Ignition System

• Provides the Spark in SI engines

• Principle
• A high voltage applied across two electrodes separated by a gap
• When V > Vcrit, the resistance of the air gap is overcome, spark occurs
• Vcrit = f(gap, f, p)

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Ignition System - Requirements
• Sufficiently high voltage (~ 10 kV) to produce spark
• Spark should be of the required energy intensity (~ 40
mJ), duration (~ 0.5 ms)
– Too low: Fails to ignite
– Too high: More heat loss
• Timing (spark advance)
– Function of speed, load, fuel type, equivalence ratio
• Reliability
• Low cost
• Compactness
• Ease of maintenance
• Minimum signal interference
ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I
 Battery Ignition System - Components
• Battery : Energy source (mostly 12V)
• Ballast resistance
– protects ignition coil from large current
– By-passed during starting
• Ignition coil
– Generates the large voltage for spark
– Primary ~ 100 V, Secondary ~ 20000 V
• Capacitor
– Stores energy, increases primary voltage
• Contact breaker
– control spark timing, frequency
• Distributor: Provides voltage to spark plugs in each cylinder,
also holds the timing control mechanism
ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I
 Battery Ignition System - Working
• Breaker points opened and closed by a cam
• Primary current flows when contact is closed
• When breaker point opens, current interrupted
• Decay of magnetic flux induces large voltage in primary, much
larger voltage in secondary
• Capacitor stores charge, accelerates the decay of primary
current, prevents sparking at breaker contact points

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Firing Order
• Sequence of occurrence of combustion in cylinders
• Fixed so as to ensure
– smooth, uniform power delivery
– minimum stresses and vibrations
– minimum cooling load
– easy expulsion of exhaust gases
• Three cylinder : 1-2-3 or 1-3-2
• Four cylinder : 1-3-4-2 or 1-2-4-3
• Six cylinder (inline) : 1-5-3-6-2-4

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Other Ignition Systems
• Magneto Ignition System
– Power source is generator run by engine
– No battery, ignition coil : compact, lightweight, low maintenance
– Starting needs external cranking or battery power
• Electronic Ignition Systems
– No breaker points : use electronic circuits to produce pulse which
triggers spark
– Sensor mounted on distributor shaft used to set spark timing
– Reliable, low wear and tear
– Spark intensity consistent at all engine speeds
– Electronic control of spark timing is more accurate, responsive
– Transistorised Coil Ignition (TCI)
– Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI)
ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I
 Spark Timing
• Spark is advanced to provide adequate
time for combustion
• Too much advance (away from TDC)
– Pressure rise starts during compression, piston
has to work against it
– May result in knocking
• Too less advance : retarded (close to TDC)
– Peak pressure is low as it occurs late during
expansion stroke
• Optimum : Maximum Brake Torque (MBT)
timing
– Usually half the pressure rise occurs as piston
reaches TDC

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Factors Affecting Spark Timing
Longer the duration of combustion (o CA), greater the spark advance
• Engine speed
– Enhances turbulence, higher flame speed, shorter combustion duration (in s)
– But requires more crank angle degrees [ q = t*6N], hence higher advance
• Load (throttle position)
– High load – Wider throttle opening, less exhaust gas dilution
– Higher in-cylinder temperatures, higher flame speed
– Shorter combustion duration, less advance  retard spark
• Equivalence ratio
– Max flame speed at f ~ 1.1. Shortest duration combustion, minimum advance
– Leaner and richer mixtures require more advance
• Fuel type
– Fast burning fuels have shorter combustion duration, need less advance
• Spark timing varied in conventional ignition systems by
– Centrifugal mechanism (for speed) and
– Vacuum mechanism (for load)
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 Engine Cooling – Why?
In the absence of cooling
• Lubricant film gets degraded chemically, breaks apart
• Moving metal components expand, clearances reduce
• Net effect:
– excessive friction  power loss
– generates still more heat
– wear and tear, piston seizure
– thermal stresses
• Overheated spark plug, exhaust valve  pre-ignition, knocking in SI
– loss of power
– engine damage
• Higher heat loss through exhaust
• Greater emissions (especially NOx)
What are the problems of overcooling?
The cooling system safeguards the lubricating oil as well as the metal
Neither too hot not too cool – Just the right temperature
ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I
 Engine Cooling Systems - Types
• Air cooling (direct cooling)
– Air flows around the cylinder. Heat transfer area is increased by adding
protruding surfaces (fins)
 Simple, cheap, lightweight, reliable : used in two-wheelers, aircraft etc.
 Low heat transfer coefficient, high wall temperature, air drag, noise
• Liquid cooling (indirect cooling)
– Coolant (usually water) circulates in passages (jackets) around the
cylinder, cylinder head, valves etc. and extracts heat. The heated up
coolant is later cooled by an air stream in a heat exchanger (radiator)
– Propylene glycol or ethylene glycol added as antifreeze
 Efficient cooling, lower air drag, viable for all engine sizes
 Weight, cost, maintenance, susceptible to failure

