IGNITION SYSTEM

V.M.MURUGESAN
Associate Professor
Department of Automobile Engineering
PSG College of Technology
Coimbatore – 641 004
E mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Mobile : 094439 36930
 OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
 Combustion - Introduction
 Design consideration
 Types of Ignition Systems & Ignition System Components
Magneto coil type
Battery coil type
Solid state ignition type
Advantages of electronic ignition system
Laser Ignition system
 WHAT IS COMBUSTION?
 Combustion is an exothermic chemical reaction where
solid, fluid or gaseous fuel becomes oxidized.
 This process is triggered by molecular collisions at high
temperatures.
 The chemical reaction for the combustion of methane
CH4 is shown below
 CH4 + 2O2 →CO2 + 2H2O
PERFECT, GOOD AND INCOMPLETE COMBUSTION
IGNITION SYSTEM
 IGNITION SYSTEM -INTRODUCTION
 An ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture in petrol
(gasoline) engines.
 To supply a spark inside the cylinder, near the end of the compression stroke,
to ignite the compressed charge of air–fuel vapour.
 To develop a high voltage spark and deliver the spark at correct time
according to firing order.
 It has to produce a high voltage spark (8,000-30,000 volts) for a small
duration at correct intervals of time, between the electrodes of the spark plug.
 A spark at atmospheric pressure requires only 8000 volts but at
compression pressure of 5 – 10 kg/sq.cm requires 20,000-40,000 volts to
initiate combustion.
 IGNITION SYSTEM –INTRODUCTION CONTD …

 For a spark to jump across an air gap of 0.6 mm under normal

atmospheric conditions (1 bar), a voltage of 2–3 kV is required.
 For a spark to jump across a similar gap in an engine cylinder,
having a compression ratio of 8 : 1, approximately 8 kV is required.
 For higher compression ratios and weaker mixtures, a voltage up to
20 kV may be necessary.
 The ignition system has to transform the normal battery voltage of
12 V to approximately 8–20 kV and, in addition, has to deliver this
high voltage to the right cylinder, at the right time.
 Some ignition systems will supply up to 40 kV to the spark plugs.
Functions of Spark Ignition system
 DESIGN CONSIDERATION

 When considering the design of an ignition system the

following factors must be taken into account
 Combustion chamber design
 Air–fuel ratio
 Engine speed range
 Engine load
 Engine combustion temperature
 Intended use
 Emission regulations
COMBUSTION CHAMBER SHAPES

1. Wedge

2. Hemispherical

3. Crescent

4.Bowl in Piston
CHAMBER SHAPES
 WEDGE ASYMMETRIC DESIGN

Wedge
Asymmetric design
Valves at an angle and
off center
 HEMISPHERICAL

Hemispherical
(Hemi)
• Symmetric design
• Valves placed on a arc shaped head
 BOWL-IN-PISTON

Bowl-in-Piston
 Symmetric design
 Valves are placed
perpendicular to head
 CRESCENT (PENT-ROOF)

Crescent (Pent-Roof)
The valves are placed at an
angle on flat surfaces of the
head
 3 T’S OF COMBUSTION
 The objective of good combustion is to release all of the heat in the fuel.
 This is accomplished by controlling the "3T's" of combustion which are  
(1) Temperature high enough to ignite and maintain ignition of the fuel,
(2) Turbulence or intimate mixing of the fuel and oxygen, and
(3) Time, sufficient for complete combustion.
 Too much, or too little fuel with the available combustion air may
potentially result in unburned fuel and carbon monoxide generation.

