AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

MODULE-3 (PART-II)
CHARGING SYSTEM

Name of the Department- Automobile Engineering

Semester- Fifth (5th Semester)
Prepared by- Ankur Saha
Designation- Lecturer in Automobile Engineering
Institute Name- Nalhati Government Polytechnic
 Purpose of Charging System
 The automotive storage battery is not capable of supplying the
current for a long period of time, as per the demands of electrical
system. Thus, every vehicle is equipped with a charging system for
replacing the current being drawn from the battery.
 The basic purpose of the charging system is to convert the
mechanical energy into electrical energy (electricity) to recharge the
battery and to operate the other electrical systems, after the engine is
started and the engine rpm reaches above a specified value.
 When the engine is first started, the battery supplies all the current
required by the starting and ignition systems.
 Charging Indicator
 The charging indicator shows whether the battery is being charged or not.
The most commonly used charging indicator is ammeter (or ampere-
meter).
 The ammeter is connected in the charging circuit between the battery and
the generator and it indicates the direction and the amount of flow of
current.
 When the current is flowing to the battery during charging, the needle
indicates on the positive side (+ side) and when the current is flowing
from the battery during discharging, the needle indicates on the negative
side (- side). The amount of current flowing is noted based on the
deflection of the needle on either side.
 The ampere meter practically offers no resistance to the flow of current
and is always connected is series. The ammeters commonly used in
automobiles are of the following two types:-Moving vane type, Loop
type.
 Types of Ammeter used in automobile
 Moving Vane Type- It consists of a pivoted vane to
which a needle is attached, a permanent magnet and an
armature. When no current is flowing, there is no
magnetic field and the needle shows zero. When the
current flows to the battery through the armature in
either direction (charging or discharging), a magnetic
field is built up around the armature. The magnetic
field forces the vane to move and in turn the needle
swings on the graduated scale. The stronger the
current, the farther the vane moves and the needle
swing on the scale proportional to the strength of
current flowing through it.
 Loop Type- It consists of a magnet and needle
assembly having a wire assembled in it. When the
current flows through the wire, a magnetic field is set
up around it. The magnetic field causes the needle to
move in proportion to the strength of the magnetic
field.
 Alternator
 The alternator or ac generator is the
generator which produces alternating
current instead of the direct current as
produced by a commutator type generator.
As the automotive electrical system
requires only direct current, the
alternating current produced in the ac
generator has to be converted first into the
direct current, which is easily done with
the help of diodes.
 Construction of Alternator
 Frame or Housing: - This encloses the entire
alternator assembly and is made of cast aluminium in
two pieces. The front part of the frame (called drive
end housing) has ball bearings, while the rear part
(called brush end housing) contains a roller bearing.
 Rotor: - It consists of an iron core around the rotor
shaft. Many turns of copper wire coated with varnish
are wound over the core. On both sides of the rotor
winding are thick metal plates bent over the winding
with triangular fingers called poles. These metal plates
are called pole pieces. The pole pieces are placed
interlacing each other so that when the current flows
through the windings, these pole pieces acquire
opposite polarity. This will result in alternating north
and south magnetic pole on the pole fingers. This
creates magnetic fields between the alternating pole
fingers. Thus in contrast to a d.c. generator, an a.c.
generator has a rotating magnetic field.
 Construction of Alternator
 Slip rings and brushes: - The current to rotor winding
is carried through the copper slip rings and carbon
brushes. The brushes ride the surface of the slip rings on
the rotor under spring tension provided by the brush
holders.
 Stator: - Three phase alternator is commonly used in
automobile. Between two halves of the alternator
casing, is situated the stator consisting of three sets of
winding wound over a laminated iron core. When the
rotor rotates, its moving magnetic field induces current
in all the three stator windings. All alternators contains
at least six diodes, one pair of a positive and a negative
diode for each winding to have full wave rectification of
the a. c. current produced in the alternator. One diode
would achieve only half wave rectification. The three
windings of the stator are connected together. The two
commonly used connections are the star connection and
the delta connection.
 Continuation…
 Stator winding connection- The star
connection is more common. With this
connection, alternator is able to start
charging at lower speeds and has lower
maximum output than alternator with
delta connection stator. Delta connections Star Connection
for stators are used for those alternators
where high output at high alternator speed
is required. Such alternators can produce
about 73% more current than the same
alternator with star connections. These,
however, produce lower current at low
speeds and, therefore, have to be operated Delta Connection
at high speed to obtain maximum output.
 Working Principle of Alternator
 In this an electromagnet (rotor) is mounted on a
shaft and is supplied current for its energisation
from a battery though the slip rings and brushes.
The rotor is turned by a belt and pulley by the
engine.
 In series with the stator winding are two diodes
which are further connected to outside electric
circuit.
 When the electromagnet is rotated, the magnetic
lines of force cut the stationary stator loop to
produce an induced current. However, as after
every half revolution, the magnet reverses its
polarities, the current produced in the stator
alternates its sign in a revolution.
 To convert this alternating current into the direct
current, diodes are employed, which allow the
current to pass through them only in one direction.
Thus it is the dc current in the ac generator also
which is fed to the electrical circuit.
 Excitation System
 Excitation system is defined as the system which is used for the
production of the flux by passing current in the field winding.
 The main requirement of an excitation system is reliability
under all conditions of service, simplicity of control, ease of
maintenance, stability and fast transient response.
 The amount of excitation required depends on the load current,
load power factor and speed of the machine. The more
excitation is needed in the system when the load current is
large, the speed is less, and the power factor of the system
becomes lagging.
 The excitation system is the single unit in which the each
alternator has its exciter in the form of generator.
 Alternator Testing

