idle speed OA.
• The portion BD of the curve is practically
straight for full throttle conditions. It may be
remembered that the centrifugal mechanism
can be conveniently arranged to give the
characteristic line CD

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Vacuum Advance Mechanism

• Fig. shows the simple line diagram of the vacuum advance
mechanism.
• When the throttle is partly opened, the air admitted into the inlet-
manifold is restricted which develops a vacuum in the inlet
manifold.
• This means that the amount of air fuel admitted into the cylinder
will be less.
• It will lower the volumetric efficiency. Hence the mixture will be
less highly compressed which will result in a slower burning of
the mixture when ignited.
• In order to obtain full power from it, the spark should be
somewhat advanced. It is done with the help of the vacuum
advance mechanism.
• It may be remembered that this spark advance mechanism is in
addition to the centrifugal advance mechanism.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• The Fig. shows the vacuum advance mechanism. It consists of

diaphragm, compression spring, cam, movable breaker plate,
vacuum advance arm and contact breaker.
• The vacuum advance is suitable for partial load operation.
• The vacuum unit is connected to the intake manifold with the
help of hose pipe. One end of vacuum advance arm is connected
to the diaphragm and other end to movable breaker plate.
• In this, the spark advance extent depends on the vacuum present
in intake manifold. The amount of vacuum created in intake
manifold depends on the throttle position.
• As the pressure in the intake manifold changes, the diaphragm
shifts against the spring (towards right), which in turn moves
the breaker plate.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• This additional movement of breaker plate (against the

direction rotation of distributor shaft) opens the breaker
contact earlier in a cycle and supplies the spark.
• At partially open throttle, there will be less vacuum in
intake manifold hence lesser will be the spark advance.
There will be no spark advance for wide open throttle
position.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Limitations of the Coil Ignition System:

• There has been a tendency in automobile engine design of
using increased compression ratios of the order of 8.5 – 10.5.
Further higher engine speeds of the order of 5000-6000
RPM in the production cars and up to 12000 RPM in the
case of racing cars, are being used. There are certain
limitations of the battery and coil ignition system at higher
compression and engine speeds which are listed below.
1. Due to mechanical trouble, the contact breaker has
limitations to operate at these higher speeds. The present
system has the limitations of a speed equivalent to a value
corresponding to about 400 sparks per second.
2. There is an increasing tendency of plug fouling due to the
leaded fuels used with higher compression ratio engines to
avoid detonation effects.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

3. The high currents used with these systems cause the

pitting or burning of the contact points.
4. The ignition timing inaccuracies at higher engine speeds
because of torsional oscillations and back lash in the
drive mechanism.
5. The limitation imposed by cam design with regard to its
dwell times and efficient operation of contact-breaker at
higher engine speeds.
6. Increasing high voltage is required to produce sparks at
higher compression and engine speeds. The voltages
applied are of the order of 20,000V and above.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Electronic Ignition System:

• Modern day vehicles use electronic ignition system instead of
conventional ignition systems described above due to large number of
advantages.
• With the advances in solid state devices (semi-conductor and chips
technology) over last few decades, modifications were done to
conventional ignition system using transistor technologies.
 Need of Electronic Ignition System (Limitations of Conventional
Ignition System)
• Conventional ignition systems have following limitations.
• Lower spark voltage at higher speeds
• Lower MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) or Higher Failure Rates
• Pitting at contact breaker points which leads to mistimed firing and loss
of power
• Frequent maintenance needs at contact breakers
• Starting problems especially when battery is discharged.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• To overcome the above stated limitations, following

electronic ignition systems are nowadays used in most
of the automobiles.
 Transistorized Coil Ignition (TCI) System
 Capacitor Discharge Ignition (CDI) System

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Transistorized Coil Ignition (TCI) System

• TCI System is nowadays most widely used ignition system
in most of the automobiles (two and three wheeled vehicles)
• This system is also referred to as Transistor Assisted Contact
(TAC) System
• Fig. shows TCI System. This system retains the contact
breaker point used in conventional system.
• Contact breaker point (operated using cam and follower
mechanism) is connected to the base of transistor.
• Emitter of the transistor is connected to the primary
windings of the ignition coil and collector is electronically
earthed (or grounded).