 
 3 T’S OF COMBUSTION(CONTD…)

• A very specific amount of Oxygen is needed for perfect

combustion and some additional (excess) air is required
for ensuring complete combustion.
• However, too much excess air will result in heat and
efficiency losses.
• So the main challenge in combustion efficiency is
directed toward unburned carbon (in the ash or
incompletely burned gas), which forms CO instead of
CO2 .
 COMBUSTION CHAMBER DEFINED
 The combustion chamber consists of an upper and lower half.
 Upper half- Made up of cylinder head and cylinder wall.
 Lower half- Made up of piston head (Crown) and piston rings.
Design Considerations
 Minimal flame travel
 The exhaust valve and spark plug should be close to each other
 Sufficient turbulence
 A fast combustion, low variability
 High volumetric efficiency at WOT
 Minimum heat loss to combustion walls
 Low fuel octane requirement
FIRING ORDER
A/F Ratio Requirement
EFFECT OF ENGINE OPERATION ON
POLLUTANT FORMATION
A/F RATIO REQUIREMENT CONTD…
 ELECTRICAL UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

• Volts---- Push V
• Current ---Quantity A
• Resistance ----Resistance to flow 
 Ohm’s Law
• E=IxR
• E/I=R
• E/R=I E

I R
 THREE TYPES OF IGNITION SYSTEMS

1.Magneto coil Ignition System

2. Battery coil Ignition System

3. Solid State Ignition System

 MAGNETO IGNITION SYSTEM

• Generates power through magnetic induction.

• Contains mechanical components (breaker points)
that perform the switching action in the ignition
circuit.
MAGNETO COIL IGNITION SYSTEM
 IGNITION SYSTEM -REQUIREMENTS
 The ideal ignition timing is dependent on two main factors,
engine speed and engine load.
 An increase in engine speed requires the ignition timing to be
advanced.
 The cylinder charge, of air–fuel mixture, requires a certain
time to burn (normally about 2 ms).
 At higher engine speeds the time taken for the piston to
travel the same distance reduces.
 Advancing the time of the spark ensures full burning is
achieved.
 A change in timing due to engine load is also required as the
weaker mixture used on low load conditions burns at a slower
rate. In this situation, further ignition advance is necessary.
 IGNITION SYSTEM - REQUIREMENTS

 Greater load on the engine requires a richer mixture, which burns more
rapidly. In this case some retardation of timing is necessary.
 Overall, under any condition of engine speed and load an ideal advance
angle is required to ensure maximum pressure is achieved in the
cylinder just after top dead center.
 The ideal advance angle may be further refined by engine temperature
and any risk of detonation.
 Spark advance is achieved in a number of ways.
 The simplest of these being the mechanical system comprising a
centrifugal advance mechanism and a vacuum (load sensitive) control
unit.
 Manifold vacuum is almost inversely proportional to the engine load.
BATTERY COIL IGNITION SYSTEM
Primary Ignition Circuit(low voltage)
1. Battery
2. Ignition switch
3. Primary windings of coil
4. Contact breaker
5. capacitor

Secondary Ignition Circuit ( high voltage)

1. Secondary windings of coil
2. Distributor cap and rotor (if the vehicle is so equipped)
3. Spark plug wires
4. Spark plugs
IGNITION SYSTEM OPERATION
 The ignition system includes components and wiring
necessary to create and distribute a high voltage (up to
40,000 volts or more).
 All ignition systems apply voltage close to battery voltage to
the positive side of the ignition coil and pulse the negative
side to ground.
 When the coil negative lead is grounded, the primary (low-
voltage) circuit of the coil is complete and a magnetic field
is created by the coil windings.
IGNITION SYSTEM OPERATION (CONTINUED)
 When the circuit is opened(by contact), the
magnetic field collapses and induces a high-
voltage spark from the secondary winding of the
ignition coil.
 Distributor ignition (DI) is the term specified by
the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) for
an ignition. Get that spark and distribute to spark
plug.
THE LEAD ACID BATTERY
 ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL BASICS

