OBJECT: To study battery ignition system & magneto ignition system.

APPARATUS USED: - Battery ignition system

INTRODUCTION:

Most of the modern spark-ignition engines use battery ignition system. In this system, the energy
required for producing spark is obtained from a 6 or 12 volt battery. The construction of a battery
ignition system is extremely varied. It depends on the type of ignition energy storage as well as on the
ignition performance which is required by the particular engine. The reason for this is that an ignition
system is not an autonomous machine, that is, it does not operate completely by itself, but instead it
is but one part of the internal combustion engine, the heart of the engine. It is therefore extremely
important that the ignition system be matched sufficiently well to its engine. Passenger cars, light
trucks, some motorcycles and large stationary engines are fitted with battery ignition systems. The
details of the battery ignition system of a six-cylinder engine are shown in (Fig.1.1).

The essential components of the system are:

(i) Battery (ii) Ignition switch (iii) Ballast resistor (iv) Ignition coil (v) Contact breaker (vi)

Capacitor (vii) Distributor (viii) Spark plug

In the above list the first three components are housed in the primary side of the ignition coil
whereas the last four are in the secondary side. The details of the various components aredescribed
briefly in the following sections.

(i) BATTERY:

To provide electrical energy for ignition, a storage battery is used. It is charged by a dynamo driven by
the engine. Owing to the electrochemical reactions, it is able to convert the chemical energy into
electrical energy. The battery must be mechanically strong to withstand the strains to which it is
constantly subjected to. Given reasonable care and attention two years or more trouble-free life may
be obtained from a battery.

Two types of batteries are used for spark-ignition engines, the lead acid battery and the alkaline
battery. The former is used in light duty commercial vehicles and the later on heavy duty commercial
vehicles

(ii) IGNITION SWITCH:

Battery is connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil through an ignition switch and

ballast resistor. With the help of the ignition switch the ignition system can be turned on or off.

(iii)BALLAST RESISTOR:

A ballast resistor is provided in series with the primary winding to regulate the primary current. The
object of this is to prevent injury to the spark coil by overheating if the engine should be operated for
a long time at low speed, or should be stalled with the breaker in the closed position. This coil is made
of iron wire, and iron has the property that its electrical resistance increases very rapidly if a certain
temperature is exceeded. The coil is therefore made of wire of such size that if the primary current
flows nearly continuously, the ballast coil reaches a temperature above that where this rapid increase
in resistance occurs. This additional resistance in the primary circuit holds the primary current down
to a safe value. For starting from cold this resistor is by-passed to allow more current to flow in the
primary circuit.

(iv)IGNITION COIL:

Ignition coil is the source of ignition energy in the conventional ignition system. This coil stores the
energy in its magnetic field and delivers it at the appropriate time in the form of a ignition pulse
through the high-tension ignition cables to the respective spark plug. The purpose of the ignition coil
is to step up the 6 or 12 volts of the battery to a high voltage, sufficient to induce an electric spark
across the electrodes of the spark plug. The ignition coil consists of a magnetic core of soft iron wire
or sheet and two insulated conducting coils, called primary and the secondary windings.

(v) CONTACT BREAKER:

This is a mechanical device for making (Fig 1.3 (a)) and breaking (Fig 1.3 (b)) the primary circuit of the
ignition coil. It consists essentially of a fixed metal point against which, another metal point bears
which is being on a spring loaded pivoted arm. The metal used is invariably one of the hardest metals,
usually tungsten and each point has a circular flat face of about 3 mm dia. The fixed contact point is
earthed by mounting it on the base of the contact breaker assembly whereas the arm, to which the
movable contact point is attached, is electrically insulated. When the points are closed the current
flows and when they are open, the circuit is broken and the flow of current stops. The pivotedof some
hard plastic material attached in the middle and this heel bears on the cam which is driven by the
engine. Consequently, every time the cam passes under the heel, the points are forced apart and the
circuit is broken.

(vi)CAPACITOR:

The principle of construction of the ignition capacitor is the same as that of every electricalcapacitor,
which is very simple: two metal plates separated by an insulating material are placed face to face.
The insulation is often only air (for example, in the case of air capacitors), but in most cases it
consists of some high-quality insulating material suitable for the particular technical requirements,
material which because of space limitation must be as thin as possible but nevertheless capable of
withstanding electrostatic stresses without suffering damaged.

(vii) DISTRIBUTOR:

The function of the distributor is to distribute the ignition surges to the individual spark plugs in the
correct sequence and at the correct instants in time. Depending on whether a particular engine has 4,
6 or 8 cylinders, there is 4, 6 or 8 ignition pulses (surges) generated for every rotation of the distributor
shaft. The use of a distributor represents a considerable simplification in a battery ignition system
because in most cases we want to use only a single ignition circuit. The contact breaker and the spark
advance mechanism are combined with the distributor in a single unit because of the absolute
necessary that the distributor operates in synchronism with the crankshaft.

(viii) SPARK PLUG:

The spark plug provides the two electrodes with a proper gap across which the high potential
discharges to generate a spark and ignite the combustible mixture within the combustion chamber.
arm has, generally, a heel or a rounded part
MAGNETO IGNITION SYSYTEM
It is similar to the battery ignition system which is used to produce a spark in S.I engine for
combustion of fuels. In magneto ignition system the battery and ignition coils are replaced by a
magneto. The basic components of magneto ignition system are.

1) Magneto

2) Contact beaker

3) Ignition switch

4) Condenser

5) Distributor

6) Spark plug

Here all the parts except the magneto are same as in battery ignition system. Magneto: The function
of magneto is to produce current in primary and secondary winding. 

It consists of two pole magnet, a soft iron core on which both primary and secondary winding coil is
done.
When magnet rotates, current is produced in both primary and secondary windings.

Working: When the magnet starts rotating the magnetic field changes through soft iron core.
This continuous change in magnetic field induces a varying voltage in both primary and secondary
winding which produce alternating current.

The magnet is connected to cam in such a way that the current in primary winding reaches a max
value, the beaker point on the contact beaker opens.

As the beaker points opens then current now flows through condenser which changes the
condenser and thus decreases the current in primary winding to zero value thus varying its magnetic
field.

Now the condenser then rapidly discharges into primary circuit which reverses the direction of both
primary current and magnetic field.

The rapid collapse and reversal of magnetic field induces a very high voltage in secondary winding
which is then carrier through high tension wire to distributor rotor where it passes to one of the
spark plug deads and into the spark plug where the spark is generated.