 Alternator Output Test

 Alternator Field Current Test
 Regulator Output Test
 Alternator Output Test
The alternator output test checks the ability of the alternator to deliver its rated voltage and
current. This test is carried out whenever an overcharging or under charging problem is
suspected. The output current and voltage should meet specifications of the alternator otherwise
the alternator or regulator may require replacement.

Charging without load: - Prepare the tester as per the

instructions. Turn the ignition switch to ON (engine not
running) and read the amount of discharge on the ammeter.
This is a base reading for the current. The alternator must
supply for ignition and accessories before it can provide
current to charge the battery. The reading should be about 6
amperes.
Start the engine and adjust the speed to about 2000 rpm.
After about 3-4 minutes, read the ammeter and voltmeter.
The output at this stage should be within the specified range
of the manufacturer’s specification.
Charging with Load: - With the engine running at specified
speed, adjust the load through increase control to obtain the
highest ammeter reading possible without causing the
voltage drop lower than 12 volts. Read the ammeter. The
reading should be within 10% of the alternator’s rated output.
 Alternator Field Current Test
The voltage regulator adjusts a small field current that connects to the ignition system, battery
and alternator rotor windings. The alternator field current is substantially lower than the current
output the alternator produces while operating.

First Alternator Field Current Test: -

Step 1: - Insert the key into your car’s ignition switch. Leave it in the “off” position”. You do not
eed to start your car’s engine to test the alternator field current.
Step 2: - Open your car’s hood and secure it. You need to access the alternator to test the field
urrent.
Step 3: - Test the alternator for magnetism. Use a metal screwdriver and place the metal end very
ear the bolt on the alternator pulley. It’s on the front of the alternator and the alternator belt goes
ound the pulley. The end of the screwdriver is not drawn towards the bolt as there isn’t any electrical
magnetism.
Step 4: - Turn the ignition key to the “on” position, but do not start your car. The dashboard warning
ights illuminate and the voltage regulator is activated.
Repeat the test using the screwdriver. Place the metal end of the screwdriver near to the nut on the
lternator pulley. You find a strong magnetic force immediately pulls the screwdriver towards it, even
f the screwdriver is a reasonable distance away, if there is alternator field current. This means the
lternator is operating correctly. If the screwdriver isn’t pulled towards the nut on the pulley, your
lternator or voltage regulator may not be working correctly so complete the steps in Section 2.
 Continuation…
Second Alternator Field Current Test: -
Step 1: -Turn the ignition key back to the “off” position. Remove the plastic plug on the end of the wire
harness that connects to the regulator on top or nearby the alternator. The plug has four colored wires: blue,
red, brown and black.
Step 2: -Cut a 2-inch strip of thin wire using a knife. Wire used to connect speakers, or a low voltage light is
suitable. Remove ¼ inch of the plastic coating off both ends of the wire strip using wire strippers. Insert one
end of the wire strip into the connector slot of the red wire on the plastic plug. Insert the opposite end into the
connector slot of the blue wire. You have bypassed the voltage regulator so you can test for field current.
Step 3: -Repeat the magnetism test as in Section 1. Turn the ignition key to the “on” position so the
dashboard lights illuminate, but do not start your car’s engine. Place the metal end of the screwdriver near the
nut on the alternator pulley. The magnetic force pulls the screwdriver to the nut, if the alternator is operating
correctly and there’s a field current. If it doesn’t pull the screwdriver to the nut the alternator isn’t operating
correctly so you need to get it checked professionally.
Step 4: -Check the wire harness using a voltmeter. Slide the prong on the end of the red wire from the
voltmeter into the slot on the harness plug where the blue wire is attached. Slide the prong on the end of the
black wire from the voltmeter into the slot where the brown wire is attached. The voltmeter reads between 3
to 12 volts, if the wiring is fine. If there’s no reading, get the harness checked professionally as it may be the
reason there’s no field current when the harness is connected to the regulator.
Remove the strip of wire from the plug on the end of the harness. Turn off the ignition key. Replace the plug
into the voltage regulator. Close the hood of your car.
 Regulator Output Test
his test is a simple procedure to check alternator voltage regulator output.
Set the parking brake and shift the transmission to Neutral (manual) or Park (automatic).
Set your multimeter to DC Voltage and select the 20 Volts in the scale.
Connect the meter's red lead to the battery's positive (+) post and the meter's black lead to the
attery's negative (-) post.
Notice the open-circuit voltage of the battery. Your battery should be at about 12.6 volts, 12.4
olts minimum; otherwise, charge the battery and continue with this test.
Now, ask an assistant to start the engine and run it at 1500 rpm.
Take a note of your voltmeter reading.