PbO2 + Pb -

Four Basic
Components

1. Positive Electrode

2. Negative Electrode

3. Separator

4. Electrolyte
 BATTERY
Automotive starter batteries (usually of lead acid type) provide a nominal 12-V
by connecting six galvanic cell in series. Each cell provides 2.1 volts for a total of
12.6 volt at full charge.
Lead-acid batteries are made up of plates of lead and separate plates of lead
dioxide which are submerged into an electrolyte solution of about 35% sulfuric
acid and 65% water. This causes a chemical reaction that releases electrons ,
allowing them to flow through conductors to produce electricity .
As the battery discharge, the acid of the electrolyte reacts with the materials of
the plates, changing their surface to lead sulfate .
When the battery is recharged , the chemical reaction is reversed: the lead sulfate
reforms into lead oxide and lead. With the plates restored to their original
condition, the process may now be repeated.
IGNITION COIL
IGNITION COIL
 The coil creates a high-voltage spark by electromagnetic
induction.
 Many ignition coils contain two separate but electrically
connected windings of copper wire.
 Other coils are true transformers in which the primary and
secondary windings are not electrically connected
 The center of an ignition coil contains a core of laminated
soft iron (thin strips of soft iron).
IGNITION COILS (CONTINUED)

 This core increases the magnetic strength of the coil.

 Surrounding the laminated core are approximately 20,000
turns of fine wire (approximately 42 gauge).
 These windings are called the secondary coil windings.
 Surrounding the secondary windings are approximately
150 turns of heavy wire (approximately 21 gauge).
 These windings are called the primary coil windings.
 IGNITION COILS (CONTINUED)
• The secondary winding has about 100 times the number of
turns of the primary winding, referred to as the turn ratio
(approximately 100:1).
• The primary windings of the coil extend through the case of
the coil and are labeled as positive and negative.
• The positive terminal of the coil attaches to the ignition switch,
which supplies current from the positive battery terminal.
• The negative terminal is attached to an electronic ignition
module (or igniter), which opens and closes the primary
ignition circuit by opening or closing the ground return path of
the circuit.
HOW IGNITION COILS CREATE 40,000 VOLTS
• If the primary circuit is completed, current (approximately 2 to 6 A)
can flow through the primary coil windings.
• This flow creates a strong magnetic field inside the coil.
• When the primary coil winding ground return path connection is
opened, the magnetic field collapses and induces a voltage of from
250 to 400 volts in the primary winding of the coil and a high-
voltage (20,000 to 40,000 volts) low-amperage (20 to 80 amps)
current in the secondary coil windings.
• This high-voltage pulse flows through the coil wire, distributor cap,
rotor, and spark plug wires to the spark plugs.
THE DISTRIBUTOR
THE COMPONENT
Its is to distribute the high voltage from the coil to the correct
cylinder. This is done by the cap and rotor.
The coil is connected to the rotor, which spins inside the cap. The rotor
spins past a series of contacts, one contact per cylinder.
As the tip of the rotor passes each contact, a high-voltage pulse comes
from the coil. The pulse arcs across the small gap between the rotor and
the contact (they don't actually touch) and then continues down the
spark-plug wire to the spark plug on the appropriate cylinder.
Also, the spark-plug wires eventually wear out and lose some of their
electrical insulation.
This can be the cause of some very mysterious engine problems.
A cam in the center of the distributor pushes a lever connected to one
of the points. Whenever the cam pushes the lever, it opens the points.
This causes the coil to suddenly lose its ground, generating a high-
voltage pulse.
The points also control the timing of the spark. They may have a
vacuum advance or a centrifugal advance. These mechanisms advance
the timing in proportion to engine load or engine speed.
Spark timing is so critical to an engine's performance that most cars
don't use points. Instead, they use a sensor that tells the engine control
unit (ECU) the exact position of the pistons. The engine computer then
controls a transistor that opens and closes the current to the coil.
Point gap effects spark timing
and Voltage Magnitude
SPARK PLUG
Measuring Spark Plug Temperature
 HEAT RANGES
The difference between a "hot" and a "cold" spark plug is in
the shape of the ceramic tip.

