Study Battery Ignition System & Electronic Ignition
System.
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.
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
(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.
(vi) CAPACITOR:
The principle of construction of the ignition capacitor is the same as that of every electrical
capacitor, 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.
