LECTURE 08– ENT 2242

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF
AN AUTOMOBILE

Mrs. H.P.Nethmi Maduhansi

B.Etech (Hons) Focused on
Electromechanical (UOR)
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Main parts of an electrical circuit
• Power source : Battery, Alternator

• Load : it is the part in circuit that does work

• Control : it is what turns the load on and off

• Path : the wires that connect the battery and alternator

to the control load devices in circuit.

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Electrical circuit path

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What does an electrical system do?
• Every vehicle has an electrical system that consists of
three very important components: the battery,
the starter, and the alternator.
• All these systems work together in a cyclic way.
• For instance, the battery is the component that provides
the power that the starter needs to function, and the
alternator provides the energy that the battery needs to
run.

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The Battery : The power source
• At the heart of the car's electrical system is the
battery.
• Typically located under the hood, the battery is
responsible for storing and supplying electrical
energy to start the engine and power various
electrical
• This components
includes energy to thewhen the fuel
ignition, vehicle is not
running.and the starter itself.
systems
• This is why if a vehicles battery is dead or
weak, the vehicle won’t start.

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The starter: Igniting the engine
• The starter is the component that is
directly responsible for starting
the engine.
• The battery provides power that is
needed, but battery can’t start the
engine on its own.
• Instead, it relies on the specialized
function that the starter provides in
rotating the flywheel and
activates the crankshaft to throw
the engine’s piston into motion.
(crank the engine)
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The starter: Igniting the engine
contd.
• Once the engine is running
the starter disengages and
shuts off.
• Even though it runs for a short
period of time, it uses a lot of
amount of current.
• This means that even if the
battery is performing as it should,
without a working starter, it
wouldn’t be possible to start the
vehicle.
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The Alternator: Power generation
• Once the engine is powered
on, the alternator takes over.
• It also provides the charge to the
battery that keeps the vehicle
running.
• While the battery is the initial
power source, the alternator plays
a crucial role in keeping the
electrical system running.

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The Alternator: Power generation
• The alternator generates
electrical power by converting
mechanical energy from the
engine into electrical
energy.
• It not only charges the battery
but also provides electricity
to power lights the radio and
other electrical components
while the vehicle is in operation.

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AC to DC conversion in Alternator
• The electrical power that charges the battery, is from
the alternator, but the current produced is alternating
current (AC).
• Within the alternator there are a series of diodes that
convert the AC to DC which is required.
• This AC power is immediately converted to direct
current DC because automobiles uses a 12 Volt DC
electrical system.

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Why does the alternator take over the
battery ?
• When the engine is running, most of the electrical
devices are powered with the alternator’s regulator
power.
• This is because the alternator output is greater
than the battery current when the engine is running.

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Voltage Regulator
• Voltage regulator controls the alternator's power output.
• This device is often located in the alternator, as it
regulates the charging voltage that the alternator
produces.
• The regulator evaluates the battery
state of charge constantly and when
required, allows the alternator
current to flow to the battery to
replenish the supply of electricity.
• It keeps the voltage between the safe
voltage range to protect the electrical
parts in the vehicle.
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Starting system related to Electrical
system diagram explained

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Working principle of an electrical
system
• All electrical devices in the vehicle are designed with
switchers or relay systems with the major source of
energy (battery) all receiving power.
• So, immediately the engine starts the starter motor
which is an electrical device that receives power from
the battery.
• The combustion process keeps the engine running and
the alternator is used to charge the battery.
• This alternators voltage is less than the battery
voltage when engine is not running.
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Working principle of an electrical
system
• So, the current from the battery is used to power
the vehicles load and not the alternator (when engine
not running).
• Alternators are designed with diodes that prevent
current from flowing into them.
• In a situation when the engine is running the
alternators current output is greater than the
battery voltage.
• The current flows from the alternator to the electrical
load in the vehicle and the battery to charge it up.
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Ignition system related to Electrical
system
• Ignition system is a part of electrical system which carries the
electric current to the spark plug via the spark necessary to
ignite the fuel air mixture in the combustion chamber is
produced.
• This system supplies high voltage of current to produce spark
at the spark plug. The spark is provided at the exact time in various
cylinders according to the firing order of the engine.
• There are four different types of ignition systems used in
petrol engines,
• Coil ignition system or battery ignition system
• Magneto ignition system
• Electronic ignition system
• Transistorized ignition system
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 Construction of Battery ignition
system or coil ignition system
• This is employed in petrol engines.
• The figure shows the wiring
diagram of a simple coil ignition
system of a 4-cylinder engine.
• It consists of a battery, ignition
coil, condenser, contact
breaker, distributor and spark
plug as shown
Ignition coil
• Generally, in here 6 volts or 12
volts battery is used.
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 Construction of Battery ignition
system or coil ignition system
• The ignition coil of this system can be
considered as a type of transformer in this
system. (Generate high V from low V)
• Principle – Mutual induction (due to EMF)
• The primary winding consist of thick wire
with a lesser number of turns.
• The secondary winding located inside
the primary winding is consist of thin
enameled wire with high number of turns with
sufficiently insulated to withstand high
voltage.
Ignition coil
• The condenser is connected across the
contact breaker. It prevents excess arching
and pitting of contact breaker points.
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 Construction of Battery ignition
system or coil ignition system
• The contact breaker is housed in the
distributor itself. It makes and
breaks the primary ignition
circuit.
• The distributor distributes the
high voltage to respective spark
plugs having regular intervals in
sequence of firing order of the engine
( commonly 1-3-4-2 or 1-4-3-2)
• The spark plug is fitted on the Contact breaker
combustion Chamber of the engine.
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 Construction of Battery ignition
system or coil ignition system
• The rotor of the distributor and contact
breaker Cam are driven by the engine.
• There are two circuits in this
system,
• primary circuit
• secondary circuit
• The primary circuit consists of
battery's primary coil of the ignition
coil, condenser and contact breaker.
• The secondary circuit consists of Ignition coil
secondary coil, distributor and spark
plugs.
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Diagram of Battery ignition system
or coil ignition system