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• The current flow in this system is around 1/10th times

lesser than the conventional ignition system.
• Ballast resistor is used to avoid the damage of ignition
coil by overheating.
• Life of Contact breaker points is more due to use of
transistor technology.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Advantages:
• Reduced wear and tear of Contact Breaker Points
• No misfiring and no loss of power
• Higher ignition voltage
• Longer spark plug life thereby reducing running cost
• More reliable in operation
• Improved ignition even at lower air-fuel ratios (lean charge)
• Lower contact bouncing and increased dwell
 Disadvantages:
• Higher cost due to additional electronic components
• Contact Breaker CB Points are needed (i.e. they cannot be eliminated)
• Maximum engine speed is restricted by shortcomings of contact breaker
mechanism
 Applications:
• Used in modern and new two wheelers like Royal Enfield Thunderbird, Hero
Karizma ZMR, Yamaha FZ, Honda Dream Neo, Honda Dream Yuga etc.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Capacitor Discharge Ignition (CDI) System

 Fig. shows CDI System which is another type of electronic
ignition system.
 A 6 Volts battery is connected to DC to DC Transistor
Control Unit which can give high voltage output (of the
order of 300 Volts).
 Capacitor (also called as condenser) is charged to this output
voltage.
 Resistance is used to control the current needed by SCR
(Silicon Controlled Rectifier) so that firing angle of SCR
can be changed as per the needs.
 Capacitor undergoes discharge when SCR triggering unit
sends a pulse to create high voltage in secondary coil which
causes current to jump across air gap between the electrodes
producing the required spark.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

316482 A J Bhosale Automotive Electrical & Electronics

 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Advantages:
 Need of CB (Contact Breaker) Points is eliminated
 Increased life of spark plug
 Better performance at all operating conditions
 Strength of spark is better
 Performance is not affected due to electrical shunts arising due to spark
plug fouling
 Disadvantages:
 Higher cost due to additional components like capacitor, SCR (Silicon
Controlled Rectifier)
 Fast capacitor discharge leads to strong spark, however, for very short
duration of time (0.1 to 0.25 milliseconds) which can cause ignition
failures at lower air-fuel ratios.
 Applications:
• Used in motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws, small engines, turbine-
powered aircrafts, and some cars. For example, Bajaj Discover 100,
Bajaj Discover 150, Honda CB Twister, Honda CB Unicorn etc,

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

Performance Curves of Conventional and Electronic

Ignition System

316482 A J Bhosale Automotive Electrical & Electronics

 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Spark Plug:
 The main function of spark plug is to receive the high
tension (voltage) current supplied by secondary winding of
ignition coil and produce a high intensity spark across the
spark gap. This spark is used for combustion of air-fuel
mixture.
 The Fig. below shows the schematic diagram of spark plug.
The first spark plug was used by Lenoir (in 1860) in his gas
engine.
 The spark plug consists of contact terminal, metal case,
insulator, seals and two electrodes viz., central electrodes
and metal tongue (ground electrode) etc.
• The central electrode is connected to the contact terminal.
Contact terminal is connected to the secondary winding
carrying high voltage current.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 The central electrode is electrically isolated

by using the porcelain insulator. The central
electrode extends through the porcelain
insulator into combustion chamber.
Generally, the spark gap in spark plug in
most of automobiles is in between 0.9–
1.8 mm.
• As the high voltage current surges across the
spark gap, it raises the temperature of the
spark channel (gap) to 60,000 K. This heat
in the spark channel results in expansion of
ionized gases very quickly, like a small
explosion. The sound of this explosion can
be heard when observing the spark, similar
to lightening.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 There are variety of IC engines in use today, and

each class poses various problems for the spark
plug design from both the theoretical and
practical points of view.
 The plug manufacturers have standardized a
range of designs suitable for giving the best
results under severe operating conditions, which
are likely to be met in practice.
 The plug is likely to have the two extreme
conditions of pre-ignition and fouling which
should be avoided. For this reason, the plug
must operate at certain definite temperature
conditions for any given engine.
 Pre-ignition is likely to take place if any part of
the plug reaches a temperature of about 900°C at
the end of the compression stroke before
sparking takes place.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• Fouling of the plug is likely to take place

if the average temperature of the
insulator over the cycle drops to the level
of 400°C.
• To avoid these troubles, the optimum
average cycle insulator temperature
should be in the range of 450-850°C,
which is high enough to burn off
sufficient deposits to ensure freedom
from fouling and at the same time the
danger zone of pre-ignition is also
avoided.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• There are engines having low efficiency

and cool-running conditions and other
having high efficiency and hot running
such as sports and racing engines.
• The spark plug has to withstand widely
varying heat developed during the cycle.
• This necessitates designing of the plugs in
such a way that the plugs operate within
the optimum temperature range as
mentioned earlier. Therefore, the
manufacturers have to regulate the rate at
which the plugs transfer heat to the cooling
system of the engine, keeping in view the
insulator shape, the internal gas space
variations, etc.
• It is referred to as the “heat range” of the
spark plug.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Characteristics of Ideal Spark Plug:

1. Surety against Gas Leakage:
• It is one of the most important requirements of any spark plug
because the leakage of gas results in loss of compression and in
turn, loss of engine power.
• Further, overheating conditions are produced by the escaping
gases resulting in damage to the spark plug.
• It may be remembered that at very high temperatures all
electrical insulators become almost conductors.
• A leaky spark plug is likely to cause low insulation resistance
and hence misfiring. It is therefore, very essential for the spark
plug to be gas tight.
• Improvement in the materials of the insulators in recent days
has overcome this difficulty.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

2. Life:
• The life of a spark plug depends upon the careful selection and
testing of the materials used in the manufacture of it. Further, it
also depends on its design and assembly techniques.
3. Thread size and Reach of the spark plug:
• The most apparent difference in spark plug design is the
variation in thread size and reach. The plug is selected by
engine designer based on performance and operating conditions.
• It may be mentioned that the engine efficiency depends upon
the rate of propagation of the explosive wave in the
combustion chamber.
• For this reason if the electrodes of the plug are nearer the centre
of the chamber, there are better chances of speeding up the
complete combustion process. The plug should not be located
either in a corner of the chamber or in a pocket.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• The thread size is often determined by operating

conditions. Plugs subjected to high abuse applications
require more breathing area. For this reason, the 18mm
plug is used.
• In India, 14mm plugs are most commonly used for
almost all applications.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• Reach is the distance from the gasket seat to the end of the
threads.
• It determines the position of spark in the combustion
chamber, which is extremely important for proper flame
propagation and efficient combustion of the fuel-air
mixture.
• Engines with aluminum cylinder heads use longer reach
plugs (12.7 mm or 19mm) to assure a better, stronger fit to
the head.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

4. Electrode Gap:
• Spark plugs differ from one another not only in heat range or
reach but also in electrode gap.
• The electrode gap is the shortest distance between the earth
electrode and center electrode.
• It is determined by the vehicle and engine manufacturers, the
decisive factors being the influence of the fuel air mixture on
the behavior of the engine under part load, during idling and
sudden acceleration.
• The electrode gap should be as narrow as possible, to
minimize the amount of high voltage necessary for ignition.
• As it is constantly enlarged during operation due to action of
the spark erosion and chemical corrosion, the ignition voltage
requirement increases until the voltage reserve of the ignition
system is finally exhausted.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• Electrode gap too wide:- the available voltage soon

becomes inadequate and misfiring will occur.
• Electrode gap too narrow:- the engine would run
unevenly, especially when operating in one of critical
phases (Partial load, idling etc.)

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

5. Rust and Corrosion:

• The frequent exposure of the plugs to the atmospheric conditions
and the high operating temperatures are likely to lead to rust and
corrosion.
• For this purpose, it is the usual practice to use steel as the material
of the shell and then subject it to a rust-proofing process such as
zinc plating.
• The shells of MICO spark plugs are plated with nickel. It
reduces corrosion and has three times the melting point of zinc.
6. Current Leakage and Electrical Puncture:
• To guard against current leakage and electrical punctures, the
material used for the insulator is such that it has the best possible
dielectric strength.
• Further, the insulator is designed in such a way that it has
adequate sections and sample creeping surfaces.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

7. Electrodes’ Electrical Characteristics:

• The sparking voltage is dependent on the distance the
electrodes are from each other and their shape, in
addition to other factors.
• Sharp-pointed electrodes should be avoided since the
gap erosion will be extremely high.
• The material used should have high resistance to spark
erosion. The electrodes should be strong enough to
suffer mechanical damage.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

8. Misfiring or Short Circuiting:

• In order to have freedom from short circuiting the air gap
between the electrodes should not be less than 0.375mm.
• An average setting of the gap is of the order of 0.50mm
but gaps as high as 0.75-0.875 mm are also used.
• High gaps are particularly suitable where petrol economy
through the use of weak mixture is desired.
• The exact gap depends on no. of factors such as mixture
ignition requirements, voltage output from the
ignition coil and the amount if gap erosion giving a
sufficient period of time before removal of the plugs and
their gaps re-setting becomes necessary.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

 Heat Ranges of Plugs:

• It should be borne in mind that for each
design of engine, there is a certain
temperature range for the plug exposed
portion at which it will have satisfactory
operation and remain free from carbon
deposits.
• The principal factors which influence the
choice of plug for each engine are
combustion chamber design,
compression ratio, water cooling
passages, location of plug.
• Hot plug has a longer heat path giving
delayed cooling than the cold plug. The hot
plugs have much longer insulator nose than
the cold plugs.

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 Government College of Engineering and Research, Avsari (Kd)

• The manufacturers of spark plugs have developed and produced a

range of spark plugs that covers the special range of temperature
requirements of all motor-cycles and vehicle engines satisfactory.
• The plug shown at No.8 is hottest and suitable for coldest running
engine.
• The plug shown at No.1 is coldest and hence suitable for hottest
running engine.

316482 A J Bhosale Automotive Electrical & Electronics