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Liquid Cooling – Thermosiphon System
• Principle :
– Water in jackets around the engine gets heated up
– Hot water is less dense, tends to rise, flows to radiator, cooled by air
– Cool water flows from radiator to engine
– Creates convection currents - circulating flow
 Simple, no external power required to circulate coolant
 Low coolant flow rate

ENGINE RADIATOR

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Forced Circulation Liquid Cooling System
• Coolant circulated by a centrifugal pump (driven by engine)
• Also assisted by natural convection
• Hot coolant flows from engine to radiator, gets cooled by air
• Air drawn in by a fan, also by forward motion of vehicle
• Water temperature regulated by thermostat
– does not allow flow through radiator during starting (to build up
temperature). Once coolant temperature is sufficiently high, opens
and allows flow
Normal flow Hot water
Hot water THERMOSTAT
AIR ENGINE
FAN Starting
bypass PUMP
Cool water
RADIATOR
ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I
 Engine Lubrication – Why?
• Primary function: to reduce friction and wear between
moving parts – lower power loss, longer engine life
• To provide sealing action – high pressure gases inside cylinder
don’t leak into the crankcase – “blowby”
• To carry away heat generated in combustion chamber
• To clean surfaces by washing away carbon and metal particles
• Lubrication required at: piston, cylinder walls, crankshaft,
camshaft, bearings (main and camshaft), conrod, valve train
• Challenges
– High temperature – lube oil susceptible to degradation, breaks down
– Varying cylinder pressure – non-uniform contact between metal parts
– High viscosity, low flow rate during starting
Principle : Presence of a liquid film between two surfaces reduces the
effect of surface irregularities, lowers friction
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Lubrication Systems – Mist Lubrication
• Used in two stroke engines
• Lube oil (3 – 6%) mixed with fuel and introduced into the
combustion chamber
• Fuel is more volatile – vaporises, mixes with air and burns
• Lube oil is deposited as a film on combustion chamber walls
 Simple (no pump, filter), cheap
 Lube oil tends to burn
 High emissions
 Particle deposits on moving surfaces increase friction
 Exposure to combustion products degrades oil
 Oil is washed out through exhaust port
 When fuel input is less, lubrication is inadequate – especially at low
load and high speed operation
 e.g. vehicle moving downhill

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I

 Lubrication – Wet Sump System
• Crankcase contains a sump/pan for oil
• Oil is filtered (strainer); Gear/rotor type pump pressurises and/or transfers it
• A small portion of pumped oil gets cleaned in bypass filter
• Pressure relief valve opens if oil pressure exceeds safe limits
• Oil drips back into the sump after lubrication, cooled, recycled
• Crankcase ventilation : Removes combustion products which leak into crank
case (blowby) to avoid corrosion, contamination of lube oil (crankcase
dilution), water freezing
• Splash system:
Pump transfers oil to troughs below the big end
of the conrod. Dipper on conrod cap dips into oil
and splashes it onto components
• Pressure feed system:
Pump pressurises oil and forces it to all surfaces
via channels in crankshaft, conrod etc.
• Splash and pressure system:
Combination of the above
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Splash Lubrication

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Pressure Feed Lubrication

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 Lubrication – Dry Sump System
• Oil is stored in an external
tank, not in crankcase
• Oil dripping into sump
(crankcase) is transferred to
tank by scavenging pump
• Scavenging pump has higher
flow rate than oil pump –
crankcase stays dry
• If filter is clogged, the pressure
relief valve opens the bypass -
maintains oil flow
• Oil is cooled by water or air
• No crankcase dilution

ME3003D - Thermal Engineering I