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Circuit of Battery ignition system or
coil ignition system

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Working mechanism of battery ignition
system or coil ignition system

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Magneto Ignition System
• A Magneto ignition system or high-tension Magneto is an ignition
system that uses magneto to create high voltage for the
generation of electricity.
• In this system, the battery is replaced with a magneto.
• It consists of a switch, magneto, contact breaker, condenser,
distributor and spark plugs.
• Due to the rapid change in the magnetic flux, a very high
voltage is induced in the secondary coil and that will be
sufficient to produce a spark, discharge and ignite the fuel air
combustible mixture.
• This system is used in two wheelers such as motorcycles,
scooters and etc.
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Magneto Ignition System

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Comparison of the magneto and coil
ignition systems
Parameter Magneto ignition system Coil ignition system
Simplicity The wiring in this system is Requires greater attention against
comparatively simple and it possible defects because wiring is
forms a compact unit. complicated.
Cost Due to high precision work, the Due to less precision work, the
manufacturing cost is high. manufacturing cost is less.
Starting and At the times of starting and low At the times of starting and low
low speed speeds, the strength of the speeds, a good spark is given.
operation spark is low
Strength of With the increase of speed, the With the increase of speed, the
spark at high strength of the spark increases. strength of the spark decreases.
speed So, it is unsuitable for high-speed
racing cars and airplanes.

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 Graph illustrating the two-ignition systems
comparison based on speed operation variation.

HT means “High
tension” relatively
high voltage.

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How to recognize electrical issues in
a vehicle?
• Some common issues in vehicle electrical system are,
1. The vehicle doesn't start easily
• If an engine isn't cranking properly a driver will
often hear a clicking noise when they turn the key
rather than usual sound of the vehicle starting.
2. The vehicle is losing power
• If there is an issue with the alternator, the battery
will not have the power supply that it needs to stay
charged and the electrical system will start to lose
power.

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How to recognize electrical issues in a
vehicle?
• Some common issues in vehicle electrical system are,
3. The vehicles lights are malfunctioning
• Every light on the vehicle receives its power source
from the electrical system, so if the lights are
malfunctioning, this can often be indicative of
underlying issue with the battery or alternator.
4. Blown fuses
• Vehicles have a built-in control system called a fuse
box that ensures the electrical systems don't draw too
much current or short circuits and put people in
danger.
• Fuses are designed to blow in the case of an
electrical issue, but they sometimes just blow
out on their own. 29
For Further Studying.
• floodm. “Stonum Automotive.” Stonum Automotive, 17 Oct. 2019,
stonumautomotive.com/understanding-the-electrical-components-of-
a-vehicle-and-when-they-need-to-be-repaired/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.
• How. “How Ignition System Works | Explained with Animation, Wiring
Diagram, and Parts Overview.” YouTube, 18 Mar. 2023,
youtu.be/TqQE0xkCJ8c?si=X2P7s08uMEiXTU_o. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.
• Magneto Ignition System. “Magneto Ignition System.” YouTube, 28
Feb. 2020, youtu.be/cC2Yo5CT_jo?si=07VbJINxVdpHTnGZ. Accessed 9
Oct. 2024.
• Fundamentals of Automotive Electrical Systems. “Fundamentals of
Automotive Electrical Systems.” YouTube, 20 Feb. 2024,
youtu.be/17DdpIJ6IsI?si=hNvOKyVxcku4R3Ow. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

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THANK YOU.

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