Automotive Charging system

• Contents
I. Charging system functions
II. Purpose of charging system
III. Basic charging system parts
IV. Principle of induced emf
V. Alternator construction
VI. Alternator operation
VII.Voltage regulator
VIII.Charge indicators
Energy conversion
Convert mechanical energy into electrical energy
Purpose of charging system
It recharges the battery
It supplies electrical current after the engine has been started.

All charging circuits operate in three stages

During starting: Battery supplies all load current
During normal operation: Alternator supplies all current an
recharges the battery.
During peak operation: Battery helps alternator supply current
 Induced voltage
1. In a single straight conductor
 Induced…

• Consider a straight conductor of length L moving

with constant velocity through a uniform magnetic
field
• The charge experience a force of magnitude
FM = qvB.
• Because of the magnetic force
– electrons accumulate at the lower end
– positive charge is created at the upper end.
 Induced ……
• Because of the charge, an electric field is created:
F = qE = qvB or E = vB
• The potential difference across the rod ends is:
V = EL = BvL
• If the motion is reversed..?
• If the rod length is reduced by half..?
 Or,…..Induced ….
• The work done in moving the charge in the
length of the wire.
W = F x (length L), but force is F = qvB
W = Fl= qvBL
• The induced voltage is just the work per charge
V = w/q = qvBL/q = BvL
 Example
• In the figure below with R = 10  and L = 1 m,
and that a uniform 3 T magnetic field is directed
into the page. At what speed should the bar be
moved to produce a current of 0.5 A in the
resistor?

1.7 m/s
 Induced voltage
2. In the rotating coil
 Induced ….
• Induced voltage = 2BLv = 2BLv sin
┴ angular
• If the loop rotates with constant
velocity ω: v = rω,  = ωt,
• and the area of the loop is A = L2r
• 2BLrω sin(ωt) = BAω sin(ωt)
• If the loop has N turns: NBAωsin(ωt)
Induced …
 Example 1

1. A generator with a circular coil of 45 turns of

area 2 x 10-2 m2 is placed in a 0.30 T
magnetic field and rotated with a frequency of
60 Hz. Find the maximum emf which is
produced during a cycle
102 volt
 Example 2

• An alternator has 95 turns of stator coil with an

area of 2x10-2 m2 and its rotor winding has .02 T
magnetic field density. Determine the speed in
RPM so that its maximum output is 14V.
n=3518rpm
 Principle of operation

• The working of AC generator is electromagnetic induction to

generate electrical energy from mechanical energy .
• Faraday law basically states, “when the magnetic flux or the
magnetic field changes with time, the electromotive force is
produced”.
Lenz’s law.
When an emf is generated by a
change in magnetic flux
according to Faraday's Law, the
polarity of the induced emf is
such that it produces a current
whose magnetic field opposes the
change which produces it..
Factors affecting the magnitude of the induced emf
1. Increasing the number of turns
2. Increasing the speed
3. Increasing the strength of the magnetic field
• With the right hand is held with the thumb, first finger and second
finger mutually perpendicular to each other (at right angles),:
I. The thumb is pointed in the direction of the motion of the
conductor relative to the magnetic field.
II. The first finger is pointed in the direction of the magnetic field.
III. The second finger represents the direction of the induced or
generated current within the conductor
Examples
 Root mean square RMS (Effective voltage)

RMS, or root mean square (also called effective), voltage is a method

of denoting a voltage sine waveform (AC waveform) as an equivalent
voltage which represents the DC voltage value that will produce the
same heating effect, or power dissipation, in circuit, as this AC voltage at
the same time interval .
 Class activity

• The voltage reading at sockets of your class room

is 220v, find the maximum voltage Vpeak)

• Show that the sum of the voltages from stator coil

at any time (t) is zero.
V0 sinωt + V0 sin(ωt +1200) + V0 sin(ωt + 2400) = 0
Major components of charging system

i. Battery

i. Alternator.

ii. Voltage
regulator
 The engine crankshaft pulley
drives the alternator through a belt
two to three times crankshaft
speed (3:1).
 Pulleys are either bolt on or are
pressed on the rotor shaft.
 Both 'V' and Multi-grove types are
used
 To calculate the actual alternator
RPM, determine the ratio between
the two pulley diameters.
 Alternator
Energy conversion
 Converts mechanical energy to electrical energy
(Driven by Crankshaft, with the help of a drive-belt)

 The output of alternator is DC, but actually AC voltage

is generated and then converted to DC.