 The manufacturers will select the right-temperature plug for

each engine.
 Some engines with high-performance naturally generate
more heat, so they need colder plugs.
 If the spark plug gets too hot, it could ignite the fuel before
the spark fires
 It is important to stick with the right type of plug
 Engine that burn oil may need hot plugs
 SPARK PLUG CONSTRUCTION

TERMINAL
 The top of the spark plug contains a terminal to connect to the ignition
system. The exact terminal construction varies depending on the use of the
spark plug.
 Most passenger car spark plug wires snap onto the terminal of the plug, but
some wires have spade connectors which are fastened onto the plug under a
nut.
 Plugs which are used for these applications often have the end of the
terminal serve a double purpose as the nut on a thin threaded shaft so that
they can be used for either type of connection. These are a necessary part of
the spark plug.
INSULATOR
The main part of the insulator is made from porcelain. Its major function is to
provide mechanical support for the centre electrode, whilst insulating the high
voltage.
It has a secondary role, particularly in modern engines with deeply inaccessible
plugs, in extending the terminal above the cylinder head so as to make it more readily
accessible.
RIBS
By lengthening the surface between the high voltage terminal and the grounded metal
case of the spark plug, the physical shape of the ribs functions to improve the
electrical insulation and prevent electrical energy from leaking along the insulator
surface from the terminal to the metal case.
The disrupted and longer path makes the electricity encounter more resistance along
the surface of the spark plug even in the presence of dirt and moisture. A few spark
SEALS
Because the spark plug also seals the combustion chamber or the engine when
installed, the seals ensure there is no leakage from the combustion chamber.
The seal is typically made by the use of a multi-layer braze because there are no
braze compositions that will wet both the ceramic and metal case and therefore
intermediary alloys are required.

METAL CASE
The metal case (or the "jacket" as many people call it) of the spark plug bears
the torque of tightening the plug, serves to remove heat from the insulator and
pass it on to the cylinder head, and acts as the ground for the sparks passing
through the center electrode to the side electrode. As it acts as the ground, it can
be harmful if touched while igniting.
CENTER ELECTRODE
The center electrode is connected to the terminal through
an internal wire and commonly a ceramic series resistance
to reduce emission of radio noise from the sparking.
The tip can be made of a combination of copper. nickel.
iron , or precious metal.
In the late seventies, the development of engines reached
a stage where the ‘heat range’ of conventional spark plugs
with solid nickel alloy centre electrodes was unable to cope
with their demands.
A plug that was ‘cold’ enough to cope with the
demands of high speed driving would not be able to burn
off the carbon deposits caused by stop-start urban
conditions, and would foul in these conditions, making
the engine misfire.
Similarly, a plug that was ‘hot’ enough to run smoothly
in town, could actually melt when called upon to cope
with extended high speed running on motorways, causing

serious damage to the engine.

The center electrode is usually the one designed to eject the electrons (the
cathode) because it is the hottest (normally) part of the plug; it is easier to
emit electrons from a hot surface, because of the same physical laws that
increase emissions of vapor from hot surfaces (see thermionic emission).
In addition, electrons are emitted where the electrical field strength is
greatest; this is from wherever the radius of curvature of the surface is
smallest, i.e. from a sharp point or edge rather than a flat surface (see corona
discharge).
 It would be easiest to pull electrons from a pointed electrode but a pointed
electrode would erode after only a few seconds.
Instead, the electrons emit from the sharp edges of the end of the electrode;
as these edges erode, the spark becomes weaker and less reliable
SIDE ELECTRODE, OR GROUND ELECTRODE
The side electrode is made from high nickel steel and is
welded to the side of the metal case.
The side electrode also runs very hot, especially on
projected nose plugs. Some designs have provided a
copper core to this electrode, so as to increase heat
conduction.
Multiple side electrodes may also be used, so that they
don't overlap the center electrode.
 SPARK PLUG GAP
Spark plugs are typically designed to have a spark gap which can be
adjusted by the technician installing the spark plug, by the simple method of
bending the ground electrode slightly to bring it closer to or further from the
center electrode.
The belief that plugs are properly gapped as delivered in their box from the
factory is only partially true, as proven by the fact that the same plug may be
specified for several different engines, requiring a different gap for each.
Spark plugs in automobiles generally have a gap between 0.045"-0.070"
(1.2-1.8mm).
But it can depend on the engine: new spark plugs might be pre-gapped for a
V-8 engine, installing all 8 plugs unchanged; however if installed in a 6-
cylinder engine, all (6) plugs would require re-gapping’
IGNITION COIL
 DISTRIBUTORLESS IGNITION SYSTEM (DIS)

