Study of ignition Systems

Experiment No. AIM: To study Spark Ignition System of S.I.Engine Specimens:- Battery ignition system and Magneto ignition system

Date:- ..

T E!"# :- The ignition system should provide sufficiently large voltage across the spark plug electrodes to effect the spark discharge. Further, it should supply the required energy for the spark to ignite the combustible mixture adjacent to the plug electrodes under all operating conditions. For given engine design, the optimum spark timing varies ith engine speed, manifold pressure and mixture composition. The ignition system should take into account these factors to provide the spark of proper energy and duration at the appropriate time. FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF AN INJECTION SYSTEM For a smooth and reliable functioning of an engine the ignition system must satisfy follo ing requirement. ! # $ & ' ( "t should provide a good spark bet een electrodes at correct timing "t should function effectively over entire range of engine speed "t should should be light, effective % reliable in service "t should be compact and easy to maintain "t should be cheap and convenient to handle The radio interference from high voltage source should not affect the functioning of radio and other equipment inside the vehicle.

COMPONENTS OF A BATTERY IGNITION SYSTEM ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Battery "gnition s itch Ballast *esistor +ontact breaker "gnition +oil +apacitor ,istributor -park .lug

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Dashed line indicates common cam shaft for contact Breaker & Distributor

,iagram of a typical battery ignition system is sho n in fig. .o er for such a circuit is often supplied from a (7 or !# 7 battery. There are t o circuits, the primary circuit and the secondary circuit. The primary circuit consists of a battery, one end of hich is connected to earth. The earth is usually the engine body itself. 0ther side of battery 89ve terminal: is connected to the primary inding of a coil via an ammeter and "gnition s itch. Ballast resistor is provided to regulate primary current. The objective is to prevent overheating % damage to spark plug. The contact breaker is, a spring;closed s itch, and is operated by means of a cam. The other side of the contact breaker is connected to earth. 4 capacitor is connected across the contact breaker points to earth. The points, as they are called, are the contact breaker contact surfaces. This completes the primary circuit. The secondary circuit is as follo s. The bottom end of the secondary inding of the coil is connected to the bottom end of the primary inding. The top end of the secondary inding is connected to the centre of the distributor rotor. The distributor rotor is a rotating contact hich s eeps past, and makes contact ith fixed contacts hich in turn are connected to the sparking plugs in the engine. The other side of the sparking plugs gaps is connected to the engine earth. This completes the secondary circuit.

!peration:- The operation of the complete circuit is as follo s. /ith the ignition s itch closed and the engine running, a current ill flo in the primary circuit as soon as the contact breaker closes. The build;up of current in the primary inding of the coil is relatively slo , since it must overcome the counter emf of its o n magnetic field. The contact breaker cam, hich is continuously revolving, no opens the contact breaker. "mmediately, the magnetic field in the coil begins to collapse. This collapse of the magnetic field tends to keep the current flo ing in the primary inding, ith the result that the capacitor is rapidly charged. 4s soon as it is fully charged, the capacitor ill begin to discharge through the primary inding and hence increases the rate of collapse of the magnetic field. This rapidly collapsing magnetic field ill induce a current flo in the secondary inding of the coil hich, because of its high turn<s ratio, ill produce a very high voltage in the secondary circuit. 4t the same time that the contact breaker in the primary circuit opens, the distributor rotor connects ith a contact to a sparking plug and hence a high voltage ill be set up across the sparking plug gap. This ill cause a high;intensity arc to spread across this gap, thus igniting the cylinder charge. The capacitor across the contact breaker points not only helps to collapse the magnetic field, but also prevents excessive arcing across the contact breaker. This is because the major proportion of the current flo in the primary circuit is discharged into the condenser instead of producing an arc across the points as they open. "n the diagram sho n the circuit for a four;cylinder engine is illustrated. "t ill be noted that the contact breaker cam is square having four lobes= thus effecting four openings of the contact breaker per revolution of the cam. The distributor has four contacts. >sually the number of cam lobes and the number of distributor contacts is the same as the number of engine cylinders. Both the cam % distributor rotor are motored in phase and mounted on the same shaft.

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The high tension magneto incorporates in itself indings to generate as ell as to step up voltage and thus does not require a separate coil to boost up the voltage required to operate the spark plug. Magnet can be either rotating armature type or rotating magneto type. "n the first type armature consisting of the primary and secondary indings and condenser all rotate bet een plates of a stationary magneto. /hile in the second type magnet revolves and indings are kept stationery. *est of the operation is similar to battery ignition

-.4*1 4,742+5 M5+?42"-M The point in the cycle here the spark occurs must be regulated to ensure maximum po er and economy at different speeds and loads % this must be done automatically. By means of spark advance mechanisms the advance angle is accurately set so that ignition occurs before the T,+ point of the piston. The t o mechanisms used for spark advance are !. +entrifugal advance mechanism #. 7acuum advance mechanism

$. %entrigua& Ad'ance Mec(anism: 4 typical sliding contact type centrifugal advance mechanism is sho n in the figure. +entrifugal advance mechanism controls the ignition timing for full load operation. The cam is mounted movable on distributor shaft so that as the speed increases, the fly eights hich are s ung farther % farther out ard shift the same cam in the direction of cam rotation. 4s a result, the cam balls make contact ith the breaker lever rubbing back some hat earlier, thus shifting the ignition point in the advance direction. ,epending on the speed of engine, the eights are s ung out ard a greater or lesser distance from the centre. They are held in the extended position, in the state of equilibrium corresponding to the shifted timing angle, by a retaining spring hich exactly balances the centrifugal force. ). *acuum Ad'ance Mec(anism: This mechanism shifts the ignition point under partial load conditions. "n this mechanism the adjustment control quantity is the static vacuum prevailing in the carburetor, a pressure hich depends on the position of throttle valve at any given time and hich is at a maximum hen this valve is about half open. The diaphragm of a vacuum advance unit is moved by changes in the gas pressure. The position of this diaphragm is determined by pressure differential at any given moment bet een prevailing vacuum and atmospheric pressure. The diaphragm movement is transmitted through a vacuum advance arm connected to a movable breaker plate, and this movement shifts the breaker plate an additional amount under part load condition in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the distributor shaft.