With external fan With internal fan

Parts of an Alternator
 Rotor
•The rotor which is supported by bearings creates an
alternating magnetic field, Each end of the rotor field
winding is attached to a slip ring.
•The DC supply is given to the rotor winding through the
slip rings and and brushes arrangement.
 …Rotor
•The fingers on one pole piece produce south
magnetic poles while the other piece produce north
magnetic poles
Brushes and i. Slip Rings
slip rings • A slip ring is a device that allows the
transmission of power from a stationary
to a rotating structure.
• Mounted on the rotor shaft (insulated
from it) Provide current to the rotor
windings.
• An external source of electricity is
needed to excite the field
ii. brushes
• Two stationary carbon brushes ride on
two rotating slip rings.
• Springs hold the brushes in contact with
the slip rings
• Bushes are either soldered or bolted.
 Stator
The stator is fixed to the shell of the alternator, and
does not turn. The stator assembly is composed of:
 laminated iron frame and ,
three sets of windings, wound into slots in the
frame.
• The alternating magnetic
field from the spinning
rotor induces an alternating
voltage into the stator
winding.
• The windings make a three
phase unit due to the
manner of their connection.
 …stator
The type of connection

I. Star and
ii. Delta connections
 Wye (Y) or Star wound stator

 Can be identified by 4
stator leads
 Star-wound stators
produce a higher
voltage
 Two windings are in
series at any one time
during charge output.
 Delta_ connection

 Delta-wound stators
produce a higher current.
 The windings are in
parallel
 have only three stator lead
ends.
Diodes
• Alternator output must be
rectified (changed) from AC
to DC because automobile’s
electrical system requires
direct current (DC)
• A diode allows current flow
in only one direction.
• Several diodes are connected
into a rectifier circuit.
• Half of these diodes are used
on the positive side and the
other half are on the
negative side.(mounted on a
heat-sink)
 Rectification of AC to DC

N.B. If the battery connections are reversed, the

diodes will be damaged due to a large current flow.
 Factors that are affecting the alternator
output are:

• The speed of the rotor.

• Strength of the magnetic field, i.e.,
number of turns of wire in the rotor winding,
amount of electricity applied to the rotor coil,
the air gap between the rotor poles and the stator.
• The number of turns of wire in the stator coils, and.
• Inductive reactance
 Circuits of the alternator
There are three standard circuits for the
alternator:
Pre- excitation circuit
Excitation circuit (self- excitation)
Generator or main circuit
 Pre-excitation circuit
• The battery current first flows through the charge
indicator lamp and to the excitation winding in the
rotor.
• This is necessary because the remenance in the
excitation winding of the iron core is very weak at
the instant of starting and at low speeds, and does
not suffice to provide the self-excitation needed for
building up the magnetic field.
 Excitation circuit

• The excitation current comes from the current flowing in the

three-phase windings. It comes from the alternator through
the regulator IG and F terminals or flows through the three
exciter diodes if present. Hence, no external power source is
required for self-excitation.

• The excitation current generates the magnetic field during

the operation of the alternator so that the required alternator
voltage can be induced in the stator windings.
Charging system circuit
 Generator circuit

• The induced voltage in the stator windings is

first rectified by the power diodes. Then, the
current flows to the battery and the loads in the
vehicle electrical system.

• The stator winding voltages are a function of

the angle of rotation of the rotor.
 Voltage regulator
• A voltage regulator regulates the charging voltage
that the alternator produces, keeping it between 13.5
and 14.5 volts to protect the electrical components
throughout the vehicle.
Changes the amount of current flowing through
the rotor windings
• Without voltage regulation, the alternator would
consistently produce too much voltage
overcharging the battery and possibly causing
damage to the electrical system.
 Charge indicator
• Informs the driver of the operating condition
or output of the charging system
• Types:
warning light
voltmeter indicator
ammeter indicator
If the battery light comes on and stays on while you
are driving, there is a problem in the charging system
Example broken alternator belt.
Types
i. Point type
(electromechanical) and

ii. IC (electronic) regulator

 Regulator types based on circuit
• Type-A circuit has the voltage regulator on the
ground side of the field coil.
• Type-B circuit has the voltage regulator located on
the power side of the field coil.
voltage regulator wth Voltage Relay (Charge
lamp relay)
• If there were no voltage relay, there would occur a drop in
voltage in the magnetic coil because the voltage is applied
to a long circuit via the ignition switch.

• A reduction of voltage would cause a proportionate

decrease in magnetic force of magnetic coil so the moving
points would not pulled sufficiently. As a result, alternator
voltage would rise too high.
a. When the ignition switch is ON
engine stopped.
b. Engine operation (low speed to middle)
C. Engine operating (Middle speed to
high speed)
 IC-Regulator

 The solid-state regulator

allows battery current to
excite alternator field coils,
and also controls charging
voltage at safe values.
It may be separately
mounted or inbuilt type.
 Advantages over mechanical regulator
 It is almost fool proof
It is smaller in size i.e., compact and light
It can control higher field current with improved
durability and reliability (this is due to lack of
mechanical points).
A narrower output voltage range and little or no
variation with alternator speed and input voltage i.e.,
no hysteresis characteristics. There is little variation
in output voltage. (Not more than 0.1 to 0.2 V)
Voltage variation at the rated load, or at maximum
output current of the alternator is between 0.5-1v
 ...Advantages over mechanical regulator

• Good resistance to vibration, climatic effects

and high durability due to lack of moving parts.
• Voltage ouput becomes lower as its temperature
rises, hence proper charging of the battery can
be performed. This is because the Zener diode
become more conductive as temperature rises
• Spark free switching prevents radio interference
 Disadvantages
• Susceptible to unusually high voltage and
temperatures.
N.B.
• If a load exceeds the alternators capacity is
applied, the output voltage will suddenly drop,
as in the case of point type regulator.
Therefore, never apply an excessive load when
checking the output voltage
Operating principles of IC regulator
M-Type IC regulator
EE- Type IC regulator