 An ignition system that does not use a distributor to route high

voltage to the spark plugs.
 The high voltage plug wire runs directly from the ignition coil to the
spark plug.
 Some DIS systems have one coil for every two spark plugs (a shared
system), while others have a separate coil for each spark plug.
 Eliminating the distributor makes the system more reliable and
eliminates maintenance.
 In recent years, cars that need their first tune-up at 100,000 miles.
One of the technologies that enables this long maintenance interval is
the distributorless ignition.
DISTRIBUTORLESS IGNITION SYSTEM (DIS)
DISTRIBUTORLESS IGNITION SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTORLESS IGNITION SYSTEM
 ADVANTAGES OF DISTRIBUTORLESS IGNITION
SYSTEM

• First, there is no distributor, which is an item that

eventually wears out.
• Also, there are no high-voltage spark-plug wires,
which also wear out.
• And finally, they allow for more precise control of
the spark timing, which can improve efficiency,
emissions and increase the overall power of a car.
• .
ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

HIGH SECONDARY VOLTAGES

 Electronic ignition systems can carry the increased primary
current needed to produce the higher secondary system voltages
needed to ignite leaner air/fuel mixtures.
 The primary circuit in most breaker point systems carried 3.5 to
4.0 amperes. When the breaker points opened, this current tried
to arc across the points.
 Point arcing caused electrolysis and corrosion on the metal
surface of the contacts.
 ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

 When primary current increases above 4 amperes, point life

begins to decrease at an increased rate, resulting in every
limited point life.
 Faster wearing points require extra maintenance and result in
an ever-decreasing dwell period, which in turn decreases the
potential voltage induced in the secondary system.
 Dwell is the period of time that current flows through the
primary circuit.
 ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION
 Better High-Speed Performance
 Another handicap of the old breaker point system was
that as engine speed increased, the dwell time
decreased.
 This, in turn, decreases the output of the coil. From the
ignition coil to generate maximum secondary voltage,
maximum primary current flow must be flowing
through the primary winding before the field is
collapsed.
ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

In a breaker point system, the length of time

the primary circuit is closed is controlled by the
speed of the breaker cam.
This period of time is called dwell angle and is
expressed in a number of degrees of distributor
shaft rotation
 ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

 For example, many V-8 engines have a dwell angle of 30

degrees during which time the points are closed and current
builds in the primary winding.
 This dwell angle remains constant regardless of engine speed;
but as engine speed increases, the actual time, in seconds, the
points are closed decreases.
 Any increase in engine speed above a specific rpm reduces the
saturation time of the ignition coil, causing the available
voltage to decrease.
ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

 This phenomenon is due to the fact that the current in

the coil does not instantaneously reach its maximum

value when the contact points close.

 Current in the coil must build for several milliseconds

for this value to be reached.

 ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

 At 1,000 rpm, the distributor shaft rotates once every 0.12

second. Of this time, the points are closed for 0.10 second,
or 10 milliseconds, for every cylinder of an 8-cylinder
engine. This is sufficient time for saturation of the primary
winding.
 When the engine speed increases to 2,000 rpm, the time that
the points are closed for each plug firing is reduced to 5
milliseconds.
 A dwell period of 5 milliseconds allows the primary current
to build to 3.8 amperes.
ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC IGNITION

At 3,000rpm, the dwell period drops to 3.3 milliseconds and

the current drops to 3.2 amperes. The reduced saturation time
lowers the available secondary voltage.
This can result in a misfire as there may be less voltage
available than is needed to fire the plug. This increases exhaust
emissions and decreases fuel economy and engine performance.
Thank
You!