good output voltage should be about 2 volts higher than your battery open-circuit voltage. Consult
our vehicle repair manual, if necessary, to check the correct specifications for your particular
odel.
Possible Results-
 If you noticed an output voltage reading below 13 volts right after starting the engine, there could be a charging system
problem.
 If the output voltage reading is 16 volts or higher, there's an overcharging problem. This usually indicates a bad voltage
regulator.
 If voltage seems to fluctuate during your test, switch your voltmeter to the AC voltage scale and take another output voltage
reading with the engine still running.
 Continuation…
This time, connect your meter's red lead to the B+ terminal on the back of the alternator, and the
meter's black lead to battery negative (-).
Usually, the presence of 0.25 AC volts means a leaking diode that requires replacing the alternator.
But some manufacturers recommend replacing the alternator if 0.50 AC volts is detected.
However, if you have noticed engine performance issues, this might be the problem. Consult your
vehicle repair manual for acceptable diode leak rate, if necessary.
f your output voltage is within specifications, continue with this test:
1. With the engine running, increase engine speed to 2000 rpm.
2. Turn on the headlights, AC, defogger, and other high current accessories you may have.
3. Take a note of your voltmeter reading.
The voltage output reading should be about 0.5 volts higher than your battery's open circuit voltage.
Most voltage regulators are calibrated to output between 13.5 and 15.5 charging volts on a fully
charged battery at normal temperature with no accessories or lights on. Consult the specifications in
your vehicle repair manual for your particular application.
Keep in mind that a worn or loose drive belt and other vehicle operating conditions like high
emperatures can affect how the voltage regulator operates.

Results- When your test shows a steady or intermittent high or low voltage output, the
voltage regulator is possibly bad. Most voltage regulators fail by allowing a high voltage
output, though. However, before going any further, check that all the connections to the
alternator and battery are good and clean.
 Cut out Relay
 When the generator speed is very low, due to which the
output is not sufficient to balance the battery voltage, the
necessity to cutout the generator from the battery arises,
because otherwise the battery would discharge into the
generator.
 When the engine and hence the generator speed has
reached a sufficiently higher value to match its output to
the battery voltage the generator should be automatically
connected to the battery.
 In this electromagnet consists of two coils, the shunt
(voltage) and the series (current). When the generator is
producing sufficient voltage so that the field due to both
the current and the voltage coils support each other, the
electromagnet pulls down the armature, the contacts are
closed and the generator-battery circuit is completed.
 When due to low engine speeds the generator voltage falls
below the battery voltage, the current flows from the
battery to the generator. Then the fields due to current and
voltage windings become opposed to each other. Hence
the pull on the armature decrease, the contacts open out
and the battery is cut from the generator.
 Combined Voltage and Current Regulator

 It consists of three main units like cutout relay, current regulator and voltage regulator.
 The voltage regulator consists of a series winding and a shunt winding, both wound on a single
core. The series winding is made of a few turns of thick wire and one end of this is connected to the
field terminal of the regulator while the other end is grounded via the contact points. The shunt
winding is made of a few turns of thin wire, whose one end is connected to the cutout relay while
the other end is grounded. Both the series and the shunt winding are wound in such a manner that
the fields due to these support each other.
 When the generator is producing higher voltage than for which the regulator is set, the force due to
shunt and series windings will pull the armature down, thereby separating the contact points. This
inserts a resistance in series in the generator field circuit as a result of which the voltage drops
 When the voltage has decreased, so that magnetic force is not sufficient to pull the regulator
armature down, it goes up again making the contacts and thereby grounding the generator field
 Continuation…
 The current regulator consists of a heavy series
winding. When the regulator is not operating, the
contact points are closed and the generator field
circuit is grounded.
 When the load on the generator increases and the
generator voltage is not sufficient to operate the
voltage regulator, the generator current continues to
rise till the stage is reached where the current in the
regulator coil is sufficient to pull the armature
down separating the contacts, thus inserting the
resistance in the generator field circuit which brings
down the generator output, until the current
decrease to a value such that the series winding in
the current regulator cannot exert enough force to
keep the contacts separated.
 The contacts then close and the generator field
circuit is grounded again thus increasing its output.
In this way it maintains the current output at a
preset constant value. 
  
