AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING
Ignition System
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Ignition System
Purpose of Ignition System
The purpose of the ignition system is to generate a very high
voltage from the 12 volt battery.
To send high voltage to each sparkplug in turn, igniting the fuel-air
mixture in the engine's combustion chambers .
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Ignition System - Types
Types of Ignition System
Battery Coil Ignition System
Magneto Ignition System
Electronic Ignition system
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Ignition System
Battery Coil Ignition System
Parts
Construction
Working principle
Advantages and disadvantages
Applications
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Battery Ignition System
Battery Ignition System is used in automobiles to produce spark in the
spark plug for the combustion of fuel in the I.C. engine.
Battery - Main source for the spark generation.
Mostly used in light commercial vehicles.
There are different ignition system such as a magneto ignition
system, distributorless ignition system and electronic ignition system.
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Battery Ignition System
Main parts of battery ignition
system are
Battery
Ignition switch
Ballast resistor
Ignition coil
Contact breaker
Capacitor
Distributor
Spark plug
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Battery Ignition System
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Battery Ignition System
Battery
To provide energy for ignition.
It is work as storage of energy and charged by
dynamo, which is driven by engine.
Ignition switch
It is used to turn on and off the ignition system.
Battery is connected to the primary winding of
ignition coil by ignition switch and ballast resistor.
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Battery Ignition System
Ballast resistor
It is connected in series with primary winding to regulate current in primary
winding.
Used to prevent injury due to overheating of ignition coil.
Controls the current passes through primary winding.
Made by iron. Iron has property of increase electrical resistance rapidly by
increase in temperature at certain limit.
This additional resistance resists flowing current which control the temperature of
ignition coil.
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Battery Ignition System
Ignition coil
The purpose of ignition coil to step up the battery voltage (6 or 12 V) to a high
voltage, which is sufficient to produce spark at spark plug.
It consist a magnetic core or soft wire or sheet, and two electrical winding called
primary winding and secondary winding.
The primary winding has generally 200-300 turn (20 gauge wire)
The secondary has almost 21000 turns of copper wire (40 gauge wire).
Contact breaker
Mechanical device making and braking the primary circuit to ignition coil.
When the points are closed - current flow in ignition coil and
When it open - flow of current stopped. 10
Battery Ignition System
Capacitor
It is a simple electrical capacitor in which two metal plate are separated by an
insulating material with a distance. (Stored electrons and released high voltage)
Distributor
Distributor is used to regulate spark in each spark plug at correct sequence.
There are two types of distributor:
Carbon brush type - carried by the rotor arm sliding over the metallic segment
embedded into the distributor cap.
Gap type - electrode of rotor arm pass close to but does not make contact with the
distributor cap.
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Battery Ignition System
Spark Plug
A spark plug generally has two electrodes which are separated with each other.
A high potential discharge flow through it which generate spark and ignite the
combustion mixture in cylinder.
The electrode usually made by high nickel alloy so it can withstand with high
temperature and corrosion resistance.
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Battery Ignition System
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Battery Ignition System
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Battery Ignition System
When the contact breaker points When the contact breaker points are
closed: opened:
The circuit is closed when the ignition The magnetic field sets up in the
switch is put ON. primary winding is suddenly
collapsed.
The current builds up a magnetic field A high voltage (15,000 V) is
in the primary winding of the ignition generated in the secondary winding
coil. of the ignition coil.
When the primary current is at the This high voltage is directed to the
highest peak, the contact breaker rotor of the distributor.
points will be opened by the cam. The rotor directs this voltage to the
individual spark plugs according to
the firing order. 15
Battery Ignition System
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
It provides better sparks even at low Heavier than magneto ignition system.
speeds of the engine.
If the battery is weak the engine can
The initial cost is low as compared
not be started.
with magneto ignition system.
The breaker points are continuously
The maintenance cost is negligible
subjected to wear.
except the battery.
The sparking voltage drops as the
The spark intensity is not affected by
speed increases (So it is not fully
timing control mechanism.
reliable of high speed engine.).
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