Regulators for Alternators

The regulation is achieved by varying the amount of resistance in the field

circuit of the alternator.
Single unit Regulator
 As the voltage reaches a
predetermined value, the regulator
contact points open to insert
resistance into the field circuit of the
alternator, preventing excessive
voltage.
 No current regulator is required in
this system as the alternator is
designed to be self-limiting.
 The cutout relay is not required since
the diode permit the flow of current
only in one direction- that which is
required to charge the battery.
 Three-unit Regulator with Current Limiter

 The vibrating contact points are used to insert the resistance into the
alternator field circuit to prevent excessive voltage or current output.
 The load relay is a circuit breaker that connects the alternator to the
battery for charging and disconnecting the two when the alternator
slows down or stops.
 A separate load relay rectifier is used to operate the windings of the
load relay.
 Advantages of Alternator over dc
Generators
 About 30% higher speeds can be achieved when compared with a dc generator whose
operating speed is restricted to 9000 rpm. An alternator can run safely at about 2.5 times
the engine speed, whereas a dc generator is limited to about 1.75 times the engine speed.
 For a given output, the alternator can be made appreciably smaller and lighter. In other
words, it has a high output weight ratio.
 An alternator does not require much maintenance attention because of the use of light
slip ring brushes when compared with the dc generator heavy brush gear and
commutator. The life of these brushes is much higher than that of commutator type
brushes because there is no commutator with temperature and wear problems.
 An alternator is simple and robust in design when compared with a dc generator and
hence more reliable.
 A high output at low engine speed can be obtained. The battery can be charged even
when the engine is idling, which is not so with a dc generator, with its cutout relay.
 The cutout relay is not essential because any reverse current flow due to fall in voltage
below that of the battery is not allowed by the rectifier.
 The alternator can be made to provide self-regulation due to its winding reactance which
eliminates the use of external control as required in the case of a dc generator.
 Disadvantage of Alternator
 The present disadvantage of the alternator is its initial cost which is
more than that of a dc generator. It is because of the high cost of
rectifiers.
 Charging System Troubleshooting
Defects Causes Remedies
Brushes sticking Free; brushes and springs may be
replaced as required.
Commutator dirty (dc) Clean; turn down commutator and
undercut mica if required.
Commutator burned (dc) Clean; turn down commutattor and
undercut mica, if required; check
1. No Output
setting of current regulator.
Loose connections broken leads Tighten connection; replace leads.
Armature earthed Check with test lamp; repair or
replace.
Armature open Repair or replace.
Armature shorted Test on growler; repair or replace.
Field earthed Test it with test lamp; repair or
replace.
High open circuit voltage Reset regulator
Voltage regulator shunt winding Locate and rectify if possible, else
open replace regulator.
2. Overcharging/excessive
output Field circuit earthed Check with test lamp; repair or
replace.
Field circuit shorted Test with ammeter; repair or replace
 Charging System Troubleshooting
Defects Causes Remedies

Loose drive belt Tighten drive belt

Brushes sticking Free; replace brushes and springs as

required

3. Low output/unsteady output

Brush-spring tension low Re-tension or replace springs

Grease or oil on Commutator (dc) Clean commutator

Mounting of generator loose Tighten mounting

Loose pulley Tighten pulley

4. Noisy generator
Worn out bearings Replace bearings

Brushes not seating properly Rectify

 Bibliography
 Text book of automobile engineering by Dr. Kirpal Singh
 Text book of automobile engineering by S.K. Gupta
 Text book of automotive electrical equipment by P L Kohli
 www.google.com
 Questions
1. Write a note on the cut-out relay as used in the battery generator
circuit.
2. Discuss the construction and working of a combined voltage and
current regulator.
3. Discuss the construction and principle of operation of an alternator
for automobile charging system. Illustrate your answer with suitable
sketches.
4. Compare the alternator with the dc generator for automotive use.
5. Discuss in detail the procedure of testing an alternator.
Thank You